Please click on a question below to be taken to the corresponding answer. Alternatively, you can type your question or a key term into the box that appears when you click on the blue 'Help' button at the bottom

For questions not specifically related to revalidation, please click here.

General questions about revalidation:

• Why do I have to revalidate?
• How do I revalidate?
• How much does it cost to revalidate?
• What happens if I do not revalidate?

Questions about revalidation timings:

• Will Improve send me reminders so I know when my revalidation is due?
• What is the earliest date I can start my revalidation training?
• Do I need to book time off work to do my revalidation?
• How long is the revalidation training?
• I was on my maternity leave/outside the UK when my revalidation was due. What do I do now?
• I am going on maternity leave/will be working outside Great Britain over my revalidation due date. What do I do now?
• What if I’m late revalidating?

Course-specific revalidation questions:

• Do I have to revalidate OCQ(V) - ES and/or OCQ(V) - EX?
• I only hold the OCQ(V)s ES and TT. What are my revalidation options?
• Where do I find AHC guidance/an example AHC in my revalidation course?
• I live in a very low TB testing area but need to retain my TB testing qualification. What can I do about this?
• I use my TB testing qualification to test other species, not cattle. How do I revalidate this?
• I have heard that instead of writing case logs for the OCQ(V) - TT revalidation, OVs are now asked to complete set scenario exercises. Is this true?

Revalidation-related problems:

• I am not confident using a computer – is there another way to complete my revalidation?
• I have enrolled on the wrong course. What should I do?
• I logged on after receiving a reminder to revalidate and have lost access to my previous course! Why is this?
• I completed the course and passed the exam weeks ago and am still receiving reminders to revalidate. What is going on?
• I have failed my revalidation exam. What happens now?

Other questions:

• I have decided not to revalidate. How do I stop the reminders?
• Is course content ever updated? Will I need to pay to get new information if it is?
• My qualification no longers suits my work – can I switch over to another qualification and revalidate this instead?

General questions about revalidation:

Why do I have to revalidate?
It is no longer appropriate for vets authorised to perform official functions to be trained once and then given minimal support for the rest of their careers. Procedures change, skills can be lost and it is important that vets are confident that their knowledge is up to date when they carry out an official function, not least to have a defence should something go wrong. Other professions have introduced revalidation and, while it may not be a requirement for many aspects of veterinary practice, it is considered essential for duties discharged on behalf of the Government in order to meet international standards. For this reason, APHA has introduced a revalidation requirement for OCQ(V)s to provide assurance that OVs are maintaining and continuously improving their competence and applying the same to their work.

How do I revalidate?
You will need to log in to your Personal Training Dashboard, where you can either click on the 'Revalidation' link on the left or scroll down to the relevant OCQ(V) and click 'Enrolment for revalidation and revalidation information'. Once you pay you will gain access to course materials.

How much does it cost to revalidate?
Each OCQ(V) costs £99 plus VAT to revalidate. This covers the management of the database and the training and accreditation, as well as telephone and email support.

What happens if I do not revalidate?
If you do not revalidate before your revalidation due date, you will be informed by an email from APHA that your status has been automatically suspended. While suspended, you will not be allowed to use the OCQ(V), but you can still revalidate, provided that the revalidation process is completed within six months of the missed deadline. If you do not complete revalidation within the six months folllowing your revalidation due date, your status will be changed from 'suspended' to ' expired', and you will have to enrol on and complete the full OCQ(V) if you wish to regain your authorisation.
If you wish to appeal against your status being expired, you should contact the CSC One Health OV Team (APHA), as the final decision rests with them. If you are aware of any exceptional or mitigating circumstances, it is worth contacting APHA as soon as possible to avoid the necessity to retrain.

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Questions about revalidation timings:

Will Improve send me reminders so I know when my revalidation is due?
Yes, Improve will send all OVs regular reminders about revalidating, starting six months before their revalidation due date. OVs also receive status updates every six months, which tell them when each of their qualifications is due for revalidation. Emails are sent to the unique personal email address registered on the database, so it is important to ensure that all your information is kept up to date, that you monitor the address and that it recognises the Improve International enquiries email address as a trusted address rather than diverting the reminders to a spam/junk file. Revalidation reminders will continue until you have completed the final declarations.

What is the earliest date I can start my revalidation training?
You may enrol to revalidate at any time. You can complete the revalidation of OCQ(V) courses up to six months before the revalidation due date (within your 'revalidation window') without changing your future revalidation date.
For example, if your OCQ(V) - PX revalidation date is on the 31st March 2025 and you complete your revalidation within your revalidation window (any time between the 1st October 2024 and the 31st March 2025), your next revalidation for this OCQ(V) will be reset to the 31st March 2029. However, if you complete the revalidation on the 30th September 2024 (before your revalidation window opens), your next revalidation date will be set for the 30th September 2028.
The revalidation date is reset when you sign the revalidation declarations. This is the final step in the revalidation process. You can enrol on a revalidation course early and complete the course at a time to suit you. If you do not wish to bring forward your next revalidation date you can return to the course and complete the declarations in the six-month revalidation window before your revalidation due date.
You will need to ensure you have enough time to complete ALL the requirements before your revalidation due date.

Do I need to book time off work to do my revalidation?
Not necessarily. The training will all be online and can be accessed and studied at any time from anywhere; all you need is a computer with internet access.

How long is the revalidation training?
Whilst everyone studies at their own pace, the revalidation training is equivalent to between three and ten hours of CPD. CPD allocation for a revalidation course includes time spent on certification exercises.
Please note, there is no longer a requirement to log CPD as part of your revalidation process. CPD hours awarded after completion of revalidation courses can still be used towards the RCVS CPD requirement.

I was on my maternity leave/outside the UK when my revalidation was due. What do I do now?
Please contact the APHA OV Team on 0208 026 1094 or via email at CSCOneHealthOVTeam@apha.gov.uk to discuss further actions.

I am going on maternity leave/will be working outside Great Britain over my revalidation due date. What do I do now?
There is nothing to stop you from doing your revalidation from outside the country or from home. Courses are easy to access; all you need is an internet connection to complete your online learning. Provided you can fulfil all the requirements you can also enrol and revalidate early.
For TT revalidation, if you can fulfil all the requirements of the revalidation, it is possible for you to revalidate before or during your maternity leave. If you are not able to do this, you should contact the APHA OV Team by emailing CSC One Health OV Team (APHA). Further details on how APHA will manage exceptional/varied circumstances are available on APHA's Vet Gateway – to view these, please click here.

What if I’m late revalidating?
If you do not complete your revalidation by the due date, you will be automatically suspended, and must not use the qualification. You can then still complete the revalidation course within six months of the missed deadline. If you do not revalidate within this time, you will be expired, and will have to enrol on and pass the full OCQ(V) in order to regain your authorisation.

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Course-specific revalidation questions:

Do I have to revalidate OCQ(V) - ES and/or OCQ(V) - EX?
You only need to revalidate ES and/or EX separately when ES or ES/EX are the only qualifications held (excluding the OCQ(V) - CA).
If you hold other qualifications for which ES or ES/EX are prerequisites, the revalidation of ES or ES/EX is now included in the revalidation courses for these qualifications. It is a requirement that OVs review the ES or ES/EX content at least once every four years, but completion of the content is at their own discretion – it is not compulsory in order to record completion of revalidation courses.
However, it is advised that OVs keep their knowledge up to date, as ES or ES/EX exam questions will be included in the exam of any revalidation course for which ES or ES/EX are prerequisites.

I only hold the OCQ(V)s ES and TT. What are my revalidation options?
Revalidation for the OCQ(V) - TT (Tuberculin Testing) qualification is due every four years. You will begin to receive email reminders from six months before your revalidation due date. Please note that the cost of the OCQ(V) - TTr course is £99 + VAT and eight hours of CPD will be awarded upon completion.

• If you want to keep your OCQ(V) - TT authorisation, you must complete the OCQ(V) - TTr (Tuberculin Testing revalidation) course.
  • Revalidating before your revalidation due date will ensure that there is no break in your OCQ(V) - TT authorisation. Please note that revalidation for the OCQ(V) - ES (Essential Skills) prerequisite course is now included in the OCQ(V) - TTr course.
  • If you do not revalidate by your revalidation due date, your authorisation will be automatically suspended. While suspended, you can still revalidate, but you must not use your OCQ(V) - TT qualification until your authorisation has been changed to ‘granted’ once more.
  • If you do not revalidate within the six months after your revalidation due date, your status for both OCQ(V) - TT and the prerequisite OCQ(V) - ES (Essential Skills) will be changed to ‘expired’, you will no longer be able to revalidate and you will have to complete the full OCQ(V) - ES and OCQ(V) - TT courses if you wish to regain your authorisation.
• If you do not wish to revalidate your OCQ(V) - TT but would like to keep your OCQ(V) - ES (Essential Skills) authorisation current in order to take other courses in the future, you must contact Improve International (enquiries@improve-ov.com) to request access to the OCQ(V) - ESr (Essential Skills revalidation) course.
  • You will be given an OCQ(V) - ES revalidation due date (this will match your OCQ(V) - TT revalidation due date), which will then enable you to enrol on the OCQ(V) - ESr course. Please note that the cost of the OCQ(V) - ESr course is £99 + VAT and six hours of CPD will be awarded upon completion.
  • Revalidating OCQ(V) - ESr before your revalidation due date will ensure that there is no break in your OCQ(V) - ES authorisation.
  • If you do not revalidate by your revalidation due date, your OCQ(V) - ES authorisation will be automatically suspended. While suspended, you can still revalidate, but you must not use your OCQ(V) - ES qualification until your authorisation has been changed to ‘granted’ once more.
  • If you do not revalidate within the six months after your revalidation due date, your status for OCQ(V) - ES (Essential Skills) will be changed from ‘suspended’ to ‘expired’, you will no longer be able to revalidate and you will have to complete the full OCQ(V) - ES course if you wish to regain your authorisation.
• If you do not wish to keep your OCQ(V) - TT or your OCQ(V) - ES qualifications, you can:
  • Indicate on your Personal Training Dashboard that you do not wish to revalidate.
  • Do nothing; your revalidation due date will pass, your TT authorisation will be suspended, then both TT and ES authorisations will be expired after another six months.
  • Please note that if you wish to regain your OCQ(V) - ES and/or OCQ(V) - TT qualifications after they have expired, you will need to enrol on and complete the full course(s).

Where do I find AHC guidance/an example AHC in my revalidation course?
Guidance for the completion of an AHC has been added to the OCQ(V) - CAr (Companion Animals revalidation) and OCQ(V) - SXr (Small Animal Exports revalidation) courses.
To access this, you will need to:

1. Log in to your Personal Training Dashboard
2. Access your online learning, either by scrolling down to the 'Access online learning' button on your overview page or by clicking through to your CAr/SXr training details page
3. Once on Moodle (the online learning platform), scroll down to view your courses
4. Select OCQ(V) - CAr or OCQ(V) - SXr
5. Go to Module 5 (CAr) or Module 1 (SXr)
6. Scroll down to 'Example AHC' and click through the tabs and buttons to view the guidance for each page of the AHC

I live in a very low TB testing area but need to retain my TB testing qualification. What can I do about this?
If you have not tested 30 animals in the four-year revalidation cycle due to the region in which you work, you should contact the APHA OV Team by emailing CSC One Health OV Team (APHA). Further details on how APHA will manage exceptional/varied circumstances are available on APHA's Vet Gateway – to view these, please click here.

I use my TB testing qualification to test other species, not cattle. How do I revalidate this?
Provided you have tested 30 animals in the last four years, you can revalidate the qualification. If you have not tested 30 animals, you should contact the APHA OV Team to request an exemption to the revalidation requirements by emailing CSCOneHealthOVTeam@apha.gov.uk, and providing them with details of the TB work that you undertake. They will then consider the information provided and notify you if your case is accepted. Further details on how APHA will manage exceptional/varied circumstances are available on APHA's Vet Gateway – to view these, please click here.

I have heard that instead of writing case logs for the OCQ(V) - TT revalidation, OVs are now asked to complete set scenario exercises. Is this true?
Yes. You will find a selection of scenarios and the guidance notes in the revalidation course.

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Revalidation-related problems:

I am not confident using a computer – is there another way to complete my revalidation?
Not at the moment. Government policy is ‘digital by default’. However, please do get in touch with us on 0330 202 0380 or via enquiries@improve-ov.com and we will be happy to help.

I have enrolled on the wrong course. What should I do?
If you have enrolled on the wrong course, please contact Improve International by calling 0330 202 0380 or emailing enquiries@improve-ov.com.

I logged on after receiving a reminder to revalidate and have lost access to my previous course! Why is this?
If you are within the six months leading up to your revalidation due date, your 'revalidation window' has opened and any previous course material will have been removed from your Moodle account. This is to prevent any potential confusion caused by candidates having access to multiple similar courses on Moodle. You can regain access to course content as soon as you enrol on your revalidation course.

I completed the course and passed the exam weeks ago and am still receiving reminders to revalidate. What is going on?
In order to finalise the revalidation process, you must have completed the declarations on your Personal Training Dashboard. These become available after you have passed the online exam. If you have completed everything else but are still receiving reminders, it is likely that the declarations have not yet been submitted, so please log in to your Personal Training Dashboard to check this. If you are still receiving reminders after completing the declarations, please contact us for help. 

I have failed my revalidation exam. What happens now?
You have two further attempts to pass the exam. There is an enforced two-week study period between each retake. If, during this time, your revalidation date has passed, you will be suspended by APHA until you pass the exam. Whilst suspended you must not use this OCQ(V). If you fail on the third attempt, your status for this qualification will be revoked and you will be required to take and pass the full course to regain your OV authorisation. If you would like feedback from ISVPS before you retake the exam, please contact them via email: enquiries@isvps.org.

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Other questions:

I have decided not to revalidate. How do I stop the reminders?
If you have decided not to revalidate, please follow the below instructions:

1. Log in to your Personal Training Dashboard
2. Find the relevant course on the 'Overview' page and click 'Details'
3. On the 'Training details' page, locate the 'Revalidation' section
4. Tick the box that is labelled ‘If you DO NOT intend to revalidate this OCQ(V) when your revalidation is due, please check the box and click 'Update''
5. Click the 'Update' button

This will stop the reminder emails. After your revalidation due date your OV status for this qualification will be suspended and then expired. Please note that although you will receive no more emails, you can still change your mind and complete the revalidation course at any point up until six months after your revalidation due date.

Is course content ever updated? Will I need to pay to get new information if it is?
The content of the courses is under constant review by APHA and will be updated when required. You will not need to pay again to access new/updated information within a course. Once you are enrolled on a revalidation course you will continue to have access to the course material after you have passed the exam (right up until six months before your next revalidation due date, when your next revalidation window opens). You will be able to return to the course to view any updates at no extra cost. New content will be highlighted and dated.

My qualification no longer suits my work – can I switch over to another qualification and revalidate this instead?
In some cases, it is possible to transfer from one qualification to another. For example:

• If you hold the OCQ(V)s ES, EX and SX (Small Animal Exports) but no longer do any commercial work, you may wish to revalidate CA (Companion Animals) instead
• If you hold the OCQ(V) - UX (Ungulate Exports) but only do equine work, you may wish to revalidate the OCQ(V) - EQ (Equine Exports) instead
• If you hold the OCQ(V) - UX but only work with farm animals (no equines), you may wish to revalidate the OCQ(V) - FA (Farm Animal Exports) instead

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