Well…I passed. It's always nice to have one's effort pay off. The test was very different than what I expected. For those of you planning to take the exam or might be thinking about taking the exam, my hope is to impart some wisdom that may help you or convince you to take the test. I'm a strong believer that the only way for Opticians to move forward nationally is to educate and credential today's Opticians with the hope of licensing our profession across the country. It doesn't hurt being on top of your game either. Besides, a challenge can provide one with a goal to work towards and a break away from the routine.

We are ambassadors and representatives of Opticianry. Many people are not exposed to the Optical Industry as a career choice. I didn't hear of it until I answered an ad for a job at LensCrafters in the local shopping mall. At that time, I was studying computer science at Rutgers University. Although the education I received was great at Rutgers, upon graduation there were few jobs left after the "bubble" burst. Many of us, who have been realtors, biologists and historians, have become Opticians through need or circumstance. Some disparage Opticianry and encourage people to look elsewhere for work, assuming the grass is greener on the other side. I have to respectfully disagree.

The truth is Opticianry on the national level is extremely varied…too varied actually. Educational requirements and credentials vary so much from state to state that one wonders if we are talking about the same field. New Jersey, for example, is a tough state to become an Optician; there are educational, apprenticing and licensing examinations that must be completed before one is licensed. In other states, no such requirements exist. Anyone who has taken optics knows that there is quite a lot to learn. This is not to disparage those who work as Opticians and do not have any qualifications. On the contrary, I would like to welcome you to a great field. A field that can use your help and would like to join other allied health fields on the national level. The first level to this is credentialing and the easiest way to be able to pass examinations will be through education.

Most people in the industry have heard or know of the American Board of Opticianry (ABO) and National Contact Lens Examiners (NCLE). They are a national certifying body. In some states, the ABO examination may be the required written examination for licensure. For those who have the ABO certification under your belt, the next step is the advanced certification exams. From what I understand, there aren't many who take these tests. When I took the test there were a total of three people. I almost thought I was in the wrong room. You are provided with a calculator as well as some equations in the back of the test. Not every test is the same; in fact they have several versions in order to avoid over exposing the questions.

So, what kinds of questions are on the test? There are questions involving vertical imbalance, pantoscopic tilt, Prentice's rule and oblique cylinder power. While talking to Harry Chilinguerian, a fellow writer for ECP Magazine and an ABOC-AC certified Optician, he mentioned there were several vergence questions on his examination. I was shocked there weren't any questions on vergence on my exam. My advice would be, know everything optically you can. Other questions on the test were about the intuitive nature of what the aforementioned topics "mean." In other words, it isn't enough to know the equation and properly execute it. Some questions ask for the qualitative answer regarding vertical imbalance or pantoscopic tilt. The business questions were primarily about federal laws. Topics, such as OSHA and MSDS sheets, FDA drop ball tests for safety glasses, the Family Leave Act and the Disability Act as it relates to business management and ownership, were posed on the examination. 

Again, every exam is different so it becomes important to cover all of your bases. I recommend the book Management for Opticians 2nd ed. by Thomas V. Appler et al for business related study reference. For a review of optical equations, Optical Formulas Tutorial by Ellen Stoner was useful. For dispensing information, System for Ophthalmic Dispensing 3rd ed. by Brooks and Boorish is a standard text used in many schools and provides a great deal of information on all things Opticianry. The National Academy of Opticianry also has study material for all of the exams.

I'm sure many of you have some acquaintances, friends or others who do not know what they want to do. Opticianry may be a good choice. I firmly believe that Opticianry will become more relevant and will be changing for the better. There already seems to be some positive legislation enacted in Georgia and Texas. I hope to see some newly licensed states and see Opticianry on the path to a more uniform standard. Good luck to those taking any state or ABO test. May this be the beginning of a great journey in a very noble field.

HOW DO I EARN ADVANCED CERTIFICATION FROM ABO AND NCLE? Anyone with current ABO and/or NCLE certification is eligible to sit for the exam. ABO Master and CLSA Fellows who are not currently ABO or NCLE certified, may obtain Advanced Certification by re-taking and passing the entry level examinations (NOCE and CLRE.) Having passed the NOCE and/or CLRE again, the Advanced Certification status may be requested and granted, without having to take the Advanced Examination(s) or meeting the prerequisite course requirement. A certificate will be provided upon request at a nominal fee. The Advanced Examination may be taken as often as required to achieve a passing score. WHAT ARE THE FEES FOR THE ADVANCED EXAMINATION? The registration fee for the either the ABO Advanced Exam or the NCLE Advanced is $150. ADVANCED EDUCATION PROVIDERS Contact Lens Society of America (CLSA) (800) 296-9776 www.clsa.info National Academy of Opticianry (NAO) (800) 229-4828 www.nao.org Opticians Association of America (OAA) (800) 443-8997 www.oaa.org SUGGESTED STUDY MATERIAL: ABO Advanced Exam Review Book Price: $95 (Member) $125 (Non-Member) Available through the National Academy of Opticianry Advanced Contact Lens Manual: A Comprehensive Study and Reference Guide available through the Contact Lens Society of America

Alvaro Cordova
ABOC-AC/NCLE, LDO, AAS