Accreditation & Recognition

The American Board of Optometry has been awarded the following accreditations and recognitions.

On December 31, 2012, the National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA) granted accreditation to the American Board of Optometry (ABO) board certification program for demonstrating compliance with the NCCA Standards for the Accreditation of Certification Programs. NCCA is the accrediting body of the Institute for Credentialing Excellence (formerly the National Organization for Competency Assurance). The NCCA Standards were created in 1977 and updated in 2003 to ensure certification programs adhere to modern standards of practice for the certification industry.  NCCA standards were updated most recently in 2014 for a January 2016 implementation. The ABO joins an elite group of more than 100 organizations representing over 250 programs that have received and maintained NCCA accreditation. More information on the NCCA is available on the organization's website.

This accreditation serves as independent validation that the program meets or exceeds NCCA’s standards regarding purpose, structure, governance, psychometric foundation, policies and procedures.  Organizations earning NCCA accreditation demonstrate a high level of commitment to quality and integrity in professional certification.  For more information, visit www.credentialingexcellence.org/ncca.

Since 2012, the American Board of Optometry’s Maintenance of Certification program has been fully qualified for participation in CMS payment incentive programs. Programs have ranged from the initial Physician Quality Reporting System (PQRS) to the current Merit-based Incentive Payment System (MIPS). ABO’s MOC program is recognized as “substantially equivalent” to programs developed by the American Board of Medical Specialties.

ABO is also the only board certification program in optometry to be included in CMS’ online Physician Compare search tool. Physician Compare allows the public to access up-to-date information about providers including general information such as practice location and phone numbers as well as detailed information about specialty areas, board certification and performance scores.

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Upcoming Events

Stay in the know about exams, training, and more by visiting our events page.

Academy 2023 New Orleans

Oct 11, 2023 @ 3:00 pm - Oct 13, 2023 @ 3:00 pm CDT
ABO will be attending Academy in New Orleans October 11 - 13, 2023. Please stop by booth 609 to learn...
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Webinar: Pediatrics Made Easy: Tips for Pediatric Eye Exams and Prescribing

Nov 8, 2023 @ 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm CST
Presented by Jenelle Mallios, OD. The goal of this course is to help primary care optometrists be comfortable in managing...
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Spring Exam Window

Feb 1, 2024 @ 8:00 am - Mar 31, 2024 @ 5:00 pm CST
The next administration of the board certification exam will be February 1 - March 31, 2024. Applications may be submitted...
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