ABO Advanced Certification

**Sledzinator** · 08-05-2013, 09:39 AM

So I am going to VEW to take the Advanced Certification test in October and am more than a little nervous. I know this has been brought up before but what areas should I be focusing on when studying?
Also for anyone who has taken it recently how long did it take to get your results? I only ask because i need to know how much hard liquor to buy

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**optical24/7** · 08-05-2013, 11:00 AM

Besides Optician stuff; Formulas, refraction, anatomy, path, business and gov't regs. Results 4 or 5 years ago took almost 3 months.

*underlined really know.

**Sledzinator** · 08-05-2013, 03:02 PM

Thank you I will keep that in mind.

**Lee Prewitt** · 08-06-2013, 10:16 AM

Memorize all the formulas...you will not be given any.

**bob_f_aboc** · 08-06-2013, 11:41 AM

My test a couple years back was heavy on the business side/gov't regs. Hardly any pathology on my test.

They supplied a whole sheet of formulas, albeit without names. I did find that several of the formulas were incorrect. I pointed this out to the monitor and hope they have corrected this.

It took about 3 months to get my results back as well.

P.S. It is a very tough test, but not as hard as you will get yourself psyched up for.

**Diane** · 08-06-2013, 03:38 PM

Advanced Opticians Tutorial...National Academy of Opticianry...www.nao.org . It follows the job analysis for the exam. The only one that does.

Diane

**kcount** · 08-06-2013, 04:42 PM

Make sure you take the ABO ADV brush up course if offered. So many questions answered.

**Sledzinator** · 08-06-2013, 05:08 PM

Thanks for all the help everyone! I am currently using the Advanced Optician Tutorial and System for Opthalmic Dispensing to study. I am also planning on getting the Optical Formulas Tutorial. Unfortunately they are not offering the classes at VEW only at the national optician conference or I would sign up for sure. I will make sure to memorize the formulas if there is the chance of them providing the wrong ones. I am both nervous and excited!

**Wes** · 08-06-2013, 06:03 PM

SAO may be offering a review course at VEW. We're still working out the details, so I can't say for sure yet.

**Sledzinator** · 08-07-2013, 09:05 AM

If you offer it I will be there!

**agr8194** · 08-11-2013, 08:41 PM

I took the test last November at the National Opticians Conference. Actually I took both the ABO and NCLE Advanced back to back. Talk about nerves before and a headache afterwards!! Anyway, the formulas on my test were provided and correct. You will need to know when to apply them however. Then Advanced Tutorial is very poorly organized and I found only marginally helpful; albeit a good source of questions to find out where your strengths and weaknesses are. The most difficult part of the exam for me was that the question topics are very random, so you really never get into a groove. So practice answering questions from many different areas of optics from anatomy to dispensing as random as possible so that you're used to the broken rhythm of the test. Best of luck to you!!

**erichwmack** · 01-22-2014, 06:32 PM

I took the exam last October and passed. I found out that I passed less than a week later (much faster than other exams!). Although they do not tell you what your score is. I did not take any study courses but I did purchase and study the NAO guide. The NAO book is a great guide but I found it overly wordy in some sections. If you are a technical minded optician and remember much of the regular ABO material then some of it is repetition. Some sections you may not have much knowledge on (assuming you DO remember the original ABO material) are lens parameter calculations (sag depth, chord length, prism, prism, and more prism), business management and government business regulations. The exam question pool varies I think a lot from year to year so you want to be well versed in all sections.

Having said that (time for self promotion) I recently wrote and published a book "Optician Essentials & Advanced Exam Practice Test". Its available on Amazon.com for much less than the NAO. Keep in mind it is not as detailed in all sections as the NAO but is does cover the essentials and more plus the extensive practice test is modeled after the the most recent types of potential exam questions.

I don't mean to shamelessly self promote but I thought the book might help. There is a BIG LACK of ABO Advanced exam study and prep material out there.