Dear Eyecare Professional,
Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic, and the obligations that the American Board of Opticianry & National Contact Lens Examiners, Inc., (ABO & NCLE), has to its Certificants, Applicants for Certification and Continuing Education, ABO & NCLE has undertaken substantial measures to assist in these unprecedented times.
ABO & NCLE is pleased to announce that there are now currently ways to take certain ABO & NCLE Examinations - in person (as were done in the past), and in-home Remote Proctored Examinations, which are temporarily available due to the COVID-19 Pandemic. Currently, the ABO Basic, NCLE Basic, ABO Advanced, and NCLE Advanced Examinations are authorized for Remote Proctor Examinations. The ABO Practical and NCLE Practical are being pilot tested and will be available shortly.
Additionally, the May testing window has been expanded, for both the in-person and Remote Proctored Examinations, through July 31, 2020, with no late fees incurred for any of the May examinations!
First, Candidates are required to contact their State Licensing Authority to determine eligibility. Currently, the states of Kentucky, Massachusetts, Nevada, and Washington have met and approved the use of this Remote Proctored Examination. Do not register for this Examination until you are assured that your state has authorized the taking of the Remote Proctored Examination.
History of Remote Proctoring
Remote Proctoring has been widely accepted, with appropriate security measures, for approximately four years. It is now recognized by the International Organization for Standardization, the American National Standards Institute (ISO/IEC 17024), as well as National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA), and the International Certification Accreditation Counsel (ICAC). To this point, ABO & NCLE has declined to allow such Remote Proctoring, given the readily available test sites throughout the United States. However, due to the substantial restrictions placed upon "in-person" testing, ABO & NCLE has been working diligently with Prometric, its in-person testing facility, to develop a remotely-proctored Examination for Licensing and Certification Candidates in order to continue to strive to protect the health, safety, and welfare of the general public, and to ensure proper standards for Opticianry and Contact Lens Technology.
In addition to assuring that your State Licensing Authority authorizes this particular type of examination, there are additional steps necessary for taking this particular type of Examination:
How to Become Eligible for ABO & NCLE's Remote Proctoring Examinations
In order to schedule a Remote Proctored Examination for the following Examinations
ABO Basic -- National Opticianry Competency Exam
ABO Basic (Spanish) - National Opticianry Competency Exam
ABO Advanced -- National Opticianry Competency Exam -- Advanced
NCLE Basic -- Contact Lens Registry Exam - NCLE Basic
NCLE Basic (Spanish) -- Contact Lens Registry Exam
NCLE Advanced -- Contact Lens Registry Exam - Advanced
Candidates must provide the following:
A computer with a camera, a microphone and an internet connection and a location that has internet connection capability.
The Candidate's appropriate Eligibility ID as required for all ABO & NCLE Examinations
Confirmation of compatibility of the Candidate's computer with Remote Proctoring (Prometric has a screening tool on its website allowing verification of capabilities)
Candidate must be able to install a basic application prior to the test event
The Candidate will be monitored, throughout the Examination by a remote Prometric Monitor
To confirm that your computer and network will allow testing through ProProctor, click here
It is highly recommended that you view the ProProctorTM User Guide, click here.
By taking the Remote Proctored Examination, the Candidate expressly recognizes and agrees to the following different examination procedures and rules:
If a bathroom break is taken, the bathroom break is limited to one (1) such break.
The Candidate agrees that the Examination Timer continues to run during any such break
The Candidate must undergo a mandatory security check upon re-entering the testing room, and the Candidate understands and agrees that the time of the security check is part of the Examination time period, and no additional time will be authorized
The Candidate agrees that the Candidate's exam will be reviewed by ABO & NCLE and the Prometric Proctor
The Candidate stipulates and agrees that any suspicious activity, in the sole discretion of ABO & NCLE and Prometric, may reverse and/or forfeit the Candidate's examination results
The Candidate may only utilize a physical White Board during a Remote Proctor Examination.
The Candidate must supply his or her own White Board, up to 3 dry erase marker(s), and an eraser.
The White Board must be white in color and no larger than 8 ½ x 11 inches.
The blank White Board must be shown to the Proctor prior to the Examination commencing, and, again, prior to terminating the Examination. Failure to provide proof of a blank White Board both prior to and subsequent to the Examination will result in a failed examination.
The Candidate is not allowed to have any food, beverages, candy, or gum during the Examination
The Candidate must be alone in a quiet room environment during the totality of the Examination, with no children, pets, or other individuals in the room
Additional limitations and rules are available on the Prometric website.
Notice: Before you schedule your exam by remote proctor, you MUST verify with your state licensing board that taking a remotely proctored exam has been approved for licensing purposes.
Schedule your remotely proctored exam
Reschedule your remotely proctored exam
Testing Accommodations
If you require any test accommodations, please contact 1.800.296.1379, e-mail: [email protected] To view a list of permissible items, click here.
ABO-NCLE Practice Exam
Candidates should strongly consider taking an online practice examination. The practice examination consists of 50 questions that have each been reviewed by ABO & NCLE subject-matter experts. Questions on the practice examination are similar to those used on the actual examination. Each exam will be 1 1/2 hours in length.
Passing a practice exam does not guarantee that you will pass the actual certification exam. It is a tool, being provided by ABO and NCLE, to help you measure your progress in your preparation for the certification exam.
What to Expect on Exam Day
We have enhanced the exam layout to improve navigation through the exam. We recommend you become familiar with the new layout prior to your exam date. A tutorial is now available to preview the navigation functions including the highlight feature, the strikeout feature, the calculator and marking questions for review. To access this tutorial, please visit www.prometric.com/TakeSurpassTutorial.
Reschedule/Cancellation Policy
If you wish to change your exam date or time, you will be charged a fee each time you change the date and time of your exam prior to your appointment using the Reschedule or Cancel option on the Prometric Website. Prometric's Regional Registration Center (outside North America); the Web is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
If you have any questions, or need additional information regarding this new Examination, please contact [email protected] . If you have questions about your State Licensing Authority, please contact your state to determine eligibility for the Remote Proctor Examinations.
