The ABO Practical (ABOP) and NCLE Practical (NCLEP) are ABO-NCLE’s computer-based skills exams: 30 questions in 60 minutes, using pictures, video, audio, and hot-spot items, at Prometric test centers only. Each costs $125 on the Oct–Dec 2026 registration pages. You must be ABO or NCLE certified first. Some licensing states require them.
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What the practical exams are
ABO-NCLE’s Practical Exam Handbook calls the ABOP and NCLEP “Computer Simulated Skills and Knowledge Examinations.” They supplement the basic exams: the ABO Basic (NOCE) and the NCLE Basic (CLRE) test what you know, and the practicals test how you apply it, through virtual demonstrations, video patient interactions, and instrument identification. You sit at a computer; there is no examiner watching you work on a patient or a frame.
Format at a glance
| Questions | 30, using pictorial, virtual, video, audio, and hot-spot items; some may be unscored pretest items |
|---|---|
| Time | 60 minutes |
| Where | Prometric test centers only; no remote proctoring for the practicals |
| When | Monthly, within the January–March, April–June, July–September, and October–December windows |
| Calculator | On-screen scientific calculator |
| Results | Reported when you finish, with an emailed exam report within a couple of hours; occasionally only a preliminary result until ABO-NCLE’s review is complete |
| Retakes | Wait 14 days; after a third failed attempt, wait 90 days |
What’s covered
The handbook’s test specifications, at domain level:
| Domain | Questions |
|---|---|
| I. Ophthalmic Optics | 8 |
| II. Instrumentation | 9 |
| III. Dispensing Procedures | 7 |
| IV. Laws, Regulations, and Standards | 6 |
| Domain | Questions |
|---|---|
| I. Ocular Anatomy, Physiology, and Pathology | 6 |
| II. Instrumentation for Measurement and Observation | 6 |
| III. Diagnostic Fitting | 6 |
| IV. Dispensing | 6 |
| V. Follow-Up | 6 |
The ABOP outline includes Prentice’s Rule, vertical imbalance, vertex compensation, and neutralization; lensmeters, lens clocks, calipers, and pupilometers; and frame fitting, alignment, and measurements. The NCLEP outline follows the contact lens domains of the CLRE. We don’t recreate video or hot-spot items.
Cost and fees
- $125 each for the ABOP and the NCLEP on ABO-NCLE’s Oct–Dec 2026 registration pages (ABOP (opens in a new tab), NCLEP (opens in a new tab)). ABO-NCLE’s Practical Exam Handbook also lists $125; Virginia DPOR still lists $75. ABO-NCLE is the only authority for its fees; confirm at registration.
- $50 to change your testing window, date, time, or location, or to transfer to the next window (handbook).
- Fees are paid by credit card at registration. For the basic exam fee, see ABO basic exam cost.
Combined basic and practical exams (NOCOP and CLROP)
ABO-NCLE offers each basic exam and its practical in one sitting, scored separately: NOCOP (ABO) and CLROP (NCLE). The Oct–Dec 2026 registration pages (ABO (opens in a new tab), NCLE (opens in a new tab)) list $300: 2 hours Basic, an optional 15-minute break, then 1 hour Practical, in one sitting at a Prometric test center, in English. ABO-NCLE’s October 2026 Basic Exam Handbook and Practical Exam Handbook also list $300; confirm at registration. ABO-NCLE says only Arizona, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Nevada, North Carolina, and Washington currently accept the ABO combined exam, and only Arizona, Kentucky, Nevada, North Carolina, and Washington accept the NCLE combined exam.
Eligibility
You need current ABO certification for the ABOP, or current NCLE certification for the NCLEP, per ABO-NCLE’s registration pages and the Practical Exam Handbook’s overview. The handbook’s eligibility section says only that you must have “successfully completed” the NOCE or CLRE, so confirm with ABO-NCLE before you register. The handbook also says that where a state’s licensing rules differ from ABO-NCLE’s, the state’s rules take precedence.
Which states require a practical?
Of the states we’ve verified on official board pages, these name ABO-NCLE’s practical exams:
- Florida optician license: the Florida licensure exam includes the national practical exams (ABO Practical and NCLE Practical), taken after passing the NOCE and NCLE. (board page (opens in a new tab))
- New York optician license: the ABO Practical (ABOP), after filing the licensure application, passing the NOCE, and Department approval. (board page (opens in a new tab))
- Nevada optician license: the full (dual) license requires ABO Basic, Advanced and Practical, and NCLE Basic and Practical (board’s Sep 2024 application requirements; an older board page also lists NCLE Advanced, so confirm with the board). (board page (opens in a new tab))
- Washington optician license: the ABO and NCLE practical exams, passed on or after June 1, 2015, along with the basic exams (or the former state exam). (board page (opens in a new tab))
- Virginia optician license: DPOR: written and practical exams administered by ABO/NCLE. (board page (opens in a new tab))
Arizona’s board says the practical examination “is now administered by nationally recognized bodies” without naming them (board page (opens in a new tab)). Connecticut runs its own practical exam through the Department of Public Health (DPH page (opens in a new tab)). For other states, see state optician license requirements.
How to prepare
The practicals apply what you learned for the basic exam, so hands-on work helps most: lensometry, frame and PD measurements, adjustments, and (for the NCLEP) fit evaluation and follow-up findings. Our free ABO practice questions and NCLE practice questions cover the basic exams’ knowledge. We don’t offer a practical-exam simulator, and our prep doesn’t guarantee a result.
Frequently asked questions
What is the ABO practical exam?
The ABO Practical (ABOP) is one of ABO-NCLE’s two “Computer Simulated Skills and Knowledge Examinations.” It is a 30-question, 60-minute computer-based exam that uses pictorial, virtual, video, audio, and hot-spot items to test how you apply the knowledge from the ABO Basic exam. It is not a hands-on bench test with an examiner.
How much does the ABO practical exam cost?
$125 each for the ABOP and the NCLEP on ABO-NCLE’s Oct–Dec 2026 registration pages, and the Practical Exam Handbook also lists $125. Virginia DPOR still lists $75; ABO-NCLE is the only authority for its fees, so confirm at registration. Changing your window, date, or time costs $50.
Sources: ABO-NCLE — ABO Practical Examination, Oct–Dec 2026 registration (opens in a new tab) ; ABO-NCLE — NCLE Practical Examination, Oct–Dec 2026 registration (opens in a new tab) ; ABO-NCLE Practical Exam Handbook (2026, linked from the Oct–Dec 2026 practical registration page) (opens in a new tab) ; Virginia DPOR — Board for Hearing Aid Specialists and Opticians (opens in a new tab)
How many questions are on the ABOP and NCLEP?
Each has 30 questions in 60 minutes, and some may be unscored pretest items. The ABOP covers Ophthalmic Optics (8), Instrumentation (9), Dispensing Procedures (7), and Laws, Regulations, and Standards (6). The NCLEP has five domains of 6 questions each.
Can I take the ABO practical exam online?
No. ABO-NCLE’s handbooks say the ABOP and NCLEP must be taken at a Prometric test center and cannot currently be taken by remote proctor, unlike the basic exams.
Sources: ABO-NCLE Practical Exam Handbook (2026, linked from the Oct–Dec 2026 practical registration page) (opens in a new tab) ; ABO-NCLE Basic Exam Handbook (October 2026 edition, linked from the Oct–Dec 2026 registration pages) (opens in a new tab)
Do I need to pass the ABO basic exam before the practical?
Yes. ABO-NCLE’s Oct–Dec 2026 registration page says you must be currently certified by the ABO (by the NCLE for the NCLEP), and the Practical Exam Handbook’s overview says the same. The handbook’s eligibility section says only that you must have successfully completed the NOCE or CLRE, so confirm with ABO-NCLE. State rules take precedence over ABO-NCLE’s.
Sources: ABO-NCLE — ABO Practical Examination, Oct–Dec 2026 registration (opens in a new tab) ; ABO-NCLE — NCLE Practical Examination, Oct–Dec 2026 registration (opens in a new tab) ; ABO-NCLE Practical Exam Handbook (2026, linked from the Oct–Dec 2026 practical registration page) (opens in a new tab)
Which states require the ABO or NCLE practical exam?
Of the states we have verified on official board pages, Florida, New York, Nevada, and Washington name ABO-NCLE’s practical exams, plus Virginia (DPOR: written and practical exams administered by ABO/NCLE). New York names the ABO Practical only. Requirements change, so check your state board.
Sources: Florida licensing board (official page) (opens in a new tab) ; New York licensing board (official page) (opens in a new tab) ; Nevada licensing board (official page) (opens in a new tab) ; Washington licensing board (official page) (opens in a new tab) ; Virginia licensing board (official page) (opens in a new tab)
What is the NOCOP exam?
ABO-NCLE’s handbooks describe NOCOP as the ABO Basic (NOCE) and the ABO Practical in one sitting, scored separately (CLROP is the NCLE version). The Oct–Dec 2026 registration pages list $300: 2 hours Basic, an optional 15-minute break, then 1 hour Practical, in one sitting at a Prometric test center, in English. ABO-NCLE says only Arizona, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Nevada, North Carolina, and Washington currently accept the ABO combined exam.
Sources: ABO-NCLE — ABO Basic & Practical Combined Exam, Oct–Dec 2026 registration (opens in a new tab) ; ABO-NCLE — NCLE Basic & Practical Combined Exam, Oct–Dec 2026 registration (opens in a new tab) ; ABO-NCLE Basic Exam Handbook (October 2026 edition, linked from the Oct–Dec 2026 registration pages) (opens in a new tab) ; ABO-NCLE Practical Exam Handbook (2026, linked from the Oct–Dec 2026 practical registration page) (opens in a new tab)
Official sources
- ABO-NCLE Practical Exam Handbook (2026, linked from the Oct–Dec 2026 practical registration page) (opens in a new tab)
- ABO-NCLE — ABO Practical Examination, Oct–Dec 2026 registration (opens in a new tab)
- ABO-NCLE — NCLE Practical Examination, Oct–Dec 2026 registration (opens in a new tab)
- ABO-NCLE — ABO Basic & Practical Combined Exam, Oct–Dec 2026 registration (opens in a new tab)
- ABO-NCLE — NCLE Basic & Practical Combined Exam, Oct–Dec 2026 registration (opens in a new tab)
- ABO-NCLE Basic Exam Handbook (October 2026 edition, linked from the Oct–Dec 2026 registration pages) (opens in a new tab)
- ABO-NCLE — Register for an Exam (opens in a new tab)
- Florida licensing board (official page) (opens in a new tab)
- New York licensing board (official page) (opens in a new tab)
- Nevada licensing board (official page) (opens in a new tab)
- Washington licensing board (official page) (opens in a new tab)
- Virginia licensing board (official page) (opens in a new tab)
- Arizona State Board of Dispensing Opticians (opens in a new tab)
- Connecticut DPH optician licensing requirements (opens in a new tab)
Last reviewed . Requirements, fees, and dates change — always confirm with the official source before you register or apply. ABO-NCLE and IJCAHPO are the only authorities for their own exam facts, so those facts rest on a single source.