Examinations

(1) Applicants Graduating Prior to January 1, 1992 – Unless applicants choose to qualify pursuant to paragraph (2), all such applicants must, in addition to having successfully completed all parts of the pre-1992 National Board of Examiners in Optometry (NBEO)’s examinations, unless waived, and the Association of Regulatory Boards of Optometry or its predecessor organization’s examination, successfully complete the Board’s clinical examination which is Part III of the NBEO’s examination. (a) The Board adopts as its written licensure examinations those administered by the National Board of Examiners in Optometry and the Association of Regulatory Boards of Optometry or its predecessor organization as they existed through December 31, 1991 for all applicants graduating prior to January 1, 1992. GENERAL RULES GOVERNING THE PRACTICE OF OPTOMETRY CHAPTER 1045-02 (b) The fees to take the examinations administered by the National Board of Examiners in Optometry are set out and collected by that organization. (c) The Board adopts the determination of the National Board of Examiners in Optometry and the Association of Regulatory Boards of Optometry as to the passing scores for their respective examinations and certification directly from the organizations of such applicant scores to the Board shall constitute successful completion of those examinations. (2) Applicants Graduating On or After January 1, 1992. (a) All such applicants must successfully complete all parts of the revised format National Board of Examiners in Optometry’s examination which includes clinical skills assessment. (b) The Board adopts as its written licensure examinations those administered by the National Board of Examiners in Optometry and the Association of Regulatory Boards of Optometry or its predecessor organization as they exist after January 1, 1992 for all applicants graduating on or after January 1, 1992. (c) The fees to take the examinations administered by the National Board of Examiners in Optometry are set out and collected by that organization. (d) The Board adopts the determination of the National Board of Examiners in Optometry as to the passing scores for their examination and certification sent directly from them to the Board of such applicant scores shall constitute successful completion of those examinations. (3) Jurisprudence Examination. All applicants for licensure must successfully complete the Board’s jurisprudence examination as a prerequisite to licensure. (a) The Board shall mail a jurisprudence examination to all applicants for licensure. (b) The applicant shall include a completed jurisprudence examination when his/her completed application for licensure is sent to the Board’s administrative office located at 665 Mainstream Drive, Nashville, TN 37243. (c) There is no fee for the jurisprudence examination. (d) The scope and content of the examination shall be determined by the Board but limited to statutes and regulations governing the practice of optometry (Tennessee Code Annotated §§ 63-8-101, et seq., and Chapter 1045-02 of the Official Compilation, Rules and Regulations of the State of Tennessee). Copies of the applicable statutes and regulations can be obtained at the Board’s Internet web page, and are also available upon request from the Board’s administrative office. (e) The format of the examination shall be “open-book.” (f) Correctly answering ninety percent (90%) of the examination questions shall constitute successful completion of the jurisprudence exam. (g) If the Board determines that the applicant has failed to successfully complete the jurisprudence examination, the applicant will be mailed another examination and he/she must continue to retake the examination until it has been successfully completed before the application will be deemed complete and presented to the Board for consideration. GENERAL RULES GOVERNING THE PRACTICE OF OPTOMETRY CHAPTER 1045-02 (4) The Board may, by majority vote, waive the passage of Parts 1 and 2 of the National Board’s Examinations for applicants graduating prior to 1984 (the year in which Tennessee required passage of the National Boards), provided the applicants meet each of the following requirements: (a) Are duly licensed to practice optometry in at least one other state; (b) Meet all other requirements for full licensure under the Tennessee Optometry law; and (c) Provide the Board with letters of recommendation from the Boards of Optometry where the applicants are licensed and from federal service (military, veterans administration, public health, etc.), if applicable and from accredited institutions of higher learning where applicants have been optometric educators if applicable. (5) Notwithstanding the above, the Board may, by majority vote, waive the passage of all parts of the National Board’s Examination and may accept proof of clinical competency in lieu of submission to clinical examination by the Board where the applicant is in good standing and practicing in another state with clinical competency examinations comparable to that of the State of Tennessee.