The national board exams for optometry are administered by the National Board of Examiners in Optometry (NBEO). The NBEO is an independent, non-governmental, non-profit organization whose mission is to protect the public by accurately assessing the competence of practicing optometrists.
Berkeley Optometry Students Score Well
No matter how it’s measured, Berkeley Optometry students typically perform markedly better on all three sections of the NBEO examination than the average performance of students from other schools. We believe this is a testament to the quality of our students and the excellence of the training we provide.
Ultimate Pass Rate, Parts I-III, at Graduation
All Test Takers
| Class Year | Berkeley Pass Rate | National Pass Rate | Berkeley Difference |
| 2018 | 98.4% | 92.1% | +6.3% |
| 2017 | 96.5% | 91.1% | +5.4% |
| 2016 | 100% | 83.8% | +16.2% |
| 2015 | 100.0% | 84.9% | +15.1% |
| 2014 | 100.0% | 90.8% | +9.2% |
About NBEO Scoring
The Association of Schools and Colleges of Optometry (ASCO)
publishes scores for first-time test takers who have graduated. The scores listed in the first three tables below represent comparison between Berkeley first time test takers and first time test takers at other schools.
The scores listed in the second set of tables below represent all current students who have taken the test in a given class year (in March for Part I and December for Part II). Some of these students are repeating the test.
Part I: Applied Basic Science
First Time Test Takers
| Class Year | Berkeley Pass Rate | National Pass Rate | Berkeley Difference |
| 2020 | 85.1% | 79.1% | +6.0% |
| 2019 | 83.1% | 77.5% | +5.6% |
| 2018 | 84.4% | 72.9% | +11.5% |
| 2017 | 93.1% | 78.1% | +15% |
| 2016 | 86.4% | 76.9% | +9.5% |
Part II: Patient Assessment and Management
First Time Test Takers
| Class Year | Berkeley Pass Rate | National Pass Rate | Berkeley Difference |
| 2019 | 93.7% | 90.3% | +3.4% |
| 2018 | 96.8% | 90.4% | +6.3% |
| 2017 | 98.3% | 87.6% | +10.7% |
| 2016 | 100% | 88.2% | +11.9% |
| 2015 | 100% | 91.7% | +8.3% |
Part III: Clinical Skills
First Time Test Takers
| Class Year | Berkeley Pass Rate | National Pass Rate | Berkeley Difference |
| 2018 | 90.3% | 75.9% | +14.4% |
| 2017 | 87.9% | 81.4% | +6.5% |
| 2016 | 91.7% | 83.7% | +8.0% |
| 2015 | 93.4% | 85.6% | +7.8% |
| 2014 | 93.9% | 80.5% | +13.4% |
Part I: Applied Basic Science
All Test Takers
| Class Year | Berkeley Pass Rate | National Pass Rate | Berkeley Difference |
| 2020 | 81.4% | 69.7% | +11.7% |
| 2019 | 80.9% | 67.1% | +13.8% |
| 2018 | 84.6% | 62.9% | +21.7% |
| 2017 | 88.5% | 68.8% | +19.7% |
| 2016 | 86.7% | 69.1% | +17.5% |
Part II: Patient Assessment and Management
| Class Year | Berkeley Pass Rate | National Pass Rate | Berkeley Difference |
| 2019 | 93.7% | 86.5% | +7.2% |
| 2018 | 96.8% | 86.3% | +10.4% |
| 2017 | 98.3% | 83.7% | +14.6% |
| 2016 | 100% | 84.9% | +15.1% |
| 2015 | 100% | 83.1% | +16.9% |
Part III: Clinical Skills
All Test Takers
| Class Year | Berkeley Pass Rate | National Pass Rate | Berkeley Difference |
| 2018 | 91.2% | 73.4% | +17.8% |
| 2017 | 89.1% | 77.4% | +11.7% |
| 2016 | 92.2% | 79.6% | +12.6% |
| 2015 | 93.9% | 82.2% | +11.7% |
| 2014 | 94.2% | 79.3% | +14.9% |