Administered in March and September every year
This board is a nine-part examination. The successful candidate must earn a 70 or better on each individual part within a period of three (3) years.
Parts of the board examination:
|
links are to outlines of the material tested |
TIME/
QUESTIONS |
SUBSTITUTION | Durham Technical
Community College Certificate course containing some of the material |
| Anatomy and Physiology of the Eye | 1 hour/
50 questions |
OPH 121 Anatomy & Physiology of the Eye | |
Contact Lens Practical
instrumentation and slide identification |
1 hour for 10 instrumentation questions and 20 slides. | OPH 261-262 (degree only) | |
| Contact Lens Written | 1 hour/
50 questions |
NCLE if taken within 3 years of sitting for boards the current time. | OPH 260 Contact Lenses (apprentice certificate)
|
| Laboratory Practical | 1 hour/
40 questions |
||
| Measurements of the Face | 1 hour/
50 questions |
OPH 131 Dispensing I & OPH
102 Lab Concepts (apprentice certificate)
|
|
| Ophthalmic Lenses | 1 hour/
50 questions |
ABO if taken within 3 years of sitting for boards the current time. | OPH 131 Dispensing I & OPH
102 Lab Concepts (apprentice certificate)
|
| Rx Interpretation | 1 hour/
50 questions |
ABO if taken within 3 years of sitting for boards the current time. | OPH 102 Lab Concepts & OPH
141 Theory I (apprentice certificate)
|
| Surfacing and Finishing | 1 hour/
50 questions |
OPH 102 Lab Concepts (apprentice certificate)
|
|
| Theory of Light | 1 hour/
50 questions |
OPH 141 Theory I
|
To become a Licensed Optician in North Carolina:
- As a North Carolina resident, to become eligible to sit for the N.C. Opticianry Boards, the candidate must:
- Complete one of the following:
- serve a 3.5 year apprenticeship in N.C., registered in a Board approved training facility; or
- receive a two-year degree in Opticianry or Ophthalmic Dispensing at a COA accredited program.
- As an out-of-state resident, to become eligible to sit for the N.C. Opticianry Boards, the candidate must:
- apply to sit for the exam within 90 days of moving to N.C. from a non-licensed state, with 4 or more years of experience in a facility similar to an N.C. approved training facility.
- Regardless of the state of residency, if the candidate did not receive a two-year degree from a COA accredited program, the candidate must also have completed one of the following:
- a certificate program offered by any COA accredited program, such as the Basic Opticianry program at Durham Technical Community College; or
- the NAO Career Progression Program. (If you follow the NAO link, click on 'Career Pathways'.)
- Once the candidate has completed the 3.5 year apprenticeship or received a two-year degree in Opticianry or Ophthalmic Dispensing, the candidate must serve a minimum of a 6 month Internship in N.C. working in a Board approved training facility. The candidate may sit for the N.C. State Board of Opticianry examination either during or after the Internship period.
- Sue Kornegay, Administrative Director
N.C. State Board of Opticians
Medical Society Building
P.O. Box 25336
Raleigh, N.C. 27611-5336
(919) 733-9321
Durham Tech Opticianry A.A.S. Degree through distance learning