AI system achieves perfect score on veterinary licensing exam

A new veterinary artificial intelligence (AI) company, OpenVet, announced that its AI reasoning system achieved a perfect score on the North American Veterinary Licensing Examination (NAVLE). The claim comes as interest in AI use in veterinary medicine grows.

The platform has not yet launched but is expected to soon. “This is the first time in history that an AI system has demonstrated mastery of the gold-standard exam for veterinary doctors, marking a major breakthrough in the application of artificial intelligence to animal health,” OpenVet wrote in its announcement.¹

The NAVLE is a standardized exam administered by the International Council for Veterinary Assessment required for licensure to practice veterinary medicine in the United States and Canada. The exam consists of 360 multiple-choice questions related to entry-level private clinical practice. The test, which covers all animal species seen by private practitioners in North America, is developed by veterinarians across different fields. Each question undergoes review by the National Board of Medical Examiners and veterinary experts before it appears on the test.²

In its announcement OpenVet said its system’s perfect NAVLE score helps establish AI as a “trusted reasoning engine with professional-grade accuracy.” According to the company, OpenVet’s answers are supported by reasoning steps and source references, and its answers are checked by the system for accuracy and consistency across standardized exams and real-world veterinary cases.

In the last few years, interest surrounding AI use in veterinary medicine has surged, following an uptick in AI prioritization in human healthcare.³ A 2024 survey by Digitail and the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) of nearly 4000 AAHA members on their attitudes on and use of AI found that veterinarians, including long-established professionals, were quick to adopt new technology.⁴

Specifically, 83% of survey participants were familiar with AI, and nearly 30% said they were already using AI in their practices, either on a daily or weekly basis.^4,5 When asked how they felt about the adoption of AI in veterinary medicine, 11.7% said they were “very skeptical,” 25.2% were “somewhat skeptical,” 19.9% were neutral, 29.2% said they were “somewhat optimistic,” and 13.9% felt “very optimistic.”⁵

“Veterinarians face enormous pressure: they are understaffed, overworked, and tasked with caring for animals whose health has direct impact not just on families and pets, but also on food supply, agriculture, and even emerging diseases that can jump to humans,” Adam Sager, co-founder and CEO of OpenVet, said in the announcement.¹ “By proving that AI can perform at the very highest levels of veterinary knowledge, we’re building a foundation of trust that can improve care, extend access, and safeguard not only animal health, but global health.

References

1. OpenVet Becomes First AI to Score a Perfect 100% on the North American Veterinary Licensing Exam (NAVLE). OpenVet. September 26, 2025. Accessed October 20, 2025.
2. NAVLE. International Council for Veterinary Assessment. Accessed October 20, 2025. https://www.icva.net/navle/
3. Shryock T. Beyond the hype: How physicians actually use AI in their practices. Medical Economics. April 2, 2025. Accessed October 20, 2025. https://www.medicaleconomics.com/view/beyond-the-hype-how-physicians-actually-use-ai-in-their-practices
4. Nolen RS. Artificial intelligence poised to transform veterinary care. American Veterinary Medical Association. May 29, 2024. Accessed October 20, 2025. https://www.avma.org/news/artificial-intelligence-poised-transform-veterinary-care
5. AI in Veterinary Medicine: The Next Paradigm Shift. Digitail. February 2024. Accessed October 20, 2025. https://4912130.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hubfs/4912130/Whitepapers/Digitail%20AI%20in%20Veterinary%20Medicine%20Study.pdf?__hstc=112962587.d23cd0dbf4e7bbd694f87e3d09513c5e.1760993343268.1760993343268.1760993343268.1&__hssc=112962587.1.1760993343268&__hsfp=639139624