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.
NBEO 1st Time pass rates by Graduating Cohort
(All Ohio State Students take exams for the first time on the targeted test date)
| Class of | OSU First Time Pass Rate | National First Time Pass Rate | The Buckeye Advantage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 95% | 67% | +28% |
| 2023 | 92% | 65% | +27% |
| 2022 | 93% | 74% | +19% |
| 2021 | 89% | 78% | +11% |
| Class of | OSU First Time Pass Rate | National First Time Pass Rate | The Buckeye Advantage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 97% | 73% | +24% |
| 2022 | 97% | 85% | +12% |
| 2021 | 97% | 90% | +7% |
| 2020 | 98% | 93% | +5% |
| Class of | OSU First Time Pass Rate | National First Time Pass Rate | The Buckeye Advantage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 90% | 80% | +10% |
| 2021 | 97% | 92% | +5% |
| 2020 | 97% | 92% | +5% |
| 2019 | 97% | 93% | +4% |
| Class of | OSU Pass Rate | National Pass Rate | The Buckeye Advantage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 96% | 88% | +8% |
| 2021 | 97% | 92% | +5% |
| 2020 | 97% | 92% | +5% |
| 2019 | 97% | 93% | +4% |
Per accreditation guidelines, below are the first time pass rates by test administration year regardless of graduation year or enrollment status.
| Year | Part I Applied Basic Science (March and August Administrations) | Part II Patient Assessment and Management (December and April Administrations) | Part III Clinical Skills Examination (July – June Administrations) | Ultimate Pass Rate Graduation Year (Oct. 1 – Sept. 30) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022-2023 | 66 (95%) | 61 (97%) | 61 (85%) | TBD |
| 2021-2022 | 62 (90%) | 68 (97%) | 68 (90%) | 65 (96%) |
| 2020-2021 | 68 (94%) | 66 (98%) | 66 (91%) | 64 (97%) |
| 2019-2020 | 66 (89%) | 64 (97%) | 64 (95%) | 61 (97%) |
