NAVTA AVA study plan
NAVTA AVA · Give each week a clear focus.
8 weeks · About 7 hours per week
Veterinary Medical Terminology and Anatomy
Build a flashcard deck of 150 veterinary word parts (prefixes, roots, suffixes) and self-test to at least 85% accuracy.
Label the major bones and landmarks of the canine and feline skeleton on a blank diagram without notes.
Use directional terms (cranial, caudal, dorsal, ventral, palmar, plantar, proximal, distal) correctly in five written clinical sentences.
Trace blood flow through the four heart chambers and name the valves in correct sequence.
Match the 11 body systems to one normal function and one common clinical sign of dysfunction each.
Your checkpoint
Closed-book anatomy labeling quiz scored at 80% or higher plus a terminology flashcard test at 85% or higher, with wrong answers rewritten as corrected notes.
Veterinary Medical Terminology and Anatomy & Patient Restraint and Handling
Distinguish the four major tissue types and give one clinical example of each.
Identify safe handling zones and restraint points for dogs and cats, including muzzle, towel wrap, and lateral recumbency holds.
Write a step-by-step low-stress cat restraint sequence that avoids scruffing and includes a towel wrap.
Describe three situations where chemical restraint is safer than manual restraint and list the pre-restraint checks required.
Explain how restraint choice changes for pediatric, geriatric, pregnant, and painful patients.
Your checkpoint
A recorded or role-played 5-minute restraint demonstration scored against a 10-item handling checklist, plus a written species-specific restraint guide covering dog, cat, and rabbit.
Patient Restraint and Handling & Clinical Procedures and Nursing Skills
Demonstrate the restraint holds used for cephalic, jugular, and medial saphenous venipuncture.
List the correct order and technique for obtaining temperature, pulse, respiration, weight, and a brief history.
Describe SQ, IM, and IV injection sites and the maximum volume typically given per SQ site in a cat.
Outline aseptic preparation steps for intravenous catheter placement and list three signs of catheter complications.
Identify the vein, needle size range, and common error for each of the three main venipuncture sites.
Your checkpoint
Three procedure cards (cephalic, jugular, medial saphenous) each naming site, restraint hold, equipment, and two complications, scoring at least 90% on a 25-question quiz covering restraint and nursing skills.
Clinical Procedures and Nursing Skills
State normal temperature, pulse, and respiration ranges for adult dogs and cats and flag three abnormal values.
Sequence the steps for applying a modified Robert Jones bandage and name two signs of a bandage that is too tight.
Calculate drip rates and describe gravity fluid therapy setup, including line priming and air removal.
Explain the assistant's role in anesthetic monitoring, including mucous membrane color, capillary refill time, and depth checks.
Describe collection and labeling steps for urine, fecal, and blood specimens.
Your checkpoint
Milestone written exam of 60 mixed items from domains 1 through 3 scored at 80% or higher, plus a completed 15-item nursing skills checklist signed off by a supervisor or study partner.
Pharmacy and Laboratory Assistance
Decode common prescription abbreviations (SID, BID, TID, PO, SQ, IM, IV, PRN) and translate five handwritten prescription orders.
Solve 10 dose and dilution calculations, including mg/kg to mL conversions, with at least 9 correct.
Describe storage, logging, and witness requirements for controlled substances and list three common dispensing errors to catch before release.
Explain the steps and normal results for PCV/TP, blood smear evaluation, urinalysis, fecal flotation, and heartworm testing.
Identify four common fecal parasites or artifacts and state what each looks like on a wet mount.
Your checkpoint
A pharmacy calculation worksheet with 10 problems scored at 90% or higher and a labeled urinalysis reference sheet covering color, clarity, pH, specific gravity, protein, glucose, and sediment findings.
Infection Control, Safety, and Sanitation
List five zoonotic or easily transmitted clinic pathogens and the PPE required for each.
Differentiate cleaning, disinfection, and sterilization and select an appropriate agent and contact time for three surface types.
Write an isolation protocol covering signage, entry order, dedicated equipment, and waste handling.
Describe sharps safety, needle recapping rules, and the steps to take after a needlestick injury.
Outline a daily, weekly, and monthly sanitation schedule for exam rooms, kennels, and surgical prep areas.
Your checkpoint
A clinic sanitation checklist covering five areas with named agents and contact times, plus an infection-control quiz scored at 85% or higher.
Client Communication and Professional Conduct & Infection Control, Safety, and Sanitation
Use open-ended questions, reflective listening, and teach-back to explain a discharge instruction in plain language.
Draft empathetic scripts for delivering a cost estimate, declining a client request, and discussing euthanasia.
Explain scope of practice, client confidentiality, and how to respond when a task exceeds the assistant's training.
Review every missed item from weeks 1 through 6 and rewrite each as a one-line corrective rule.
Describe how to document a client conversation and a patient observation accurately in the medical record.
Your checkpoint
Three role-play scripts of 150 words or more each, plus a 20-question mixed review quiz scored at 80% or higher with a written error log.
Veterinary Medical Terminology and Anatomy & Patient Restraint and Handling & Clinical Procedures and Nursing Skills & Pharmacy and Laboratory Assistance & Infection Control, Safety, and Sanitation & Client Communication and Professional Conduct
Complete two timed 100-question practice exams covering all six domains under exam-like conditions.
Recite normal canine and feline vital sign ranges and 20 core terminology terms from memory.
Rank the five weakest topics from practice exams and re-study each for at least 30 minutes.
Explain the reasoning behind every missed practice question in one written sentence.
Confirm exam-day logistics, permitted materials, and a rest plan for the 48 hours before testing.
Your checkpoint
Two timed practice exams scored at 85% or higher with a complete error log listing each missed item, its domain, and the corrected fact.
Milestones
Week 2: Terminology flashcard test at 85% or higher and a completed restraint demonstration checklist with at least 9 of 10 criteria met.
Week 4: Domain 1 to 3 mixed exam at 80% or higher and a 15-item nursing skills checklist fully signed off.
Week 6: Pharmacy calculation worksheet at 90% or higher and a sanitation checklist covering five areas with correct contact times.
Week 8: Two timed 100-question practice exams at 85% or higher with every missed item explained in the error log.