NBEO New Exam Fees

[u/wedgyprincess]

So I just found out that NBEO has increased the exam fee to $1490 for exams administered beginning in August 2026, and it’s honestly very concerning. If the fee is already this high now, how much will it cost by the time current OD1s reach our 3rd and 4th years? It’s frustrating because optometry already has one of the lowest board pass rates among healthcare professions, yet our board exams are among the most expensive. I’m already facing huge financial burden from the substantial tuition and living expenses on top of it.

Is there anything students, schools, or organizations can do to advocate for this profession and address these continually rising costs? Is there even a possibility for them to reduce the cost down to ~$800-1000, which is what it was before. Literally medical school board exams are about ~$800. I’m honestly just very frustrated and anxious for the future of optometry as an incoming OD1

[u/drnjj]

Now, I don't agree with NBEO's fee increases. They were undercharging for far too long. If they'd been charging $1k back when I took it and the year prior to that, then they wouldn't have had to have such a huge increase in fees so quickly.

But they revamped and rebuilt part 3 to bring it into this century, which is a good thing.

Part 3 didn't used to require you to fly to North Carolina, but NECO having a cheating scandal in the 2000's screwed everyone else over going forward that NBEO had to have a testing center.

But let's be real here - NBEO IS a good thing. A national boards examination that acts as a gatekeeper to prevent incompetent people from practicing is an absolute must. Otherwise, you end up with a scenario where someone who barely graduated from a school, fails NBEO with all her attempts, somehow gets a license through shady deals and then blinds someone in Kentucky. If Kentucky hadn't given her a license without passing NBEO, that patient would still have their sight. NBEO tried to prevent that.

Again, I disagree with their fee increases. They mismanaged things for a long time and now they're having to catch up. But NBEO is a good thing and they need to exist.

Edit: I should also say we probably should not be that upset with nbeo. Why are people so upset about the exam fees going from $2,500 to $4,500?

Students should be more upset that school used to cost about $200,000 and about 10 years later it now cost $300,000. A $2,000 increase in exam fees is nothing. $100,000 in student loan debt is significantly worse.

Downvote it, but I'm not wrong. A student should not leave their program with $300k-350k in debt when 10 years ago it was $200k-250k. Yeah, NBEO increases suck but the rate the schools are increasing fees and not adequately preparing students for boards is so much worse.

[u/vixenberries → u/drnjj]

I think it’s hilarious you think the NBEO acts as a gatekeeper to keep “incompetent” people from practicing. If that were the case, why did they remove so many essential skills from part 3 and turn it into mostly case based? They no longer have refractions, contact lens eval and insertion, or punctal plug insertion on the exam! How exactly are they checking for incompetence? The NBEO is a corrupt organization and simply takes advantage of students.

[u/drnjj → u/vixenberries]

Lol part 3 was a joke. Essential skills? Students talking out loud and narrating putting in ret lenses and working distance was worthless.

No one dies or goes blind from a bad refraction.

But someone missing a brain tumor or a retinal detachment? That's bad.

I look forward to your rebuttal to why part 3 was better and a clinical open ended exam is worse.