Practical Exams
Our system and website will be down on June 16 and is expected to be up June 26. Please note that this will not affect anyone testing through Prometric this month, in June, and registration will still close on June 15th.
This is a planned outage for upgrades. The upgrade includes integrations and new features that will save you time while providing a seamless and intuitive experience.
Registration for the July-September 2023 testing window will now open on July 1st.
We apologize for the inconvenience and appreciate your patience and understanding.
ABO-NCLE offers two different Computer Simulated Skills and Knowledge Examinations. The American Board of Opticianry Practical Exam (ABOP Exam) is designed to determine Skills and Abilities for those Opticians who have successfully completed the ABO-NCLE’s National Opticianry Certification Examination (NOCE). The National Contact Lens Examiners Practical Examination (NCLEP Exam) is designed to determine Skills and Abilities for those contact lens practitioners who have demonstrated competency by successfully completing the ABO-NCLE’s Contact Lens Registry Examination (CLRE). Candidates for the ABOP Exam and NCLEP Exam must be currently Certified by the ABO or NCLE, as applicable, or as part of a state licensing requirement, in order to be eligible to take the ABOP Exam and/or the NCLEP Exam. Exams are given in English, via computer, each exam has 30 questions, and you are given 60 minutes to complete the exam. Please review the Practical Exam Handbook for more information. Test Administration Procedures, including security, eligibility, distribution, scheduling, and other exam-related information is all handled by our Testing Facility, ProMetric, and is located HERE. By applying for any ABO or NCLE Examinations, Candidates have agreed to the terms of the Security Requirements of ProMetric and ABO & NCLE. Additional information regarding the scheduling, on-site security, and other exam delivery information can be obtained by utilizing the "contact us" page.
Candidate COVID-19 FAQs: Prometric has created a new, dedicated page to host COVID-19-related FAQs for candidates. This new page, linked here, can be found by clicking the "COVID-19 update" tab on Prometric’s homepage and selecting "COVID-19 FAQ."
Update: Prometric no longer require candidates or test center personnel to wear masks unless required to do so by building management or local government mandates. In light of recent trends and mask mandate changes around the world, along with updated guidance from leading world health organizations, Prometric will not require masks to be worn in test centers, however they will continue to allow and encourage the wearing of masks regardless of mandate or vaccination status. Thus, any candidate or staff member that prefers to wear a mask will feel comfortable doing so.
Effective May 1st Prometric will allow candidates to bring water into the test room during their exam. Water must be in a clear or transparent container with a lid or cap. All labels must be removed, and the container will be inspected for notes or other test aids. The candidate will need to remove the lid/cap for visual inspection by the Test Center staff. Should the container not meet the requirements outlined, the candidate will be required to put it in their locker and will not be allowed to take it into the test room.
ABO & NCLE pioneered virtual reality questions and has gone even further, providing a fully-interactive ABO & NCLE Tutorial and Practice Exam Question Area! Learn about the types of virtual reality questions available on the ABO-NCLE Practical Examinations and how to utilize the Lens Meter, Slit Lamp, and many other on-line virtual instruments utilized on the ABO & NCLE Practical Examinations. Finally, please review the Practical Slideshow prepared especially to allow candidates to understand the functionality and type of questions for each item within the ABO and NCLE Practical Examinations. Extensive familiarity with computers is not required, but use of a computer keyboard and mouse should be within the experience of all candidates.
The proctors at the exam sites are not expected to provide detailed assistance to candidates. It is not their responsibility to provide assistance on things such as navigating through the exam or resolving any misjudgments made by the candidate. Candidates need to carefully read the on-screen messages in order to respond correctly. Computer-based testing options include the ability to navigate forward and backward through the exam, mark items for further review and then review answered, unanswered and marked items. Items must be reviewed or changed prior to the expiration time. Once an exam is ended, candidates cannot return to the questions. The examination screen contains a timer showing the time remaining for the current exam. Questions left unanswered will be considered incorrect. When there are unanswered items, additional time will not be allowed for completion, nor will there be any refund of fees or credit toward future fees.
For the calendar year 2019, the ABO Practical Examination first time test taker pass rates were 59.5%; the NCLE Practical Examination first time test taker pass rates were 67%.
By taking any of ABO & NCLE Examinations for State Licensing purposes, Candidates consent to the delivery of exam-related information to the State Licensing Boards. Depending upon individual State Licensing Board's requirements, Candidates may be required to contact ABO-NCLE to request that exam results be delivered to specific State Licensing Boards by submitting the request to [email protected]. Fees associated with such requests are available upon request.
A certificate suitable for framing will be electronically mailed to those candidates who pass the exam using the name given when they registered.
PLEASE NOTE: If a candidate fails an examination, he or she must wait fourteen (14) days, from the date they completed the examination, in order to register, pay, and retake that examination. They will have three (3) attempts in retaking the exam, after the third attempt, they will be required to wait ninety (90) days to be eligible to retake the exam.
2023 Testing Dates/Registration Deadlines
January 3-March 31, 2023 Testing Window:
Registration opens on December 1 and closes on March 15
There are no late registrations
OptiCon @ Vision Expo East:
Contact ABO & NCLE at [email protected] for more information.
April 1-June 30, 2023 Testing Window:
Registration opens on March 16 and closes on June 15
There are no late registrations
July 1-September 30, 2023 Testing Window:
Registration opens on July 1 and closes on September 15
There are no late registrations
OptiCon @ Vision Expo West:
Contact ABO & NCLE at [email protected] for more information.
October 1- December 21, 2023 Testing Window:
Registration opens September 16 and closes on November 15
There are no late registrations
**If you are applying for an ABO and/or NCLE Practical Examination as part of a
Licensing State requirement, please verify the appropriate steps with your state licensing board before registering for any specific examination. Each state has its own specific requirements, and failure to abide by those requirements may result in denial of credit for the examination, or other consequences, depending upon any licensing state’s regulations and requirements.
To complete our Disability Accommodation Form, please click
HERE.
EXAMINATION FEES
The on-line Practical Examinations cost $75 each and are payable by credit card at the time the candidate registers online.
CANCELLATION FEES
Candidates who are unable to take the exam at the scheduled appointment time must notify ProMetric and ABO-NCLE at least 48
business hours in advance of that appointment.
There are
NO refunds, but candidates can pay a
transfer fee of $50 and the registration will be moved to the next testing session.
If an exam appointment is
NOT scheduled or cancelled in time, the exam registration fee will be forfeited. Cancellation notices will only be accepted from the candidate. Employers, family members, or other individuals may not request a cancellation on behalf of candidates.