EVALUATION OF A MEMBER’S CLINICAL ABILITY
A Practice Evaluation is designed to assess a member’s clinical ability. It may be used in cases when a member who is required to complete a Practice Assessment is unable to provide the College with the required patient health files. A Practice Evaluation is also used by the Quality Assurance Committee to determine whether deficiencies identified during the course of a Practice Assessment are a result of the member’s lack of knowledge, skill or judgment, or from the member’s lack of application of their knowledge, skill or judgment. It may also be used in select registration cases.
As per Section 28(2) of O. Reg. 119/94: GENERAL under the Optometry Act, 1991, the evaluation may include,
- requiring the member to answer, orally or in writing, questions that relate to practising optometry;
- requiring the member to answer, orally or in writing, questions that arise from a review of real or simulated patient charts;
- requiring the member to examine persons or clinical simulations exhibiting problems that relate to practising optometry; and
- requiring the member to demonstrate the application of optometric techniques.
In 2022, Council approved the College’s use of the following exams for the purpose of evaluating a member’s clinical ability:
| EXAM | GENERAL INFO | SCHEDULE | FEES |
| Internationally Graduated Optometrist Evaluating Examination (IGOEE) Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) | https://touchstoneinstitute.ca/assessment/igoee/ | https://touchstoneinstitute.ca/assessment/igoee/ | CA$2,900 |
| Optometry Examining Board of Canada (OEBC) OSCE | https://oebc.ca/ | https://oebc.ca/taking-the-exam/dates-deadlines-location/ | https://oebc.ca/taking-the-exam/exam-fees/ |
| National Board of Examiners in Optometry (NBEO) Part III Patient Encounters and Performance Skills (PEPS) Examination or any future practical exam that replaces the PEPS | https://www.optometry.org/exams/part_III | https://www.nbeo.org/cse_schedule.cfm | https://www.optometry.org/registration/exam_fees |
If required to undergo a Practice Evaluation, members should review the above options and contact the Quality Assurance department with their exam selection. The College will then assist them with registering for the exam and provide next steps.
Please email QA@collegeoptom.on.ca with any questions and/or to be registered for an exam for a Practice Evaluation.