The RVC specialised paper carries 150 marks at every certificate level — the same as Army, Navy and Air. What changes between A, B and C is not the subject list but how the marks are distributed across it, and that shift is large enough to change how you revise.
If you are new to RVC, start with What Is the RVC Wing?. For question counts, marks per question and negative marking, see The NCC Certificate Exam Pattern.
Marks below are indicative, drawn from the published syllabus. The examination order is the authority and is revised. Confirm the current position with your ANO.
The mark shift at a glance
| Block | Cert A | Cert B | Cert C |
|---|---|---|---|
| Military History | 20 | 24 | 20 |
| Organisation | 4 | 2 | — |
| Animal Management | 30 | 31 | 40 |
| Equitation | 48 | 50 | 16 |
| Saddle Fitting | 28 | 19 | 60 |
| Shoeing | 20 | 24 | 14 |
| Total | 150 | 150 | 150 |
Three things to take from that table:
- Equitation is the biggest block at A and B, then collapses at C — from 50 marks to 16.
- Saddle fitting does the opposite. It is 19 marks at B and 60 at C, the single heaviest block in the C paper. Cadets who coast through saddlery at B pay for it at C.
- Organisation disappears at C. It carries 4 marks at A, 2 at B and none at C.
Animal management
The steadiest block — it carries real marks at every level and rises to 40 at C.
At A and B it covers the parts of the body, breeds, colours and markings, how animals are identified, and routine management: feeding, watering, grooming, stable routine.
At C it goes further into clipping, stable vices, minor veterinary ailments and transportation of animals.
Where marks are lost: colours and markings, and identification. They look trivial and are pure recall, which makes them cheap marks for anyone who sits down with the list once.
Equitation
The heaviest block at A and B, and the one that needs saddle time rather than reading.
At A and B — the rules of equestrian sport, dismounted and mounted drill, seat and posture, the walk, and at senior level the trot.
At C — trot, basic school movements, canter, schooling and dressage, show jumping and tent pegging, and cavalletti work.
Where marks are lost: the sequence and definitions of the paces, and the terminology of school movements. The riding is practical, but a large share of the examinable content is vocabulary — and vocabulary is learnable off a horse.
Saddle fitting
Modest at A and B, then the largest block in the C paper at 60 marks.
At A and B — the parts of a saddle, fitting it correctly, and the care and preservation of saddlery.
At C — the defects caused by an ill-fitting saddle, harnessing, and bitting.
Where marks are lost: treating saddlery as background. At C it is 40% of the specialised paper. If you are sitting C, this is where your revision time should go first.
Shoeing
Steady throughout, 14–24 marks.
At A and B — the hoof, the objectives of shoeing, and the farrier's tools.
At C — preparing the foot, fitting shoes, injuries from faulty shoeing, types of shoe, diseases of the foot, and surgical shoeing.
Where marks are lost: hoof anatomy. It underpins every other shoeing question, and cadets who skip it find the rest of the block does not hold together.
Military history and organisation
Military history carries 20–24 marks at every level and is common ground with the other wings.
Organisation — the structure and role of the Corps, its Centre and College at Meerut, and the equine breeding studs at Hisar and Babugarh — is 4 marks at A, 2 at B, and nothing at C.
How to plan your revision
- Work from the column for your own level. The A, B and C papers are weighted differently enough that a senior's notes will send you to the wrong block.
- If you are sitting C, start with saddle fitting. 60 marks is more than any other block in any RVC paper.
- Bank the list-based topics early — breeds, colours, saddle parts, farrier's tools, types of shoe, hoof structure. They are finite, factual, and ideal for a multiple-choice paper.
- Do not neglect the practical. 150 of your 500 marks are practical, and you must clear 33% in each of the four papers.
- Remember the common paper is 350 marks — more than twice your specialised paper. RVC is your specialisation, not the bulk of your exam.
See our RVC preparation courses.
This article is general guidance based on publicly available material from the Directorate General NCC, the National Cadet Corps Act 1948, the NCC Cadet Handbook, and standard NCC training literature. Specific eligibility, syllabus, camp counts, exam patterns, and recruitment rules change with each training directive and each recruitment notification — always confirm current specifics with your unit Associate NCC Officer (ANO) and the official portal of the relevant recruiting body. VSVSV is a private learning platform; it is not affiliated with the National Cadet Corps, the Directorate General NCC, the Ministry of Defence, or any government body.