- What This Cheat Sheet Covers (and Doesn't)
- Credential Snapshot: ACVCP and the Two-Phase Path
- Exam Format at a Glance
- Fees, Deadlines and Eligibility Window
- Phase II Credentials: The Two-Paper Rule
- The 26-Heading Domain Map
- Core Pharmacology Facts to Own
- Organ-System and Drug-Class Review
- Phase II Skill Areas: Design, Statistics and Regulation
- Exam-Day Logistics With Examplify
- Sequencing Your Review by Domain
- What Is Not Verified (Read Before You Plan)
- Frequently Asked Questions
- The DACVCP is awarded through the American College of Veterinary Clinical Pharmacology (ACVCP) and requires passing both Phase I and Phase II.
- Phase I is 200 multiple-choice questions in two 100-question sessions; Phase II is ten question groups worth 200 points.
- The published 2026 cycle lists USD 75, USD 200, USD 250 and USD 300 across the four fee items.
- Phase II requires two peer-reviewed papers accepted or published by February 1 of the exam year, one with first authorship.
What This Cheat Sheet Covers (and Doesn't)
This page condenses what is publicly documented about the Diplomate, American College of Veterinary Clinical Pharmacology (DACVCP) credential into a single review. It is built for residents and eligible candidates who want one place to check format, fees, deadlines, eligibility rules and the content areas that anchor preparation. If you need a full preparation plan rather than a fact sheet, start with the DACVCP study guide, and for a deeper look at each content area see the complete guide to all 26 content areas.
One honesty note up front: the ACVCP's current blueprints could not be retrieved during verification, and the legacy blueprint headings used below are dated preparation-curriculum topics, not a confirmed current or exhaustive exam outline. Treat the domain list as a study scaffold and confirm current expectations with your residency program director and the ACVCP directly.
Credential Snapshot: ACVCP and the Two-Phase Path
The credential is governed and administered by the American College of Veterinary Clinical Pharmacology. The full credential requires both an examination in Phase I and a separate examination in Phase II, with credentials review sitting between them. Candidates must be legally qualified to practice veterinary medicine and enrolled in, or have completed, approved ACVCP residency training before Phase I. The Phase I application requires two references.
| Item | Phase I | Phase II |
|---|---|---|
| Entry requirement | Legally qualified to practice veterinary medicine; enrolled in or completed approved ACVCP residency; two references | Completed approved training, Phase I pass, approved credentials, course documentation and transcripts, two qualifying papers |
| Format | 200 multiple-choice questions in two 100-question sessions | Ten question groups; written response, multiple choice, fill-in-the-blank and extended matching |
| Scoring unit | Questions | 200 points across two 100-point sessions (points, not a question count) |
| Ordinary schedule | Eight active hours, 08:00-12:00 and 14:00-18:00 local time | Eight active hours |
| 2026 administration | May 19, remote via ExamSoft | June 30, remote via ExamSoft |
For a detailed walk-through of eligibility, see DACVCP requirements: eligibility, prerequisites and how to qualify.
Exam Format at a Glance
Phase I
Phase I is a 200-item multiple-choice examination split into two 100-question sessions. The ordinary schedule runs 08:00-12:00 and 14:00-18:00 local time, which works out to eight active examination hours excluding the midday break. That pacing leaves roughly two and a half minutes per item on average, so you need to be fast on recall-type questions to bank time for calculation- and scenario-heavy items.
Phase II
Phase II is structurally different. It has ten question groups mixing written responses, multiple choice, fill-in-the-blank and extended matching, with a combined value of 200 points across two 100-point sessions. The 200 is a point total, not a question count, so do not budget your time as if it were 200 items. The ordinary schedule again provides eight active hours.
Passing criteria
Passing points are recommended by the Examination Committee and ad hoc reviewers for Board approval. A fixed numerical pass mark and a current pass rate were not verified, so any figure you see quoted elsewhere should be treated with skepticism. Our pages on the DACVCP passing score and the DACVCP pass rate explain what can and cannot be stated from public sources.
Fees, Deadlines and Eligibility Window
The published 2026 cycle lists four fee items:
- USD 75: Phase I application
- USD 200: Phase I examination
- USD 250: Phase II credentials review
- USD 300: Phase II examination
Retakes require the respective examination fee. The general fee page allows refunds only for extenuating circumstances accepted by the Board, while the phase pages describe examination fees as nonrefundable, so budget as though examination fees will not come back to you.
Dates and the eligibility clock
- Applications are ordinarily due October 1 before the examination year, with intent to sit due by February 1. The currently dated checklist covers October 1, 2025 and February 1, 2026.
- The 2026 administration (Phase I on May 19, Phase II on June 30) has already passed, and a 2027 schedule was not verified.
- Both phases must be passed within a five-year eligibility period that begins with the first eligible examination year after Phase I approval. The issuer's example: approval in December 2025 permits examinations from 2026 through 2030.
That five-year window is an examination eligibility limit, not a credential renewal cycle. For scheduling detail see DACVCP exam dates and deadlines, and for a full cost picture see the DACVCP certification cost breakdown.
Phase II Credentials: The Two-Paper Rule
Phase II is gated by a credentials review that is unusual among specialty exams because it demands a research record, not just training completion. The documented requirements:
- Two peer-reviewed papers accepted or published by February 1 of the examination year.
- At least one paper must be original veterinary clinical pharmacology research.
- The other may be original research or an eligible evidence-based systematic review/meta-analysis.
- First authorship is required on at least one paper.
- Neither paper may have been used for another specialty board.
- Publication must not predate the beginning of training by more than two years.
Alongside the papers, candidates submit course documentation and transcripts and need approved credentials and a Phase I pass. Because publication timelines are unpredictable, residents commonly need to plan their manuscript pipeline early in training instead of treating papers as a final-year task.
Key Takeaway
Check each paper against all six rules above before you submit, especially the no-reuse-for-another-board rule and the two-year pre-training publication limit. A paper that fails one rule can stall your Phase II timeline regardless of exam readiness.
The 26-Heading Domain Map
The domain list below combines two sources: 22 retained headings from the ACVCP's Suggested Blueprint for Phase I (last revised December 2021), and four examination subject categories from the current Phase II Examination page. No weights are published for either, and the count of 26 simply counts the supplied headings; it is not an official combined exam-domain count.
| # | Heading | Group |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Physiochemical characteristics of active pharmaceutical ingredients | Foundations |
| 2 | Pharmacodynamics | Foundations |
| 3 | Drug movement | Foundations |
| 4 | Pharmacokinetics | Foundations |
| 5 | Factors impacting drug movement and/or drug response | Foundations |
| 6 | Routes of administration | Foundations |
| 7 | Dosing forms (and relevant drug delivery devices) | Foundations |
| 8 | Adverse events | Foundations |
| 9 | Causes for therapeutic failure | Foundations |
| 10-16 | Nervous System; Renal; Cardiovascular; Gastrointestinal; Reproduction; Endocrine; General and special senses | Organ systems |
| 17-22 | Control of inflammation/immunomodulation; Anticancer drugs; Fluid therapy; Anti-infectives; Botanical/Herbals; Disinfectants/antiseptics | Drug classes and therapeutic areas |
| 23-26 | Therapeutics; Pharmacokinetics and Therapeutic Drug Monitoring; Experimental Design, Statistics and Analytical Methods; Regulatory Pharmacology | Phase II subject categories |
Note the source spelling "Physiochemical" in heading 1, which is retained exactly as it appears in the legacy blueprint.
Core Pharmacology Facts to Own
The first nine headings form the conceptual engine for everything else. Below are the topics a clinical pharmacology candidate should be able to explain and apply without notes. These are standard pharmacology principles organized under the blueprint headings, not claims about specific exam questions.
Domains 1 and 3: Physiochemical Characteristics and Drug Movement
Understand how molecular properties predict membrane transit and distribution.
- Ionization, pKa and the Henderson-Hasselbalch relationship for weak acids and bases, including ion trapping across pH gradients
- Lipophilicity, molecular size and protein binding as determinants of distribution
- Passive diffusion versus carrier-mediated transport, including efflux transporters such as P-glycoprotein and the species-specific implications of its variation
Domains 2 and 4: Pharmacodynamics and Pharmacokinetics
These two headings underpin nearly every quantitative question.
- Receptor theory: affinity, efficacy, potency, agonists, partial agonists, antagonists and inverse agonists
- Dose-response and concentration-effect relationships, including Emax models and hysteresis
- Compartmental and noncompartmental analysis; clearance, volume of distribution, half-life and bioavailability and how they interrelate
- Steady state, accumulation, loading and maintenance dosing, and the effect of dosing interval on peak-trough fluctuation
Domains 5, 8 and 9: Variability, Adverse Events and Therapeutic Failure
Clinical pharmacology is largely about explaining why a drug did something unexpected.
- Species, breed, age, disease state and genetic differences in metabolism (for example, species-specific conjugation deficits and variable CYP expression)
- Drug-drug interactions through enzyme induction or inhibition, transporter effects and protein-binding displacement
- Classifying adverse events: dose-related versus idiosyncratic, immune-mediated reactions, and organ-specific toxicity
- Diagnostic reasoning for therapeutic failure: wrong dose or interval, poor adherence, inadequate bioavailability, resistance, wrong diagnosis or an interacting drug
Domains 6 and 7: Routes and Dosing Forms
Know how formulation and route reshape the concentration-time profile.
- Oral, parenteral, transdermal, topical, inhaled and ocular routes, with first-pass effects and absorption-limiting factors
- Extended-release and long-acting injectable concepts, flip-flop kinetics and the role of excipients
- Delivery devices and compounding considerations, including why a compounded product may not be equivalent to an approved one
If you want to gauge how demanding this conceptual load is, our analysis of how hard the DACVCP exam is discusses where candidates tend to feel pressure.
Organ-System and Drug-Class Review
Headings 10 through 22 shift from principles to applied pharmacology by organ system and drug class. A useful way to review is to ask the same question of each: what are the mechanism, main kinetic features, species differences, adverse effects and key interactions?
Domains 10-16: Organ Systems
Build a one-line "mechanism, kinetics, toxicity" card for the main drug groups in each system.
- Nervous system: anesthetics, sedatives, analgesics, anticonvulsants and behavior-modifying drugs; opioid receptor pharmacology and seizure-drug monitoring concepts
- Renal: diuretics and their sites of action, drug dosing adjustments in reduced renal function, nephrotoxicity
- Cardiovascular: antiarrhythmic classes, inotropes, vasodilators and drugs affecting the renin-angiotensin system
- Gastrointestinal: acid suppression, prokinetics, antiemetics and the effects of GI physiology on oral absorption
- Reproduction: hormonal modulation, drugs for pregnancy and lactation, and safety in breeding animals
- Endocrine: thyroid, adrenal and glycemic-control drugs, including insulin formulation differences
- General and special senses: ocular and otic pharmacology, including topical penetration and local-versus-systemic exposure
Domains 17-22: Drug Classes and Therapeutic Areas
These headings reward both mechanism knowledge and rational selection.
- Inflammation and immunomodulation: NSAIDs, glucocorticoids and immunosuppressants, including COX selectivity, adverse-effect profiles and monitoring
- Anticancer drugs: cytotoxic mechanisms, narrow therapeutic windows, dose-limiting toxicities and handling or safety considerations
- Fluid therapy: crystalloid versus colloid characteristics, electrolyte considerations and distribution between fluid compartments
- Anti-infectives: concentration-dependent versus time-dependent killing, PK/PD indices, resistance mechanisms and antimicrobial stewardship
- Botanical/Herbals: variable composition, limited evidence, potential interactions and adverse effects
- Disinfectants/antiseptics: spectrum of activity, contact-time and inactivation by organic matter, and tissue toxicity
Phase II Skill Areas: Design, Statistics and Regulation
Headings 23 through 26 are the four examination subject categories on the current Phase II page. Current category percentages are not published there, so do not assume equal or unequal weighting. They signal that Phase II leans toward applied judgment and scientific method rather than recall.
- Therapeutics: choosing, dosing and adjusting drug therapy for a clinical scenario, justified with mechanism and kinetics.
- Pharmacokinetics and Therapeutic Drug Monitoring: interpreting concentration data, deciding when sampling is informative and adjusting regimens from measured levels.
- Experimental Design, Statistics and Analytical Methods: trial design, bias control, appropriate statistical tests, power considerations and the validation of analytical assays.
- Regulatory Pharmacology: the framework governing approval, labeling and extralabel use of veterinary drugs.
Exam-Day Logistics With Examplify
The 2026 delivery arrangement was fully remote using ExamSoft, and the dated candidate notice takes precedence over generic references to a testing location on the phase pages. The practical requirements documented:
- Candidates supply a compatible Windows or Mac laptop with Examplify installed and administrator privileges.
- The encrypted examination is downloaded in advance and unlocked with a proctor password.
- Examination mode blocks internet access, files and other applications, so you cannot reference anything outside the exam.
- Advance practice examinations are available to rehearse the software and become familiar with question structure.
Use the practice examinations specifically to test your hardware and permissions well before exam day. An administrator-privilege problem discovered the morning of Phase I is an avoidable failure. Since a 2027 schedule was not verified, confirm whether remote delivery continues for your cycle.
Sequencing Your Review by Domain
Generic scheduling matters less than ordering the content so that foundations feed applications. A sensible DACVCP-specific sequence follows the structure of the domain map:
Quantitative foundations (Domains 1-5)
- Drill ionization, distribution and clearance calculations first, because every later domain assumes them
- Practice rearranging PK equations until the relationships are automatic
Delivery and failure analysis (Domains 6-9)
- Work cases where you must diagnose why a regimen failed or caused harm
- Link formulation and route to the concentration-time curve
Organ systems and drug classes (Domains 10-22)
- Rotate through systems using mechanism, kinetics and toxicity cards
- Give extra time to anti-infective PK/PD indices and anticancer toxicities, which reward integration
Phase II applied skills (Domains 23-26)
- Practice written justifications, TDM interpretation and critique of study designs
- Review the regulatory framework alongside current guidance documents
For a fuller plan that turns this into a calendar, see the DACVCP study guide, and use the main practice test site to check your recall under timed conditions.
What Is Not Verified (Read Before You Plan)
Several facts that candidates often want are not established by public sources, and this cheat sheet deliberately does not fill the gaps with guesses.
- Current blueprints: neither the complete current Phase I blueprint nor the current Phase II blueprint could be retrieved. The legacy Phase I headings are retained as dated content, and the December 2021 Phase II blueprint contains historical question allocations that are not converted into current percentages.
- Pass mark and pass rate: no fixed numerical passing score or current pass rate was verified.
- Renewal and maintenance: the 2018 bylaws describe review of maintenance records every two years toward maintenance at ten years, but the complete file was not retrieved and its current applicability to current or future Diplomates is unverified. A Maintenance of Certification committee is confirmed to administer recertification, though its detailed page requires authorization. No current renewal hours, fees or intervals should be assumed.
- Future dates: the 2026 administration has passed and a 2027 schedule was not verified.
Key Takeaway
Before committing to a timeline or budget, contact the ACVCP or your residency program director to confirm the current blueprint, delivery format and fee schedule for your target exam year.
If you are weighing the investment, our analyses of whether the DACVCP is worth it and the DACVCP salary landscape address career value qualitatively, and the DACVCP certification overview provides broader context.
Frequently Asked Questions
It stands for Diplomate, American College of Veterinary Clinical Pharmacology. The credential is awarded by the American College of Veterinary Clinical Pharmacology (ACVCP) after candidates pass both Phase I and Phase II. See what DACVCP stands for for more detail.
Phase I has 200 multiple-choice questions in two 100-question sessions. Phase II has ten question groups worth 200 points across two 100-point sessions, so its 200 is a point total rather than a question count.
The published 2026 cycle lists USD 75 for the Phase I application, USD 200 for the Phase I examination, USD 250 for Phase II credentials review and USD 300 for the Phase II examination. A separate USD 75 first-year candidate registration fee appears on another page, and whether it overlaps the Phase I application charge is not established publicly.
You need completed approved training, a Phase I pass, approved credentials, course documentation and transcripts, and two peer-reviewed papers accepted or published by February 1 of the examination year. At least one must be original veterinary clinical pharmacology research and at least one must have you as first author.
Both phases must be passed within a five-year eligibility period beginning with the first eligible examination year after Phase I approval. For example, approval in December 2025 permits examinations from 2026 through 2030. This is an examination window, not a credential renewal interval.