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Practical Exams

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. 

For the calendar year 2023, the ABO Practical Examination (ABOP) first time test taker pass rates were 64%; the NCLE Practical Examination (NCLEP) first time test taker pass rates were 70%. 

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. 

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.

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."    

Disability Accommodations

To complete our Disability Accommodation Form, please click HERE.

2024 Testing Dates/Registration Deadlines

January 2- March 31, 2024 Testing Window:  

Registration opens December 1 and closes on March 15. There are no late registrations.

April 1 - June 30, 2024 Testing Window:  

Registration opens March 16 and closes on June 15. There are no late registrations.

July 1- September 30, 2024 Testing Window:  

Registration opens June 16 and closes on September 15. There are no late registrations.

October 1- December 21, 2024 Testing Window:  

Registration opens September 16 and closes on November 15. There are no late registrations.


Certification Registration

Please click one of the buttons below to begin your registration. 

**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 requirements, and failure to abide by those requirements may result in denial of credits for the examination, or other consequences, depending upon any licensing state's regulations and requirements.