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National Opticianry Competency Examination (NOCE)
The National Opticianry Competency Examination (NOCE) is the American Board of Opticianry's basic certification examination for dispensing opticians, assessing ophthalmic optics, ocular anatomy and refraction, ophthalmic products, instrumentation, dispensing procedures, and laws and standards for spectacle dispensing in the United States.
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Questions125 multiple-choice questions, of which 100 are scored per the Basic Test Specifications and the remainder are unscored pretest (pilot) items
Testing time2 hours
ScoringCriterion-referenced pass/fail: candidates must score at or above the minimum passing score, set by a subject-matter-expert panel using the Modified Angoff method; no numeric cut score is published
Exam feeUSD 225 per exam, payable by credit card at online registration; fees are non-refundable; USD 75 fee to change testing window, date, time, or location (a combined NOCE + ABOP practical sitting costs USD 250)
Prep options
Study resources for NOCE
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Courses and study resources
Exam overview
What to know before choosing your prep
- Who runs it
- ABO
- Category
- Eye Care Technology
- Current version
- NOCE Basic Test Specifications (100 scored questions) per the 2026 ABO-NCLE Candidate Handbook; blueprint based on the 2019 practice analysis — no dated edition label is published
- Where it applies
- United States — national
- Exam languages
- English, Spanish
- Testing provider
- Prometric (test centers plus ProProctor remote proctoring)
- Format
- Secure computer-based multiple-choice exam (four answer choices; recall and application items); taken at a Prometric Test Center or by remote proctor; candidates may mark items for review before submitting
- Availability
- Four quarterly testing windows per year (Jan 2–Mar 31, Apr 1–Jun 30, Jul 1–Sep 30, Oct 1–Dec 21), with registration closing roughly two weeks before each window ends and no late registrations; appointments monthly within each window
- Results
- Pass/fail result reported instantly on completion, with an emailed score report within a couple of hours (official results may follow psychometric 'health checks'); certificate mailed approximately 6-8 weeks after the testing window closes
- Remote testing
- Available
Exam structure
One 125-item multiple-choice exam (four answer choices per item; 100 scored) across six domains: Ophthalmic Optics (25 scored questions), Ocular Anatomy/Physiology/Pathology and Refraction (10), Ophthalmic Products (20), Instrumentation (15), Dispensing Procedures (20), and Laws, Regulations and Standards (10)
Where rules vary
Uniform national certification exam for opticians in all U.S. practice settings; several state licensing boards mandate the NOCE (or a state equivalent) for licensure, and where a state board's rules differ, the state requirement supersedes ABO-NCLE's.
Eligibility
High school diploma, GED, or equivalent (exceptions for high school students in dual programs); no prior experience or coursework required, and candidates whose basic ABO certification is still active are not eligible to retake it
Retake policy
Three attempts allowed within 3 months of the first attempt; at least 14 days must elapse before re-registering; after a third unsuccessful attempt candidates must wait 90 days, then receive three more attempts; each retake requires a new registration and full exam fee