Advice for someone who has failed NAVLE multiple times

[WhtsThFrequency]

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Nor is it intended to. See previous comments about the intention of the test. The things you describe, while very good to have in a vet, are not requirements of being one.

A newly minted graduate vet especially. A lot of those things are skills you hone over time. The test is for basic knowledge base.

 

[KCgophervet]

After five times, if she fails, I doubt she'll try again.

Has she already taken it the 5th time? If not it might be wise to wait until she's feeling confident that she can take on that beast, through multiple passed practice tests, talking to a specialist, maybe do VetPrep as well as Zuku?

If she has well I hope she passed and you both can move on with your lives, fingers crossed!

 

[dyachei]

Has she already taken it the 5th time? If not it might be wise to wait until she's feeling confident that she can take on that beast, through multiple passed practice tests, talking to a specialist, maybe do VetPrep as well as Zuku?

If she has well I hope she passed and you both can move on with your lives, fingers crossed!

NBVME recommends that you not be able to take it past 5 times to local boards. Some are as few as 3 times. For the 4th and 5th time, they require a year between attempts.

 

[WhtsThFrequency]

And guess what you need to have to get to that point? A passing NAVLE score and a license. There is a parachute there. Not so for anyone who fails the NAVLE.

Because practices will surely be hiring someone who has done zero clinical practice for three to five years after vet school.....that's one holey parachute, my friend.

Correction friend. My wife is a veterinary school graduate. Student days have been over for a while now.

It is a "paper test" that requires rote memorization. It does not test your clinical skills, it does not test your people skills, it does not test your ability to work under the real pressure of the working world. It tests your ability to take a test. Some test takers can pass, some can not. Some idiots are really good at taking tests. This test proves jack about you as a veterinarian. As I said that bears itself out as most veterinarians could not pass the test after 5 years in practice. They performed a brain dump and promptly forgot most of it all.

A large degree of rote memorization IS required to have a competent knowledge base. You need to memorize which antibiotics or medications to give for which disease. You need to memorize the clinical signs of said disease. You need to memorize countless names of infectious agents and memorize how they affect the patient. You have to memorize anatomic structures in order to be able to identify them on radiographs. You have to memorize surgical approaches step by step. You have to memorize anesthetics and dosages. You need to memorize breeds of animals with specific genetic predispositions to diseases. I could go on and on, but you get the point. You could have the greatest people skills in the world or place catheters like a champ, but if you can't remember the specific clinical signs of disease or which drug to treat it with, you can't be a vet.

I'm going to guess this is the first time you've ever gotten flack over this isn't it? You've never had to really see the damage this does to the small percentage who don't make it multiple times or ever.

You're right, I have better things to do with my time. I mean hey, thanks to the NAVLE I get to pay on that student debt now too and I didn't even go through the program.

I am done with you.

This isn't about giving or catching flack. This is nonsensical, accusatory bitching in its purest form.

 

[dyachei]

I doubt @WhtsThFrequency often talks about this subject to catch flack on it.

 

[LetItSnow]

Sometimes you need to come down from your ivory tower and see the damage you do.

Have a nice day. I'm out.

Or you need to open your eyes and take off the defensive blinders. I mean, I get this is an emotional issue for you because it's your wife/family, but ...... like WTF pointed out, the vast majority of candidates pass. So if someone hasn't passed 4 times, maybe there's a good reason. Ideally, it's a deficiency that can be corrected if it's knowledge-based, or a test-taking issue (anxiety, reading problems, whatever) that can be managed with an exception such as allowing more time.

Your argument of "I keep talking to people who say they couldn't pass it 5 years down the road" isn't meaningful because the point isn't to pass it 5 years down the road. The point is to assess whether a candidate, at the end of their degree training, has the broad-based knowledge they were supposed to have learned. 5 years from now I won't be able to pass it because I'm doing only small animal work - I'll be helpless on poultry, swine, equine, bovine, caprine, etc. questions because I'm not DOING any of that, so it won't stick.

The test does suck - no doubt. It's hard and a lot of the content feels badly written and it's frustrating to be tested on material you don't care about. But you go into school knowing you have to take it and you have 3.5 years in which to prepare for it however you feel necessary for you to pass. In other words, you have all sorts of control over the outcome. If your wife isn't passing, the right approach is to objectively ask why, and then deal with the reason. Not to gripe about the test, and not to get upset at the rest of us just because we passed.

I agree with you that the time has come for limited licensure where we are boarded into a specific area (SA, lab, equine, whatever). I've argued that for a long time. There are some smart and well-intentioned people who disagree with me, and there are definitely good reasons to disagree with me. I just think that ultimately the reasons to do it outweigh the reasons not to.

But that doesn't change things for your wife - she went into school knowing she had to pass a broad-based test. And she had 3.5 years to prepare. Not sure why that suddenly morphs into it being the fault of everyone else that she couldn't pass a test that she knew was coming for 3.5 years.......

And do you seriously believe she should be hired to teach vet med? (You complained that she can't do alternative tasks like teach without passing NAVLE.) Really? Maybe I'm crazy, but I'd like to learn from someone that passed boards. I mean, I wouldn't take driver's ed from someone who couldn't pass their driver's license exam......

It is a "paper test" that requires rote memorization. It does not test your clinical skills, it does not test your people skills, it does not test your ability to work under the real pressure of the working world. It tests your ability to take a test. Some test takers can pass, some can not. Some idiots are really good at taking tests. This test proves jack about you as a veterinarian.

Sure. But memorization is part of being a vet. Clinical skills are assessed in fourth year - that's just one part of being a vet. People skills are developed throughout vet school - also just one part of being a vet. Having a broad-based memorized body of knowledge is part of being a vet - and it's assessed during NAVLE. You don't - and shouldn't - get to be a vet just because you can excel in one area, but not manage all the requirements of the job.

I am done with you.

You promised that in a previous post, too. Maybe this time you'll make good on your offer.

You also keep using phrases like "your policies". Not a single one of us here has any say, or has had any say, in the licensing requirements. They aren't "my policies" and there are significant changes I'd like to see to them - some of which are exactly in line with what you're talking about. But it doesn't change the fact that from Day 1 of vet school I knew exactly what I'd have to do to get through, and so I did what it took to do that.

Your wife's future would be more positive if, instead of just bitching about the system, you helped her find a way to take it on and beat it.

As to advice: 1) Figure out why she's failing. Are her scores changing? Is there a particular area or areas she is weak in? Is she having test anxiety? Does she have a reading disability? 2) Adapt as appropriate based on the answer to #1.

 

[CalliopeDVM]

It is a "paper test" that requires rote memorization. It does not test your clinical skills, it does not test your people skills, it does not test your ability to work under the real pressure of the working world. It tests your ability to take a test. Some test takers can pass, some can not.

It's not a test of competency for clinical veterinary medicine, it's a test of veterinary and scientific knowledge. Not all vets are clinicians and not all vets work with the public. Yes, one of the things it does is test one's ability to take a test, and one's ability to problem solve their personal limitations and do the best they can with what they have.

 

[cowgirla]

It's not a test of competency for clinical veterinary medicine, it's a test of veterinary and scientific knowledge. Not all vets are clinicians and not all vets work with the public. Yes, one of the things it does is test one's ability to take a test, and one's ability to problem solve their personal limitations and do the best they can with what they have.

I'm going to add one thing in reference to the previous limited navle suggestion- Not all vets focus on a species. Not everyone chooses just small animal or just large animal or just exotics- there are plenty of mixed vets in the world (and specialists that see all species- such as path) and comparative medicine is a huge part of vet med in general. A limited navle and thus limited licensure would be a huge detriment to the profession and trap a lot of people, even if it helps that very small minority that has trouble with the exam as it stands now.

This is probably beating a dead horse at this point, but even if someone makes it through vet school without test anxiety, a standardized test failure is enough to make anyone anxious the next time they take it. That's normal, and expected and likely to get worse with each subsequent attempt. That's where seeing a learning specialist or similar comes in- to address what's changed and learn how to think through all that stress. It's a suggestion designed to help, not insult. Learning methods are not one size fits all and there are people out there to help find a method that does work.

 

[CalliopeDVM]

. That's where seeing a learning specialist or similar comes in- to address what's changed and learn how to think through all that stress. It's a suggestion designed to help, not insult. Learning methods are not one size fits all and there are people out there to help find a method that does work.

Absolutely - it's not just about potential learning difficulties......a solution might involve learning stress management techniques like guided relaxation or meditation, etc.

 

[Lab Vet]

@VetHusband ....I came into this conversation late. I'm in the middle of my second year, so haven't yet experienced the NAVLE. I did, however, struggle significantly (anatomy is my Achilles heel) my first semester. I HIGHLY recommend that you and your wife look into Ryan Orwig's STAT program (https://www.thestatprogram.com/). Orwig works exclusively with students who are struggling in medical/scientific professional school (I was one of his first vet students), both in the classroom years AND SPECIFICALLY ON THE BOARDS. This guy has helped MANY people overcome their issues with board exams by providing a comprehensive training program that changes the way the examinee approaches questions on the exam (everything from time management, to analyzing incorrect responses to questions). He is well known for helping medical students successfully pass the USMLE steps (after previous failures), as well as specialty board certification exams. Ryan is a great guy, someone who is really 'for' the success of his students. When I took his base class last year, I met several smart, wonderful people who just needed to tweak their strategy a bit in order to improve their performance. I was one of those folks, and am now doing just fine in vet school. I'm FAR from perfect, but was happy to take any advice available to get me out of the hole I was in when I was struggling. I'm happy to pass along that advice, and help someone else who was in a similar position to myself. Contact Ryan. Have your wife ask if he thinks his board prep program would be able to help her. I have complete confidence in the method, and believe it can work for anyone willing to put in the hard yard to practice the techniques taught.

I feel for your predicament. Truly, I do. I wish you and your wife the best in turning this ship around. Feel free to send me a PM if you have any questions re: the above program.

 

[DVMDream]

Me reading this thread:

 

[VetMedVetMed]

Hey you're living the dream. We can only look into the candy store and wish. I would not recommend this profession to anyone when so much time, money, tears, and even blood can be spent and flushed down the toilet by one exam after graduation. This will literally impact my kids' futures. But you don't care, you passed after all...

You expressed your support for the exam. That makes you part of the problem.

You really should stop directing your anger about this exam towards other people. No one else has ANYTHING to do with passing the NAVLE! If she keeps failing the test, I agree that is awful and I'm sorry you and her are both so frustrated about it. However, complaining about it and being bitter towards other people about the test will get you nowhere!! There are so many resources of help for taking this exam, and instead of being so upset over it, be productive and help her find ways to get help and pass! When people have negative thoughts towards things, things tend not to work out. When people have failures in life, they either choose to moan and groan and do nothing and get nowhere, OR they choose to take the bull by the horns and make things happen for themselves!! No one else can take this test for her, but she does have SO many options to get help and advice! Your support in that should be #1 and not to be discouraging and negative.

 

[Armymutt25A]

... You would actually say that to someone who graduated from the hell that is veterinary school?

it does not test your ability to work under the real pressure of the working world

Um..vet school is not hell. Far from it. It's actually not all that hard, once you figure out the patterns. I don't think anyone was being snarky when recommending that your wife seek assistance. There are specialists out there who do that sort of thing. As for your thought process on active vets not being able to pass it, and thus invalidating the exam, you're a bit like a football bat. Could you pass the final exam for a high school calculus class? I sure as hell couldn't. Haven't used calculus since 1995. I supervised a vet who graduated in 1992 the other day. He's about to retire from the Army and is trying to get his skills back up to snuff after a couple of decades of being out of the clinic. He didn't need to know how to do a spay to plan the strategic course of the Army Veterinary Corps, Public Health Command, etc. Doesn't make him a bad vet, nor invalidate any previous hurdle.

I disagree with it not testing your ability to work under real pressure. If you are unable to function when it's just you, a mouse, and a computer, how are you going to function when it's you, a dog, and an artery pumping out blood all over?

 

[Sheepforever1]

I don't think vet school is 'hell,' nor is it 'a nightmare.' So far, I've found it fun, and interesting, and hard work. I also think that the curriculum is designed to set students up for success on the NAVLE (at least, this is my impression at my own school), but obviously, the school cannot guarantee a passing score. The school provides the opportunity to learn the knowledge base that is tested on the NAVLE - and that's all NAVLE is. Not a test for competency, or clinical skills, or communication. It's not designed to be passed by vets 20 years out of vet school; it's designed to see whether you acquired a knowledge base during school that will set you up for success as a vet. I don't think anyone thinks it's perfect, and it's certainly far from ideal, but targeting other people who have nothing to do with the design or execution of the exam seems counterproductive and unnecessary.

I'm sorry that your wife has struggled with the exam, and I understand that you are frustrated with it. I would venture that channeling that emotional energy into productive ways to help your wife get through this would do her more good than lashing out. Good luck to her.

 

[VetHusband]

She passed.

My feelings regarding this exam haven't changed.

 

[dyachei]

She passed.

My feelings regarding this exam haven't changed.

I don't think anyone expected your feelings to change. But congrats to her! She must be relieved.

 

[CalliopeDVM]

She passed.

My feelings regarding this exam haven't changed.

Congratulations to her!

 

[twelvetigers]

She passed.

My feelings regarding this exam haven't changed.

You can hate the exam forever, and so can she. She never has to take it again. I was thankful for that after the first time, so I can only imagine.

Congrats to her, and I hope she finds a great first job. 🙂

 

[Kpowell14]

She passed.

My feelings regarding this exam haven't changed.

Congrats to your wife!!

 

[Minnerbelle]

Who cares if you still don't like it. Your wife won't have to deal with it again 🙂 good for her

 

[newvet08]

I had to take the NAVLE 3 times to pass it. The first time I took it I admit I didn't study the correct way. I did about 60% of Vetprep and nothing else, and failed the exam by 3 points. Since I barely failed it I was confident I would pass it in April. I didn't have access to vetprep like I did before so I just read the merck manual...and boy did nothing stick in my brain. I took the NAVLE again and this time only failed by 2 points! But I did fail, and this put me back. I had to let go of an amazing internship I had matched into and had to really concentrate. I decided not to take the exam lightly and I would study hard core and was determined to pass it. I studied for the following 4 months. My school got me a subscription to VetPrep again. I would wake up at 7am and study from8am-5pm every single day. I started off by doing questions. When I reached 50% I switched to spending my time reading power pages and listening to power lectures for about 4 hours of the day and the rest of the time reviewing old questions that I had already answered. When I got to 2months before the exam, I started doing more questions and fitting in 2-4 practice exams per week. VetPrep should be 100% complete about 2 weeks before the exam, and spend time reviewing the material. I used to look up a lot of the topics online and read up. Clinicians Brief is also a good site to get certain diseases down. There is a list of all diseases and topics for every species that you MUST know in order to do well on the NAVLE....this list is on the NAVLE website (clinical diagnoses list). I went through every species and disease on the list and made notes to study for the exam. ...this really helped! The month before the exam, I finally started looking for a job somewhere as an intern/technician that would help me apply what I was learning to clinical cases.
I took the exam a 3rd time and it was a piece of cake! I really found it quite easy and i think it's because I was finally really really prepared for it. A lot of the questions were very similar to VetPrep. I got my score and ACED the exam! I was very happy. I think anyone should be able to with dedicated studying. However, if you feel you have test anxiety (I have 0), then I would recommend considering help (whether therapy or medication) to help you.
I'm sure if I didn't pass after all that work I put in, I would have picked another career...maybe something in the fashion industry.
Good luck to those that have failed multiple times! I know how stressful it is and how much it can hurt your self esteem. But give it your all, because that should be more than enough to pass! Also, let your school know what youre going through and find some help

 

[newvet08]

Late comer to this but...I'm the husband of a graduate who has failed this exam 4 times. She is taking it for the 5th time today after studying for 5 months and completing 100% of Zuku's test prep.

This test has been a catastrophe for my wife and our family. Those jobs they say you can get with a DVM? Yeah, not happening without the passing score you need to get the license. That giant mound of student debt that you accumulate during vet school thinking you will make an income sufficient to pay it off upon graduation? Not happening unless you pass the NAVLE.

This exam has effectively ruined a lot of life plans for us and cost us tens of thousands in income that will never be recovered. No one will listen, but frankly anyone who supports the use of this exam as a criteria for licensure should be FIRED. The only thing it proves is your ability to take a test and I have yet to meet a veterinarian yet who says they could pass it 5-10 years down the road into their career. It's that unrealistic.

Good luck on your next attempt.

My heart goes out to your wife and your family. I have failed the exam 2 times and it was devastating...changed my plans for sure. I agree that it is a dumb exam that doesn't suggest how you will be as a practitioner. Is there any way she could practice in a different country?

 

[Minnerbelle]

My heart goes out to your wife and your family. I have failed the exam 2 times and it was devastating...changed my plans for sure. I agree that it is a dumb exam that doesn't suggest how you will be as a practitioner. Is there any way she could practice in a different country?

She doesn't have to, she passed this year 🙂

 

[persistentvet]

Or you need to open your eyes and take off the defensive blinders. I mean, I get this is an emotional issue for you because it's your wife/family, but ...... like WTF pointed out, the vast majority of candidates pass. So if someone hasn't passed 4 times, maybe there's a good reason. Ideally, it's a deficiency that can be corrected if it's knowledge-based, or a test-taking issue (anxiety, reading problems, whatever) that can be managed with an exception such as allowing more time.

Your argument of "I keep talking to people who say they couldn't pass it 5 years down the road" isn't meaningful because the point isn't to pass it 5 years down the road. The point is to assess whether a candidate, at the end of their degree training, has the broad-based knowledge they were supposed to have learned. 5 years from now I won't be able to pass it because I'm doing only small animal work - I'll be helpless on poultry, swine, equine, bovine, caprine, etc. questions because I'm not DOING any of that, so it won't stick.

The test does suck - no doubt. It's hard and a lot of the content feels badly written and it's frustrating to be tested on material you don't care about. But you go into school knowing you have to take it and you have 3.5 years in which to prepare for it however you feel necessary for you to pass. In other words, you have all sorts of control over the outcome. If your wife isn't passing, the right approach is to objectively ask why, and then deal with the reason. Not to gripe about the test, and not to get upset at the rest of us just because we passed.

I agree with you that the time has come for limited licensure where we are boarded into a specific area (SA, lab, equine, whatever). I've argued that for a long time. There are some smart and well-intentioned people who disagree with me, and there are definitely good reasons to disagree with me. I just think that ultimately the reasons to do it outweigh the reasons not to.

But that doesn't change things for your wife - she went into school knowing she had to pass a broad-based test. And she had 3.5 years to prepare. Not sure why that suddenly morphs into it being the fault of everyone else that she couldn't pass a test that she knew was coming for 3.5 years.......

And do you seriously believe she should be hired to teach vet med? (You complained that she can't do alternative tasks like teach without passing NAVLE.) Really? Maybe I'm crazy, but I'd like to learn from someone that passed boards. I mean, I wouldn't take driver's ed from someone who couldn't pass their driver's license exam......



Sure. But memorization is part of being a vet. Clinical skills are assessed in fourth year - that's just one part of being a vet. People skills are developed throughout vet school - also just one part of being a vet. Having a broad-based memorized body of knowledge is part of being a vet - and it's assessed during NAVLE. You don't - and shouldn't - get to be a vet just because you can excel in one area, but not manage all the requirements of the job.



You promised that in a previous post, too. Maybe this time you'll make good on your offer.

You also keep using phrases like "your policies". Not a single one of us here has any say, or has had any say, in the licensing requirements. They aren't "my policies" and there are significant changes I'd like to see to them - some of which are exactly in line with what you're talking about. But it doesn't change the fact that from Day 1 of vet school I knew exactly what I'd have to do to get through, and so I did what it took to do that.

Your wife's future would be more positive if, instead of just bitching about the system, you helped her find a way to take it on and beat it.

As to advice: 1) Figure out why she's failing. Are her scores changing? Is there a particular area or areas she is weak in? Is she having test anxiety? Does she have a reading disability? 2) Adapt as appropriate based on the answer to #1.

 

[persistentvet]

see post below!

 

[persistentvet]

OK so I came across this thread after I failed the NAVLE for the second time and lost an internship in the process and thought my life was over only to marginally fail it AGAIN! Can you believe it??? neither could I!

The only inspiring advice on this thread was from the person who described how she studied to pass it on her third try.

So to add to the constructive advice, I am offering some hope to the increasingly long list of the alleged "minority" that fails this exam on their first (or multiple) try(ies) 🙂

First off! All is not lost! YOU CAN AND WILL PASS THIS EXAM OK? Just focus on what you need to do and how you learn best and you CAN DO IT! no matter what anyone says, it is yours for the taking.

Helpful things I wish someone had told me....BEFORE I took the NAVLE.

1.If you are still in school... Before you even think about taking the NAVLE...
FORGET about those crazy big loans and needing to start work right away to pay them off. yes mine are huge too but you can't pay them off if you fail the NAVLE!
STOP! and Think! about how you are doing at school.
Be honest with yourself! If you are barely passing your semesters at school DO NOT follow the crowd and take this exam the December before you graduate in the hope of passing it in April if you fail in December. BE the SMART vet student you are, swallow your pride and WAIT!
Think about it! When are you realistically going to have time to make up your knowledge to study for it before April if you are in rotations? You're probably not and now you've failed it twice before you have even graduated!

It is not the end of the world to graduate without having taken the NAVLE! You CAN still work!

Some states will allow you to immediately work on a supervised 6 month/1 year temporary license if you HAVE NOT taken and failed the NAVLE, but many states will not offer this license if you have already failed the NAVLE, leaving you unemployable until you pass!

The benefit of this is that you can still apply to the match, you can still graduate and you can still complete an internship or work for your first few months/year out of school and gain the clinical experience you may need to bridge the gap between theory and practice, away from the hype of school, and help make the concepts stick before attempting the NAVLE, in one of these states.

2. When it comes time to signing up to a test bank, don't follow the crowd/hype like me and immediately assume vetprep is what is needed to pass and is the best! (98% pass or your money back etc etc etc-great marketing!), personally I found it very chaotic and disheartening to be constantly thrown questions about some things I had never heard of .. toxicities in cattle or state specific diseases, only to watch my progress score move a mere 1% with every 60 correct questions! I became overwhelmed thinking about all the "far out" questions I couldn't answer and more focussed on completing test banks to catch up with everyone else's progress than on how I could best approach and learn the material in my weakest areas because now, to me, it seemed I was weak at everything! but I had already signed up and paid for the exam so I had to take it right? WRONG!

After I failed, I assumed that the Zukureview program was the same! I did not have the time or resources to explore that option at almost $400 to sign up to each of these testbanks, or the additional NAVLE testbanks at $50 each so I just extended my vetprep subscription and kept going (making it to about 50% of the bank each time) and I watched the videos (I did not want to read someone else's cheat sheets (powerpages) they just seemed to add to an already overloaded pile of paperwork to read!). Some of the videos were helpful nuggets, but they were all super short, and seemed disjointed or overly complicated/detailed for the NAVLE (from a board certified vet already out there!) adding to the overwhelm and they were not easy to listen to on the go because they are only 2mins long, so you spend more time adjusting your phone on the go than listening to material.
I had also signed up to the daily vetprep and zuku questions in 3rd year which I seemed to be getting right every day! talk about a false sense of security!

I know that time is so short and re-writing notes takes forever and it can be hard to know where to start with your study because there are so many species to cover, so little time and you may not have had many lectures on lizards and birds and now this test bank is asking you about rhododendron toxicity in cattle!!

my vetprep subscription reset the test bank to zero, when I failed, as if you never answered any of them before!...but I started to remember questions. This falsely elevated my score rather than my understanding. With 6 months between each exam you are not going to remember the details of piglet diseases as easily but you will remember the answers to weird questions in the bank!
From someone who lost notes before one sitting (stolen device) and had someone accidentally throw out my flashcards before another attempt of this exam...this approach of chaotic questioning and tidbit videos on vetprep was not working for me as I was already scrambling to pull my original hardcopy class notes together and the whole process became an unimaginable rollercoaster ride no-one wants to take!
I changed my approach and focussed on completing species specific test banks in order of priority of % of questions on the exam (see NAVLE bulletin for priority species). This made me feel great about some species but left me almost empty on others as prep time ahead of the exam ran out to complete them all, and it reflected on my score breakdown each time I took the exam and narrowly missed a pass or frustratingly received almost exactly the same score! MIND BLOWINGLY FRUSTRATING!

While starting to contemplate alternative career paths at this point, I figured I couldn't throw away my 4 years of blood, sweat and tears or ditch my loans! I managed to work at a small animal practice for a few months and then took about a month off to study fulltime before the next attempt at the exam.
I switched to Zuku this time- I had previously been turned off by their crowded webpages showing endless links to more links and more pages of highlighted notes! like I didn't have enough class notes to re-locate and work from already! but I signed up for the premium package and got access to the videos and suddenly I had a core comprehensive package of knowledge on the top 20s in each species that somebody wanted to explain to me, to work from. It was awesome! and the videos are relatively long (25-70mins each) and are like a class with powerpoint presentations on the key points of each disease. The speakers were very knowledgable and seemed completely in tune with the requirements of the exam, the form of questioning at the end of the lectures was a more accurate reflection of the real exam.
The audio only version of these worked out really great for me while driving, and I didn't have to reach for my phone every 2mins to locate and play the next topic like with vetprep.
I was constantly plugged in from the time I woke up until just before I went to sleep! and I learned everything I needed to really know on those topics well.

You can play these over and over and it doesn't matter how long you are sitting in traffic, at the grocery store, walking the block, because it is one continuous theme that is easy to follow and you are still learning!
After listening to the audio versions I went back and watched the video presentations, looked at the illustrations I had been hearing about on the audioversion, made my own flashcards and cemented in the concepts.
Some of the speakers were really great and some spoke so fast or so slow or in a low voice or cover so much that they were an endurance test to go through but I persisted until they were all covered.
I may have answered 100/4000 questions in that bank but I went through every single video and all the questions at the end of each video and now had a set of cards on the top 20 in each species with the keypoints of each disease to flash through in the days before the exam.

Finally some good core notes to work with!
It was reassuring to know I had covered every species equally and in accordance with the top most important diseases and that I would have enough time to review them right before the exam without worrying about forgetting everything on one species by the time I made it through the next batch of notes like before!
Many of the pearls or concepts discussed or emphasized in the videos were on the actual NAVLE and I finally passed. Thank you Zuku!

Note I am not discounting the value of the test banks, they are great help for timing, which for me was not really an issue except in blocks with a lot of long-winded questions. In those cases I found that I just had to be very focused on answering the most important (questioned) species and in some cases had to skim a question on lizards or business, and extra quickly guess the answer, but that worked ok because I knew those questions didn't count as much as they don't make up the bulk of your score as outlined in the NAVLE bulletin so I tried really hard not to waste time on them!

So people, I hope none of you EVER have to take this exam more than once! but if you do, just know you are not alone, there were many in your shoes before you and there will be many who will follow because life happens and no-one is perfect!

Just think about what approach works best for you, stick with it and do your best. If you have been out of the game for a while then go with Zuku premium -it's far more comprehensive, it's the book on the NAVLE that was never written, and in video format!

Take it from me! Persistence pays off!
Good luck! YOU CAN DO IT!