NBEO Passage Rates
"The curriculum at SCO helped prepare me very well for the NBEO exams as I already had a solid foundation when starting to review for those exams." – Class of 2019 graduate
National Board of Examiners in Optometry (NBEO) passage rates are very important hallmarks of success for SCO and its graduates. Passage rates are a direct reflection of the first goal in SCO’s mission statement - to lead the profession by educating the best possible healthcare providers. The three comprehensive parts to the licensing examination are designed to assess the cognitive, psychomotor, affective, and communication skills essential for entry-level optometric practice.
Passage of these examinations is very important because graduates must pass all three parts to be eligible for licensure in the United States. SCO believes the NBEO is important enough that the institution requires passage of Parts I and II to graduate. SCO has two goals for NBEO passage rates. First, SCO student pass rates will equal or exceed the national pass rate. SCO has consistently met this goal. And secondly, within 6 years of matriculation, at least 80% of entering students must pass all three parts of the NBEO. As shown in the chart below, the ultimate passage rates indicate that over 90% have passed all three parts of the board within 4 years of matriculation.
The three parts to the examination:
- Part I-Applied Basic Science is given annually in March and August. Students must be in the spring of their third professional year to be eligible for this exam.
- Part II-Patient Assessment and Management is given annually in April and December. Students must be in the academic year of their graduation to be eligible for this exam.
- Part III-Clinical Skills Examination is given throughout the year. Students must be in the academic year of their graduation to be eligible for this exam.
The passage rates given for these examinations are first time passage; the ultimate passage rate for the cohort may include students who repeated tests.
| SCO Class |
Part I-
Applied
Basic Science
(SCO first time/
National first time) |
Part II-
Patient Assessment
and Management
(SCO first time/
National first time) |
Part III-
Clinical Skills
Examination
(SCO first time/
National first time) |
Ultimate
Passage
Rates
(SCO overall/
National overall) |
| |
|
|
|
|
| 2015 |
86% / 78% |
97% / 92% |
93% / 86% |
97% / 85% |
| 2016 |
89% / 77% |
97% / 88% |
92% / 84% |
94% / 84% |
| 2017 |
90% / 78% |
97% / 88% |
92% / 81% |
100% / 91%* |
| 2018 |
83% / 73% |
97% / 90% |
85% / 76% |
100% / 92%* |
| 2019 |
89% / 77% |
98% / 90% |
89% / 84% |
97% / 93%* |
| 2020 |
91% / 79% |
|
|
|
*Beginning with the class of 2017, NBEO provides ultimate passage rates for graduates as of September 30. To meet graduation requirements, SCO students must pass Parts I and II.