National Board Exam Pass Rates (NBEO)
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 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.
Program Completion Licensing Examination Rates
Percentage of graduates who are licensed or licensable by the end of December of the year they graduated.
| CalendarYear | # of students who completed all program curricular requirements | # licensed or who passed all parts of an exam series that would permit licensure, in the United States or Canada | Program Completion Licensing Examination Pass Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 66 | 63 | 95.5% |
Ultimate Pass Rate, Parts I-III, at Graduation
All Test Takers
| Class Year | Berkeley Pass Rate | National Pass Rate | Berkeley Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 92.2% | 82.5% | +9.7% |
| 2024 | 95.9% | 85.8% | +10.0% |
| 2023 | 86.9% | 83.5% | +3.3% |
| 2022 | 98.4% | 87.8% | +10.6% |
| 2021 | 96.9% | 92.5% | +4.4% |
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 three tables below represent comparison between Berkeley first time test takers and first time test takers at other schools.
Part I: Applied Basic Science
First Time Test Takers
Academic Year: 9/1 – 8/31
| Academic Year | Berkeley Test Takers | Berkeley Pass Rate | All Test Takers | National Pass Rate | Berkeley Difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-2025 | 56 | 62.5% | 1732 | 62.0% | +0.5% |
| 2023-2024 | 66 | 71.2% | 1662 | 65.8% | +5.4% |
| 2022-2023 | 49 | 71.4% | 1761 | 65.8% | +5.6% |
| 2021-2022 | 66 | 69.7% | 1753 | 63.6% | +6.1% |
| 2020-2021 | 61 | 88.7% | 1754 | 71.9% | +16.8% |
Part II: Patient Assessment and Management
First Time Test Takers
Academic Year: 9/1 – 8/31
| Academic Year | Berkeley Test Takers | Berkeley Pass Rate | All Test Takers | National Pass Rate | Berkeley Difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-2025 | 65 | 100% | 1641 | 87.4% | +12.6% |
| 2023-2024 | 49 | 97.9% | 1739 | 85.1% | +12.8% |
| 2022-2023 | 69 | 94.2% | 1757 | 88.0% | +6.2% |
| 2021-2022 | 62 | 95.2% | 1753 | 84.6% | +10.6% |
Part III: Clinical Skills
First Time Test Takers
Academic Year: 7/1 – 6/30
| Academic Year | Berkeley Test Takers | Berkeley Pass Rate | All Test Takers | National Pass Rate | Berkeley Difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-2025 | 64 | 73.4% | 1648 | 69.0% | +4.4% |
| 2023-2024 | 49 | 77.6% | 1700 | 79.6% | -2.0% |
| 2022-2023 | 69 | 76.8% | 1761 | 74.4% | +2.4% |
| 2021-2022 | 62 | 96.8% | 1749 | 79.7% | +17.1% |
| 2020-2021 | 64 | 89.1% | 1789 | 80.9% | +8.2% |