Free ACVP Phase I Examination Practice Questions

Sample Practice Questions

Try these 10 sample questions from the ACVP Phase I Examination practice bank. Each includes the answer and explanation. Continue with the interactive practice above to review the full question set.

1. 1A veterinary pathologist traces neutrophil entry from blood into an inflamed tissue. Which adhesion molecule family mediates the initial rolling step on vascular endothelium?

   1. A. β2 integrins
   2. B. Selectins
   3. C. Intercellular adhesion molecules
   4. D. Vascular cell adhesion molecules

   Answer: B

   Explanation: The review describes the sequence as "PMN margination and selectin-mediated rolling, adhesion and intraluminal crawling using β2 integrins". Selectins mediate the initial rolling step; the other molecules participate in later adhesive interactions.

   Reference: Phenotypic and Functional Diversity of Neutrophils in Gut Inflammation and Cancer — PMN Recruitment and Retention in Inflamed Tissue and the TME; PMN Trafficking in Inflamed Intestines

2. 2A tumor loses epithelial cell contact inhibition after reduced E-cadherin at its junctions. Which transcriptional regulator is no longer sequestered at the membrane?

   1. A. Notch
   2. B. STAT
   3. C. β-catenin
   4. D. APC

   Answer: C

   Explanation: The official example lists "B. β-catenin" for E-cadherin contact inhibition and marks "Answer: B". Reduced E-cadherin therefore releases β-catenin from membrane sequestration.

   Reference: Example Questions: Phase I Certifying Examination — Example Question 10, page 4

3. 3After irreparable DNA injury, p53 activates BAX in a population of animal cells. Which cell fate is most directly promoted by this pathway?

   1. A. Cellular senescence
   2. B. Autophagic cell death
   3. C. Inflammasome pyroptosis
   4. D. Intrinsic apoptosis

   Answer: D

   Explanation: The official p53-BAX example lists "B. Apoptosis" and marks "Answer: B". Intrinsic apoptosis is the cell fate promoted by the pathway in this injured tissue.

   Reference: Example Questions: Phase I Certifying Examination — Example Question 11, page 4

4. 4A pathologist explains membrane injury caused by Staphylococcus aureus alpha-toxin in several animal hosts. Which mechanism should be identified?

   1. A. Inhibition of protein synthesis
   2. B. Dysfunction of membrane ion pumps
   3. C. Enzymatic hydrolysis of membrane lipids
   4. D. Formation of transmembrane pores

   Answer: D

   Explanation: The official alpha-toxin example lists "B. Pore formation" and marks "Answer: B". Transmembrane pore formation explains the toxin's membrane injury.

   Reference: Example Questions: Phase I Certifying Examination — Example Question 5, page 2

5. 5When evaluating primary hemostasis, a pathologist asks which platelet receptor binds fibrinogen to bridge adjacent platelets during aggregation. Which receptor is involved?

   1. A. GPIb
   2. B. GPIa-IIa
   3. C. GPIIb-IIIa
   4. D. GPVI

   Answer: C

   Explanation: The official platelet example lists "C. GPIIb-IIIa" and marks "Answer: C". This receptor binds fibrinogen during platelet aggregation.

   Reference: Example Questions: Phase I Certifying Examination — Example Question 6, page 3

6. 6An animal inherits two intact alleles, yet only the paternal copy of a gene is expressed because expression depends on parental origin. Which mechanism best explains the pattern?

   1. A. Balanced reciprocal translocation
   2. B. Epigenetic modification
   3. C. Paracentric chromosomal inversion
   4. D. Single-base sequence substitution

   Answer: B

   Explanation: The official imprinting example lists "D. Epigenetic modification" and marks "Answer: D". Parental-origin-dependent expression with intact alleles is an epigenetic effect.

   Reference: Example Questions: Phase I Certifying Examination — Example Question 9, page 4

7. 7A dog's excessive dietary vitamin D intake has stopped, yet effects persist. Which normal disposition process provides a depot of excess vitamin after intake ends?

   1. A. Storage of vitamin D in adipose tissue and liver
   2. B. Conversion of vitamin D to calcidiol in liver
   3. C. Conversion of calcidiol to calcitriol in kidney
   4. D. Absorption of dietary vitamin D through intestine

   Answer: A

   Explanation: FDA states, "Instead, it’s stored in fat tissue and the liver." That storage supplies a depot after exposure ends. Hepatic and renal activation and intestinal uptake are distinct normal processes, but they do not identify the tissue depot in the question.

   Reference: Vitamin D Toxicity in Dogs — Vitamin D Toxicity in Dogs, introduction, fat-soluble storage paragraph

8. 8Four animal tissue blocks contain the same antigen and are being evaluated with one validated immunohistochemical assay. Which storage history most strongly predicts a need for more intense heat-induced epitope retrieval?

   1. A. Thirty days in formalin before paraffin embedding
   2. B. One day in formalin before paraffin embedding
   3. C. Thirty days as a paraffin block after routine fixation
   4. D. One day as a paraffin block after routine fixation

   Answer: A

   Explanation: The IHC review explains, "The longer the time the tissue has been stored in formalin, the more intense a retrieval method may be required." Prolonged formalin exposure is the relevant difference; it also cautions that retrieval cannot be intensified past the overheating limit.

   Reference: Useful Immunohistochemical Markers of Tumor Differentiation — Immunohistochemical Techniques, formalin fixation and epitope retrieval paragraph

9. 9In an animal tumor, infiltrating neutrophils acquire a phenotype associated with arginase, MMP-9, and VEGF release. Which local signal is most consistent with this shift?

   1. A. Interferon signaling
   2. B. Interleukin-12 signaling
   3. C. Tumor necrosis factor signaling
   4. D. Transforming growth factor-β signaling

   Answer: D

   Explanation: The review states that "transforming growth factor (TGF)-β polarized neutrophils into the tumor-promoting phenotype" with the listed mediators. The tumor's local TGF-β signal explains the phenotype.

   Reference: Phenotypic and Functional Diversity of Neutrophils in Gut Inflammation and Cancer — PMN Phenotypes in Cancer

10. 10A poorly differentiated animal neoplasm stains strongly for pancytokeratin but lacks vimentin and CD45 labeling. Which broad lineage is best supported by the positive marker?

    1. A. Epithelial lineage
    2. B. Mesenchymal lineage
    3. C. Hematopoietic lineage
    4. D. Histiocytic lineage

    Answer: A

    Explanation: The review states, "Cytokeratins (CK) are intermediate filaments found in epithelial cells of all types and are therefore specific markers for an epithelial cell lineage." Strong pancytokeratin labeling supports epithelial differentiation in this tumor.

    Reference: Useful Immunohistochemical Markers of Tumor Differentiation — Immunohistochemistry in the Diagnosis of Neoplasia, cytokeratin paragraph