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Agricultural Science | Industry Certifications | Animal Science

What Is the Elanco Fundamentals of Animal Science Certification?

March 22nd, 2023 | 5 min. read

Mike Cescon

Mike Cescon

With past experience in teaching, a couple of degrees in writing, and an upbringing immersed in medical jargon, Mike is positioned well to hear out the most common questions teachers ask about the iCEV curriculum. His goal is to write content that quickly and effectively answers these questions so you can back to what matters - teaching your students.

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If you teach a high school agriculture course, you’ve probably heard of the Elanco Fundamentals of Animal Science Certification. For many teachers, this is a key certification their students can earn to prove their knowledge and gain careers in the animal science industry. 

But what is Elanco, and why is it qualified to certify students in animal science? More than that, what does this certification exam look like?

In this article, you’ll discover all the details behind the Elanco Fundamentals of Animal Science Certification. Along the way, we’ll answer questions like: 

  1. What Is Elanco?
  2. What Is the Elanco Fundamentals of Animal Science Certification? 
  3. How Is This Certification Exam Structured? 
  4. How Can You Prepare Students for This Exam?

By the end of this piece, you’ll better understand this certification, so you can decide whether it’s the right goal to set for your high school students. 

1. What Is Elanco?

Elanco_LogoElanco is a pharmaceutical company that researches and produces medicine for livestock and companion animals. By doing this, it ensures the health of animals across the nation, by preventing them from falling victim to disease or infection. 

In business since the 1950s, Elanco was the first company to introduce an antibiotic for purely veterinarian use. As one of the oldest and most established companies in the animal health industry, it is positioned well to serve as a certifying authority.

Today, Elanco has over 10,000 employees working across the animal health sector, producing vaccinations and medicines to help in the beef, dairy, and poultry industries, among others. In addition, it also offers consulting services to farmers and other industry workers to maximize their efficiency. 

2. What Is the Elanco Fundamentals of Animal Science Certification? 

Due to its close ties to the animal health sector, Elanco is dedicated to ensuring that future professionals are well-qualified and possess an accurate idea of the industry. To that end, it offers the Fundamentals of Animal Science Certification to test students on the foundations and innovations of animal health.

This is a valuable industry certification that proves to employers that the student has an understanding of the most important knowledge and skills within animal health. By passing their exams and earning their certifications, students better stand out as qualified, professional candidates ready to take on jobs in the industry. 

Elanco_ANSC_Cert_Banner

3. How Is This Certification Exam Structured? 

The Fundamentals of Animal Science exam is broken down into 100 questions split across five industry standards. Each of these standards in turn contains multiple subtopics.

The five industry standards of the Elanco Fundamentals of Animal Science Certification are: 

General Animal Science - 25 Questions

  • Origin & Evolution of Livestock
  • Terms & Terminology (beef, dairy, horse, sheep, goat, swine, poultry)
  • External Anatomy
  • Meat Inspection Regulations
  • Harvesting Process

Animal Breeding - 15 Questions

  • Animal Microgenetics (cell division, embryo development, structure/composition of genes)
  • Breeding Systems (grading up, crossbreeding, inbreeding, linebreeding)
  • Breeding Methods (pen, stud, artificial insemination, embryo transfer, cloning)

Animal Health & Wellness - 20 Questions

  • Common Diseases (nutritional, bacterial, viral, parasitic, fungal, genetic)
  • Common Parasites (internal, external)
  • Basic Surgical Procedures (dehorning, castration, tail docking, teeth clipping, lancing)
  • Injection Methods (intramuscular, subcutaneous, intravenous)
  • Injection & Vaccination Rules and Regulations

Animal Nutrition - 15 Questions

  • Digestive Systems (ruminant, monogastric)
  • Digestive Requirements & Nutritional Needs (ruminant, monogastric)
  • Balanced Rations
  • Feeds & Additives
  • Hays & Legumes

Animal Management Practices - 25 Questions

  • Production Systems
  • Handling & Equipment
  • Nutrition & Health
  • Selection & Breeding
  • Management Practices

These questions are typically multiple-choice or fill-in-the-blank, and often incorporate graphs, illustrations, and mathematical calculations. 

In addition, the exam is hosted on the iCEV Testing Platform, which offers several perks and benefits for instructors, including secure testing technology, a regulated exam environment, and optional preparational materials to ensure students are ready come test day. 

Need more info on the Fundamentals of Animal Science Certification exam? Then check out Elanco’s certification brochure

4. How Can You Prepare Students for This Exam?

In this article, you’ve learned about the Elanco Fundamentals of Animal Science Certification, including what it is and how the exam is structured. The next step is to start preparing your students to ensure that they pass their tests. 

If you need help readying students to take the Elanco Fundamentals of Animal Science exam, then consider iCEV’s preparational exam materials!

These test prep resources were created in collaboration with Elanco and are specifically aligned with industry standards that will appear on this certification exam. They include a playlist full of relevant videos, lesson plans, PowerPoint presentations, a pre-test, comprehensive review materials, two practice exams, and more. 

Interested in implementing this certification in your classroom? Click below to request more information and begin your certification journey:

Implement the Fundamentals of Animal Science Certification