NBEO Pass Rates and Outcomes
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
The proportion of students completing all of a program’s curricular requirements within a calendar year who, by the end of that calendar year, are licensed, or have passed all parts of an examination series that would permit licensure, in the United States or Canada.
| Calendar Year (1/12-12/31) | # 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 | Pass Rate, Berkekley | Pass Rate, national | Berkeley difference, % points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 92.2% | 82.5% | +9.7 points |
| 2024 | 95.9% | 85.8% | +10.0 points |
| 2023 | 86.9% | 83.5% | +3.3 points |
| 2022 | 98.4% | 87.8% | +10.6 points |
| 2021 | 96.9% | 92.5% | +4.4 points |
About NBEO Scoring
Annual Institutional Pass Rates for all First-time Takers of NBEO Parts I, II, and III
NBEO Part I Applied Basic Science
First Time Test Takers
| Academic Year (9/1-8/31) | # of first-time takers, Berkeley | First-time taker pass rate, Berkeley | First-time taker pass rate, all exam takers | Berkeley difference, % points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-2025 | 56 | 62.5% | 62.0% | +0.5 points |
| 2023-2024 | 66 | 71.2% | 65.8% | +5.4 points |
| 2022-2023 | 49 | 71.4% | 65.8% | +5.6 points |
| 2021-2022 | 66 | 69.7% | 63.6% | +6.1 points |
| 2020-2021 | 61 | 88.7% | 71.9% | +16.8 points |
NBEO Part II Patient Assessment and Management
First Time Test Takers
| Academic Year (9/1-8/31) | # of first-time takers, Berkeley | First time taker pass rate, Berkeley | First time taker pass rate, all exam takers | Berkeley difference, % points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-2026 | 57 | 91.2% | 89.4% | +1.8 points |
| 2024-2025 | 65 | 100.0% | 87.4% | +12.6 points |
| 2023-2024 | 49 | 97.9% | 85.1% | +12.8 points |
| 2022-2023 | 69 | 94.2% | 88.0% | +6.2 points |
| 2021-2022 | 62 | 95.2% | 84.6% | +10.6 points |
NBEO Part III Patient Encounters and Performance Skills
First Time Test Takers
Academic Year (9/1-8/31) | # of first-time takers, Berkeley | First time taker pass rate, Berkeley | First time taker pass rate, all exam takers | Berkeley difference, % points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-2025 | 64 | 73.4% | 69.0% | +4.4 points |
| 2023-2024 | 49 | 77.6% | 79.6% | -2.0 points |
| 2022-2023 | 69 | 76.8% | 74.4% | +2.4 points |
| 2021-2022 | 62 | 96.8% | 79.7% | +17.1 points |
| 2020-2021 | 64 | 89.1% | 80.9% | +8.2 points |