Optometrists Board Exam 2013
The Optometrists Board Exam, also known as the Optometrists Licensure Examination, is a board exam facilitated by the Board of Optometry under the Professional Regulatory Commission to assess the competency of Doctor of Optometry graduates.
As per R.A. 1080, individuals who passed the board exam need not take the civil service exams to be eligible for the following positions:
- Optometrist
- Medical Researcher
Review Courses for Optometrists Board Exam
There are review courses that you can take to prepare for the board exam. The content of these review courses may vary depending on the review centers, but they’re mostly based on the examination scope released by the Professional Regulatory Commission which includes:
Written Examination
- Ocular Pharmacology 10%
- Ocular Diseases 10%
- Ethics 10%
- Primary Care 20%
- Practical, Theoretical Optics & Ophthalmic Dispensing 20%
- Physiological Optics 10%
- Visual Biology 10%
- Binocular Vision 10%
Practical Examination
- I Objective Examination
The determination of the refractive status and ocular conditionof the patient without questioning him. This covers external ocular examination, motility tests (cover test, version test, vergence tests, rotation test, and fixation test), opthalmoscopy, indirect and direct) opthalmometry, biomicroscopy, autorefraction, retinoscopy, tonometry and perimetry.
- II Subjective Examination
A series of tests designed to determine the refractive status, power of accommodation and convergence, the relationship of accommodation and convergence, quality of fusion and stereopsis based on the patient’s response. This covers case history, visual acuity, dominancy tests, color vision test, projection tests, visual field charting, phoria tests, fusion tests, stereoscopic tests, analysis and prescriptions and use of the trial case.
- III Opthalmic Lens Laboratory
Laboratory exercises in edging, mounting, insertion and glazing neutralization, surfacing, lens layout, frame adjustments, transposition (optical cross, toric and flat), and filling prescriptions.
- IV Contact Lens Practice
Knowledge in different kinds of materials used in contact lens practice. Fitting philosophies, series of tests performed to obtain desirable fit, adjustments and modification to obtain optimum fit are all required to determine entry level to the practice.
- V Binocular and Low Vision Clinical Skills
Evaluation of knowledge and clinical skills in the performance, application and interpretation of standard binocular tests, low vision aids and tests.
TAKING THE EXAM
Licensure exams for Doctor of Optometry graduates are usually held twice a year. Below are the dates and testing centers for the 2013 Optometrists Board Exam:
| DATE | DAY/s PLACE | DEADLINE OF FILING |
|---|---|---|
| July 9, 10, & 11, 2013 (Written) July 16-19 (Practical) |
Tue, Wed, Thu / Manila | June 28, 2013 |
| December 2, 3, & 4, 2013 (Written) December 5 & 6, 2013 (Practical) |
Mon, Tue, Wed Manila Thu, Fri Manila |
November 12, 2013 |
NATIONAL PASSING RATE
The table below shows the number of board passers in the Licensure Exam for Optometrists in the last 3 years:
| EXAM | EXAM TAKERS | BOARD PASSERS | PASSING RATE |
|---|---|---|---|
| July 2012 | 352 | 251 | 71.30% |
| July 2011 | 63 | 54 | 85.71% |
| July 2010 | 58 | 50 | 86.20% |
