National Board Exam Passage Rates
The National Board of Examiners in Optometry (NBEO) administers national board exams; passage of these exams is a requirement for practicing optometry in the U.S. Optometry students take these exams during the third and fourth years of their program.
We know that taking board exams is a stressful and costly experience. That's why we work hard to prepare students to pass each part the first time they take it. For example, our newly renovated pre-clinic area features two exam lanes that are equipped with the identical instrumentation used in the NBEO National Center of Clinical Testing in Optometry for Part III.
We'll let our students' first-time pass rate record (below) speak for itself.
You can view a complete list of Pass Rates for all schools on ASCO's website.
Class of |
Ohio State First-Time |
National First-Time |
The Buckeye |
|---|---|---|---|
|
2026 |
83% |
66%* |
+17% |
|
2025 |
95% |
67% |
+28% |
|
2024 |
94% |
67% |
+27% |
|
2023 |
92% |
63% |
+29% |
Class of |
Ohio State First-Time |
National First-Time |
The Buckeye |
|---|---|---|---|
|
2025 |
100% |
88% |
+12% |
|
2024 |
100% |
86% |
+14% |
|
2023 |
97% |
83% |
+14% |
|
2022 |
97% |
86% |
+11% |
Class of |
Ohio State First-Time |
National First-Time |
The Buckeye |
|---|---|---|---|
|
2025 |
87% |
70% |
17% |
|
2024 |
76% |
80% |
-4% |
|
2023 |
85% |
74% |
+11% |
|
2022 |
90% |
80% |
+10% |
Class of |
Ohio State Pass Rate |
National Pass Rate |
The Buckeye Advantage |
|---|---|---|---|
|
2025 |
100% |
82% |
+18% |
|
2024 |
97% |
86% |
+11% |
|
2023 |
98% |
84% |
+14% |
|
2022 |
96% |
88% |
+8% |