Study Outline for Licensing Exam

The Jurisprudence/Law Exam portion of the Licensing Exam is an approximately 70 question, multiple choice & true/false test covering the laws governing the LSBOE and the laws governing the practice of optometry, as well as the rules & regulations promulgated by the LSBOE to enforce these laws.  Candidates for licensure should be intimately familiar with specific details of all of these laws and these rules & regulations (see Louisiana Optometry Laws and Louisiana Optometry Rules & Regulations).  This examination accounts for 20% of the candidate's overall Licensing Exam score.

The multiple choice Advanced Procedure Exam covers all aspects of laser, injectable, and surgical procedures allowed for Doctors of Optometry in the state of Louisiana, including proper administration & performance, as well as pre-operative, peri-operative, & post-operative diagnosis and management.  It is approximately 20-25 questions and accounts for 20% of the candidate's overall licensing exam score.

The Clinical Practical portion of the Licensing Exam may include live patient examination to diagnose & formulate treatment plans for ocular disease, and performance & interpretation of chair skills and other procedures learned in optometry school, including allowed laser procedures.  Unlike Part III of the NBEO, applicants will not be graded on the performance of diagnostic skills themselves.  This will account for 60% of the candidate's overall Licensing Exam score, and is typically 10-12 timed stations total.

In general, the Advanced Procedure Exam & Clinical Practical will be similar in scope and content to Part II of the NBEO Exam.
  

1. Jurisprudence/Law Exam (20% of overall Licensing Exam Score)
   1. Candidates/applicants should be prepared to be tested on both the current state laws regulating the practice of optometry and the current state laws governing the Louisiana State Board of Optometry Examiners.  
   2. Additionally, the rules & regulations promulgated by the LSBOE regarding the practice of optometry in Louisiana (the most current versions of which are maintained at the Louisiana Division of Administration’s website) will also be covered in detail.  
   3. This exam may be a combination of multiple choice & true-false questions on the details of all of these laws, rules, & regulations, with approximately 20-25 questions specifically covering the laws and rules governing advanced procedures Doctors of Optometry are authorized to perform in Louisiana, and approximately 50 questions covering other topics.

 

2. Advanced Procedure Exam (20% of overall Licensing Exam Score)
   1. Applicants should be prepared for a written examination covering clinical aspects of the advanced procedures Doctors of Optometry are authorized to perform in Louisiana.
   2. This exam is typically 20-25 questions in length and may be a combination of multiple choice & true-false questions.
   3. NOTE:  If a candidate's School or College of Optometry has not certified to the LSBOE that their curriculum includes all educational requirements for these advanced procedures, the completion of an advanced procedures course acceptable to the LSBOE is required.  These candidates should complete an advanced procedures course BEFORE taking the LSBOE Licensing Exam.

 

3. Clinical Practical Exam (60% of overall Licensing Exam Score)
   1. Candidates will rotate in groups through multiple stations (typically 10-12 total).
      1. One station will be an ungraded, informal interview with members of the LSBOE.
      2. Two stations will specifically cover Advanced Procedures.
         1. While it's unlikely any advanced procedures will be performed on live patients, applicants should be prepared as though they would be performing Advanced Procedures during the exam.  
         2. Applicants should be prepared to perform & answer questions regarding the most common surgical procedures Doctors of Optometry are authorized to perform in Louisiana.
         3. If a candidate's School or College of Optometry has not certified to the LSBOE that their curriculum includes all educational requirements for these advanced procedures, 90 days are granted from the completion of the LSBOE Licensing Exam to complete an advanced procedures course acceptable to the LSBOE.  These candidates should strongly consider taking an advanced procedures course BEFORE taking the LSBOE Licensing Exam.
      3. The remaining stations will cover other clinical skills & topics. 
   2. Stations will be timed & may involve examination of live patients, performance of entry level optometry skills, interpretation of provided clinical data, or demonstration of advanced procedures, among others.  
   3. Each station will require answering several multiple choice or true-false questions regarding the clinical case presented or skill covered at that station.