- How the ACVS Phase I Blueprint Is Organized
- Domain 1: Basic Science
- Domain 2: Pharmacology
- Domain 3: Anesthesia, Analgesia and Pain Management
- Domain 4: Surgical Methods
- Small Animal vs. Large Animal Weight Comparison
- What Phase I Does Not Test
- Format, Fee and Logistics for the 2027 Sitting
- Sequencing Your Study Around the Domains
- Frequently Asked Questions
- The revised ACVS blueprint, effective April 2026, applies to the 2027 Phase I sitting and lists four main disciplines.
- Anatomy is the largest single knowledge area: 10% on the small-animal form and 12% on the large-animal form.
- The blueprint prints weights per knowledge area and per animal form, with no aggregate percentages for the four disciplines.
- Phase I covers surgical fundamentals and basic science, not clinical diseases and their specific treatment.
How the ACVS Phase I Blueprint Is Organized
The American College of Veterinary Surgeons (ACVS) publishes a formal Phase I Examination Blueprint, and the version effective April 2026 applies to the 2027 sitting. It followed a 2024-2025 Job Task Analysis and was announced on May 7, 2026. If you are building a study plan for the Phase I Surgical Knowledge Examination, this document is your primary source, and everything in this guide is anchored to it.
The blueprint organizes the exam into four main disciplines:
- Basic Science
- Pharmacology
- Principles of Anesthesia/Analgesia and Pain Management
- Surgical Methods
These are the official examination disciplines, not a preparation curriculum. Each discipline breaks into knowledge areas, and the blueprint prints an approximate weight for each knowledge area separately for the small-animal and large-animal forms. Small Animal content covers domestic canine, feline and non-species-specific material. Large Animal content covers equine, food animal, small ruminant, camelid and non-species-specific material.
One more framing point: Phase I is a requirement toward the Diplomate credential, not the credential itself. Passing it does not award DACVS status. Full certification also requires an approved residency, an accepted scientific publication, approved credentials and Phase II. The mechanics are covered in DACVS Requirements 2026.
Domain 1: Basic Science
Basic Science carries the single heaviest knowledge area on both forms: Anatomy. It is also the domain where the blueprint organizes content by body system, which shapes how you should review it.
Basic Science Knowledge Areas (Small Animal)
Published small-animal weights:
- Anatomy: 10%
- Physiology: 9%
- Pathobiology: 9%
- Microbiology: 2%
- Biomechanics and Locomotion: 4%
Basic Science Knowledge Areas (Large Animal)
Published large-animal weights:
- Anatomy: 12%
- Physiology: 10%
- Pathobiology: 9%
- Microbiology: 3%
- Biomechanics: 2%
The Systems Layer
Within Basic Science, the blueprint identifies body systems: Gastrointestinal, Cardiovascular, Respiratory, Urogenital, Musculoskeletal, Neurological/Special Senses, Integumentary, and Non-System Specific. Endocrine appears as a system for the small-animal form only. This matters for how you organize review. Rather than studying anatomy, physiology and pathobiology as three separate silos, many candidates find it more efficient to take one system at a time and ask the same three questions of it: what is the structure, how does it function, and how does it fail at the pathophysiologic level?
Where Candidates Get Surprised
- Anatomy depth. Because it is the largest individual knowledge area, anatomy is not a topic to skim. Surgical approaches presuppose applied anatomy, so reviewing regional anatomy with an eye toward what a surgeon must identify, protect or avoid is a sound frame.
- Physiology that touches the operating room. Think fluid shifts, cardiovascular and respiratory responses to anesthesia and surgery, and organ-system function under stress, rather than isolated textbook mechanisms.
- Pathobiology. At 9% on both forms, this is mechanisms of disease processes such as inflammation, neoplasia, and responses to injury, framed at the level of basic science rather than disease-by-disease clinical management.
- Biomechanics. Small but distinctive. It carries more weight on the small-animal form (4%, labeled Biomechanics and Locomotion) than on the large-animal form (2%).
Domain 2: Pharmacology
Pharmacology is where the two forms diverge most visibly in their knowledge-area lists, because the large-animal blueprint adds categories specific to equine and food-animal practice.
Pharmacology Knowledge Areas (Small Animal)
- Antimicrobials: 3%
- C-V/Autonomic Drugs: 2%
- Fluid Therapy: 3%
- Biological Therapy: 1%
- Other Drugs: 2%
Pharmacology Knowledge Areas (Large Animal)
- Antimicrobials: 4%
- Anti-Inflammatory Drugs: 3%
- Fluid Therapy: 3%
- Biological Therapy: 2%
- Intrasynovial Therapy: 3%
- Other Drugs: 3%
What the Differences Tell You
The large-animal form lists Anti-Inflammatory Drugs and Intrasynovial Therapy as their own knowledge areas, while the small-animal form lists C-V/Autonomic Drugs. If you are sitting the large-animal form, intrasynovial therapy deserves deliberate attention precisely because it has its own line in the blueprint. If you are sitting the small-animal form, cardiovascular and autonomic pharmacology is a named category you should not leave to chance.
Antimicrobials are weighted at 3% on the small-animal form and 4% on the large-animal form. In a surgical context, expect the underlying concepts to be spectrum, pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic principles, and rational use around the operative period, rather than memorized lists of drug-disease pairings, which belong to clinical content outside Phase I scope.
Domain 3: Anesthesia, Analgesia and Pain Management
This domain has more knowledge-area lines than any other, and it is weighted more heavily toward general anesthesia and analgesics on the small-animal form.
Anesthesia Knowledge Areas (Small Animal)
- Anesthetic Equipment: 3%
- General Anesthesia: 6%
- Local Anesthesia: 3%
- Analgesics: 5%
- Anesthetic Drugs: 3%
- Inflammatory Modulation: 1%
Anesthesia Knowledge Areas (Large Animal)
- Anesthetic Equipment: 2%
- General Anesthesia: 3%
- Local Anesthesia: 3%
- Analgesics: 3%
- Anesthetic Drugs: 3%
- Inflammatory Modulation: 2%
Reading the Weights
On the small-animal form, General Anesthesia (6%) and Analgesics (5%) are the two heaviest lines in this domain. On the large-animal form, the weights are more evenly spread, with most lines at 2% to 3%. A large-animal candidate therefore cannot afford to neglect any single category on the theory that it is minor; nothing in this domain exceeds 3% on that form.
Practical topics that map naturally to these headings include breathing systems and anesthetic machine function (equipment), monitoring and physiologic effects of anesthesia (general anesthesia), regional blocks and local anesthetic pharmacology (local anesthesia), multimodal pain management (analgesics), and drug classes used for induction and maintenance (anesthetic drugs). Inflammatory modulation is the smallest line on both forms at 1% for small animals and 2% for large animals.
Domain 4: Surgical Methods
Surgical Methods is the domain most directly tied to what a surgeon does with their hands, but note how the blueprint frames it: as fundamentals and principles, not as specific procedures. Specific surgical-procedure content belongs to Phase II preparation, and the two should not be conflated.
Surgical Methods Knowledge Areas (Small Animal)
- Tissue Handling/Hemostasis: 8%
- Aseptic Techniques: 6%
- Wound/Tissue Healing: 6%
- Instrumentation Implants: 6%
- Fundamentals and Principles of Surgery: 6%
Surgical Methods Knowledge Areas (Large Animal)
- Tissue Handling/Hemostasis: 7%
- Aseptic Techniques: 5%
- Wound/Tissue Healing: 7%
- Instrumentation Implants: 7%
- Fundamentals and Principles of Surgery: 4%
High-Value Themes
- Tissue handling and hemostasis is the largest line in this domain on both forms (8% small animal, 7% large animal). Suture materials, knot security, needle selection, electrosurgery and other hemostatic methods all fit here.
- Wound and tissue healing is notably heavier on the large-animal form (7%) than Aseptic Techniques (5%) or Fundamentals (4%) on that form. Healing phases, factors that impair healing, and the behavior of different tissues during repair are core.
- Instrumentation and implants is 6% (small) and 7% (large). Expect principles of implant materials and fixation concepts rather than case-by-case fracture management.
- Aseptic technique covers sterilization, surgical site preparation, and infection-prevention principles.
Key Takeaway
Surgical Methods rewards principle-level mastery. If you find yourself memorizing the steps of a particular procedure, you have probably drifted into Phase II territory. Ask instead what principle of tissue handling, healing, asepsis or implant mechanics the procedure illustrates.
Small Animal vs. Large Animal Weight Comparison
Both forms share the same four disciplines, but the knowledge-area weights differ. The table below compares selected lines directly from the published blueprint.
| Knowledge Area | Small Animal | Large Animal |
|---|---|---|
| Anatomy | 10% | 12% |
| Physiology | 9% | 10% |
| Pathobiology | 9% | 9% |
| Antimicrobials | 3% | 4% |
| General Anesthesia | 6% | 3% |
| Analgesics | 5% | 3% |
| Tissue Handling/Hemostasis | 8% | 7% |
| Wound/Tissue Healing | 6% | 7% |
| Fundamentals and Principles of Surgery | 6% | 4% |
A note on arithmetic: the small-animal entries total 98% as printed, and the large-animal entries total 100%. Do not rescale the small-animal figures to 100%, and do not sum knowledge areas to invent discipline-level percentages. Use the numbers as the relative priorities they are.
For a deeper look at how candidates experience this difficulty, see How Hard Is the DACVS Exam?
What Phase I Does Not Test
The single most common source of wasted study time is misjudging scope. The current ACVS Examination FAQ states that Phase I excludes clinical diseases and their specific treatment. Phase I addresses surgical fundamentals and basic science. That has practical consequences:
- You do not need to memorize disease-by-disease surgical management for Phase I.
- Journal-review and specific surgical-procedure requirements belong to Phase II and should not be substituted for the Phase I outline.
- The 2027 reading list is unchanged from 2026, so the Phase I Examination Reading List is a stable anchor for source material.
Format, Fee and Logistics for the 2027 Sitting
The domains only make sense in the context of how they are delivered. The following reflects the 2027 Phase I Surgical Knowledge Examination Information Pamphlet (September 2026).
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Questions | 125 single-best-answer multiple-choice, including approximately ten unscored pilot questions |
| Examination period | Seven hours, divided into two equal-time parts |
| Break | Optional scheduled break of up to one hour; the test clock stops |
| Delivery | Computer-based at Pearson VUE/Pearson Professional Assessments centers, coordinated through HumRRO |
| Exam dates | April 19, 2027 (Americas and Europe); April 20 (Asia and Oceania) |
| Registration window | September 16 to October 30, 2026 |
| Fee | USD 795, with payment due January 8, 2027 |
| Results | Ordinarily released in four to six weeks |
Rules That Shape Strategy
- Review is permitted within a part, but you cannot return to the first part after the break.
- The clock continues during unscheduled breaks.
- Books, notes, phones and information aids are prohibited, and you remain at the test center during breaks without access to study materials. Laminated note paper is provided.
Because the first part is locked once the break begins, finish each part with a deliberate review pass instead of banking on a later return. Details on scheduling are in DACVS Exam Dates 2026, and the full cost picture is in DACVS Certification Cost 2026.
The Passing Standard
The passing standard is criterion-referenced, set by experts and equated across years, and it cannot be raised after the examination. No fixed numerical pass mark and no current issuer-wide Phase I pass rate was verified, so be skeptical of any source quoting a specific figure. For the nuance, see DACVS Passing Score 2026 and DACVS Pass Rate 2026. The published 2017-2021 small-animal residency-program survey is historical research, not a current issuer-wide cohort rate.
Who Can Sit
Phase I eligibility requires an ACVS resident in good standing, without applicable probation or sanctions, with an adviser attestation and the candidate's training and study-readiness attestation in CERT. Residents may sit at any time during residency, optimally in the second year, and must pass within six years of starting residency. Completion of the full residency is not a prerequisite to sitting Phase I. The residency pathway is explained in DACVS Training.
Sequencing Your Study Around the Domains
Generic study methods matter far less than matching your time to the blueprint. The one scheduling idea worth borrowing is to front-load the heavy, foundational material and use the final weeks for integration and timed practice. A reasonable arrangement, adjusted to your own form and weak points, might look like this:
Basic Science by System
- Cover anatomy first; it is the largest single knowledge area on both forms
- Pair each system's anatomy with its physiology and pathobiology
- Add endocrine only if you are sitting the small-animal form
Pharmacology
- Antimicrobials and fluid therapy first, since both appear on each form
- Large-animal candidates: dedicated time for intrasynovial therapy
- Small-animal candidates: C-V/autonomic drugs
Anesthesia and Analgesia
- Small-animal candidates: weight general anesthesia and analgesics most heavily
- Large-animal candidates: even coverage, since no line exceeds 3%
- Link back to physiology and pharmacology rather than treating this as new material
Surgical Methods and Integration
- Tissue handling, hemostasis, healing, asepsis and implants
- Timed mixed-domain practice in two equal blocks to mimic the two-part structure
- Review weak knowledge areas against the blueprint, not against your general sense of difficulty
Practice under realistic conditions matters here. Working through timed sets on our DACVS practice test helps you rehearse the two-part, no-return structure and surface weak knowledge areas. For a fuller plan, see the DACVS Study Guide 2026. If you are weighing whether the whole pathway is worth the investment, Is the DACVS Certification Worth It? and the DACVS Salary Guide cover that question, and DACVS Jobs looks at where Diplomates work.
Key Takeaway
Tie every study block to a named knowledge area on your form's blueprint. Breadth across all four disciplines with extra depth on the largest lines (anatomy, physiology, pathobiology and tissue handling) is a more defensible strategy than guessing at hidden discipline-level weights.
Frequently Asked Questions
The ACVS Phase I Examination Blueprint lists four main disciplines: Basic Science, Pharmacology, Principles of Anesthesia/Analgesia and Pain Management, and Surgical Methods. Each is subdivided into knowledge areas with separate weights for the small-animal and large-animal forms.
The blueprint does not publish aggregate percentages for the four disciplines. It prints approximate weights for individual knowledge areas, separately for each animal form. Anatomy is the largest single area at 10% for small animals and 12% for large animals.
No. According to the current Examination FAQ, Phase I addresses surgical fundamentals and basic science and excludes clinical diseases and their specific treatment. Journal-review and specific surgical-procedure material belongs to Phase II.
The revised blueprint, effective April 2026, applies to the 2027 sitting, as confirmed in the ACVS announcement of May 7, 2026. The 2027 reading list is unchanged from 2026.
No. They share the four disciplines but differ at the knowledge-area level. For example, general anesthesia is 6% on the small-animal form and 3% on the large-animal form, while large-animal pharmacology adds Anti-Inflammatory Drugs and Intrasynovial Therapy as separate lines.
For a plain-language definition of the credential these domains lead toward, see What Is DACVS?, and for a dedicated drill on the four content areas, start a session on the main practice test site.