Training for Personal Licence Applicants | Bioresearch & Veterinary Services

Information on Personal Licence training offered by the University of Edinburgh

Modular training

Anyone who will use animals in research and conduct regulated procedures is required to obtain a Personal Licence (PIL) specific to the species they will be working with. At Edinburgh, we offer courses for rodents, zebrafish and large animals on a regular basis.

It is a requirement that all new Personal Licence applicants or those applying out with five years of revoking a Personal Licence must complete a course of accredited training to enable application to the Home Office for the Personal Licence.

Mandatory modules

All applicants for Personal Licences are required to complete Ethics (E1) and National Legislation (L) and modules PILA, K and PILB of the relevant species.

Additional modules

If the research project will involve surgical procedures you will also be required to complete the PIL C module.

If you are doing non-surgical procedures under long-term anaesthesia (>15mins) and no surgery procedures, you will require the PIL F module.

Please note, you should only apply to complete the PIL F or the PIL C module. If you do the PIL C module, this will also cover you for any non-surgical procedures under long-term anaesthesia (The PIL F module is Module 21 which is also covered in the PIL C module).

Personal Licences can be amended to include these additional modules or other species at any time.

Practical skills

All species specific modules (PIL A modules) require a practical skills assessment to be completed in your home facility. If you are working at The University of Edinburgh (UoE), appointments will be arranged following completion of the theory course.

If you are working at another Establishment, email confirmation that the practical skills can be completed in your home Establishment is required from your Named Training and Competency officer (NTCO) at the time of registration.

Confirm your practical skills session

The PIL C module requires a practical skill assessment in suturing. This skills session can only be completed at The University of Edinburgh and you will need to attend the practical on the advertised day and time.

Exam dates 2026

All courses are currently run online as self-paced learning except our PILABK Large Animal Module which is in-person.
For e-learning modules, the exams will be online and invigilated via Microsoft Teams. You will require a webcam to sit the exam.
Exams are timetabled for a specific day and time. Please ensure you check the exam before applying for the course.
If required, resits will be offered 1 week after the initial exam. Resit dates are also included in the timetable.

PIL Exam Timetable 2026 (185.14 KB / PDF)

Prices for 2026

If you are a member of a ScotPIL Establishment, each module is £150 (PIL F only will be £100). If you work at any other Establishment, each module is £200.
Please note that we are unable to accept late registrations for courses. Registration closes one week before course date.

Dates for 2026

Week of the 9 March 2026

(registration closes FRIDAY 27 FEBRUARY 2026)

Ethics and Legislation (e-learning)
PILABK rodents (e-learning)
PILABFK Zebrafish (e-learning)
PIL F (all species) (e-learning)
**PIL C (all species) (e-learning) + in person skills session (26/03/2026)

Please note that a live Q&A session will be held on Thursday 12 March at 2pm via MS Team's for all attendees of e-learning modules.

**The PIL C module requires attendance at a skills session. It is expected that all applicants (both UoE and external candidates) will attend this session at Edinburgh. The date for this session is Thursday 26 March at 10am. Please add this date to your diaries when applying for the PIL C module.

Monday 16 March 2026

PILABK Large Animal (in person at Roslin Institute). Pigs, Sheep and Cattle.

Week of the 8 June 2026

(registration closes 1 June 2026)

Ethics and Legislation (e-learning)
PILABK rodents (e-learning)
PILABFK Zebrafish (e-learning)
PIL F (all species) (e-learning)
PIL C* (all species) (e-learning) + in person skills session (18/06/2026)

Please note that a live Q&A session will be held on Thursday 11 June at 2pm via MS Team's for all attendees of e-learning modules.

**The PIL C module requires attendance at a skills session. It is expected that all applicants (both UoE and external candidates) will attend this session at Edinburgh. The date for this session is Thursday 18 June at 10am. Please add this date to your diaries when applying for the PIL C module.

Week of the 21 September 2026

(registration closes 14 September 2026)

Ethics and Legislation (e-learning)
PILABK rodents (e-learning)
PILABFK Zebrafish (e-learning)
PIL F (all species) (e-learning)
PIL C* (all species) (e-learning) + in person skills session (skills session TBC)

Please note that a live Q&A session will be held on Thursday 24 September at 2pm via MS Team's for all attendees of e-learning modules.

**The PIL C module requires attendance at a skills session. It is expected that all applicants (both UoE and external candidates will attend this session at Edinburgh. The date for this session is to be confirmed in August once timetabling for the next academic year is completed and is currently subject to change.

Monday 28 September 2026

(registration closes 14 September 2026)

PILABK Large Animal (Pig, Sheep, Cattle) (in person training)

Week of the 16 November 2026

(registration closes 9 November 2026)

Ethics and Legislation (e-learning)
PILABK rodents (e-learning)
PILABFK Zebrafish (e-learning)
PIL F (all species) (e-learning)
PIL C (all species) (e-learning) + in person skills session (skills session TBC)

Please note that a live Q&A session will be held on Thursday 19 November at 11am via MS Team's for all attendees of e-learning modules.

Contact us

Please get in touch with our ScotPIL administrator and NTCO if you need any further help or information at this stage.

This article was published on 2024-05-07