Effective: January 21, 2018
Latest Legislation: House Bill 49 - 132nd General Assembly
(A) The state vision professionals board shall accept as the examination that must be passed to receive a license to practice optometry in this state the examination prepared, administered, and graded by the national board of examiners in optometry or an examination prepared, administered, and graded by another professional testing organization recognized by the board as being qualified to examine applicants for licenses to practice optometry in this state. The board shall periodically review its acceptance of a licensing examination under this section to determine if the examination and the organization offering it continue to meet standards the board considers appropriate.
(B) The licensing examination accepted by the board under this section may be divided into parts and offered as follows:
(1) Part one: Tests in basic science, human biology, ocular and visual biology, theoretical ophthalmic, physiological optics, and physiological psychology;
(2) Part two: Tests in clinical science, systemic conditions, the treatment and management of ocular disease, refractive oculomotor, sensory integrative conditions, perceptual conditions, public health, the legal issues regarding the clinical practice of optometry, and pharmacology;
(3) Part three: Tests in patient care and management, clinical skills, and the visual recognition and interpretation of clinical signs.
(C) The licensing examination accepted by the board may be offered in a manner other than the manner specified in division (B) of this section, but if offered in another manner, the examination must test the person sitting for the examination in the areas specified in division (B) of this section and may test the person in other areas.
The board may require as a condition of its acceptance of an examination that the examination cover subject matters in addition to those specified in division (B) of this section, if the schools of optometry it approves under section 4725.10 of the Revised Code include the additional subject matters in their prescribed curriculum.
(D) The board shall accept direct delivery of the results of the licensing examination from the testing organization administering the examination. The results shall be kept as a permanent part of the board's records maintained pursuant to section 4725.07 of the Revised Code.
(E) On request of any person seeking to practice optometry in this state, the board shall provide information on the licensing examination accepted by the board, including requirements that must be met to be eligible to sit for the examination and the dates the examination is offered.