How to Register and Schedule the ABO or NCLE Exam

Registration is two steps. First register and pay on ABO-NCLE’s website ($275 per Basic exam as of Oct 2026). Then, 24–48 hours later, use the scheduling link in your confirmation email and your eligibility ID to book a Prometric test center or ProProctor remote session inside your quarterly testing window. Only you can register, schedule or cancel.

Last checked Nov 2, 2026. Confirm fees and dates with the certifying body. optical.education is independent and is not affiliated with or endorsed by ABO-NCLE. Disclaimer.

Before you register

• Eligibility: High school diploma or GED (or an equivalent). If your state’s rules differ, ABO-NCLE says the state requirement wins.
• Which exam: the ABO Basic (NOCE) covers eyeglass dispensing and the NCLE Basic (CLRE) covers contact lenses. Not sure? See ABO vs NCLE.
• State license? Some states require a practical exam too, and some may not accept remote testing. Check your state’s rules first.
• Your legal name: register with the exact name on the photo ID you will bring on test day.

Step by step

1. Register and pay on ABO-NCLE’s website. Choose the exam and the testing window. You enter your full legal name, address, phone numbers and email (an accurate email and phone are mandatory). The Basic exam is $275 as of Oct 2026, paid by credit card. Fees are non-refundable.
2. Save the confirmation email. It has your scheduling link. If any details are wrong, contact ABO-NCLE before you schedule.
3. Wait 24–48 hours, then open the scheduling link.
4. Schedule with Prometric. Type in your eligibility number plus the first four letters of your surname, then choose a test center (or remote testing), date and time. You can also schedule by phone with Prometric.
5. Check the appointment confirmation: the right exam, date, time and site. Keep it for test day.

Only you can register, schedule or cancel. An employer or school can’t do it for you.

Testing windows

ABO-NCLE offers the Basic exams in four quarterly windows. The 2026 windows:

• Jan 2 – Mar 31
• Apr 1 – Jun 30
• Jul 1 – Sep 30
• Oct 1 – Dec 21

There are no late registrations. For the Oct–Dec 2026 window, ABO-NCLE’s registration pages list Nov 15, 2026 as the last day to register. ABO-NCLE’s Basic Exam overview page still shows 2025 windows with a Dec 15 deadline; Nov 15, 2026 is the date on the 2026 registration pages.

Changing or transferring your exam

• Reschedule: $75 per change to the date or time of a scheduled appointment, paid by phone to the ABO-NCLE office.
• Transfer to the next window: call ABO-NCLE and pay $75 by the final day of your current window.
• Test center closes (weather, emergency): you can reschedule and the fee carries over. Confirm the center is operating before you set off.
• Missed or late: arriving 15 minutes or more late means you can’t test and you lose the fee. See exam day rules.

Testing accommodations

If the ADA covers a disability you have, submit ABO-NCLE’s special accommodations form when you register, not later. It needs a letter from your doctor or another qualified clinician that includes a specific diagnosis and its date. Once approved, ABO-NCLE emails you instructions for scheduling with the accommodations.