Animal rights activists are calling on Victoria University to stop using a forced swim test on animals.

The test involves dropping a small animal, usually a rat, into a beaker of water, where they are made to swim until they give up.

Anti-depressants are used to test if they keep swimming for longer and to measure the effectiveness of the drugs for humans.

Anti-Vivisection Society executive director Tara Jackson says she's horrified the test is still being used in New Zealand.

"It's cruel and it's totally invalid, and it has been critiqued on its scientific merit for a long time now."

Victoria University says any tests on animals must be approved by its ethics committee first.

It says the test is not being used in any current work.