Maintaining Board Certification Policies & Fees

Enrollment and Schedules

  • New Diplomates are enrolled in MOC beginning January 1st of the calendar year after successfully passing the Board Certification exam.
  • Each MOC cycle is 4 years in length.
  • Evaluation of requirements will be made after 3 years. If all requirements have been met, Diplomates will have no requirements due in year 4. If requirements have not been met, Diplomates may use year 4 as a remediation year to complete outstanding requirements, including retaking any failed or missed CAP assessments.
  • Failure to complete all requirements by the end of the remediation year will result in a status change from Current to Not Current and require a Diplomate to retake the board certification exam. The exam must be taken within 2 years of the end of the remediation year. Diplomates who successfully pass the exam will be placed into a new 3-year MOC cycle and their status will be updated to Current. Diplomates who do not successfully complete the exam within 2 years of the end of the remediation year will lose the board certification credential and must re-apply and meet post-graduate requirements before being approved to sit for the exam again.

Fees

An annual MOC fee of $250 is due each January 1st. This fee covers program essentials including:

  • Portal access to all ABO MOC activities and personal Learning Plan page to track status
  • Developing educational modules
  • Access to COPE-accredited quarterly webinars
  • Verifications provided for all third-party requests
  • Developing CAP assessments, which eliminates the cost of taking a secure examination every 10 years
  • Administration of program elements

The fee may be paid online through your Learning Plan page, over the phone by calling the ABO office at 314-983-4226 or by check, mailed to:

American Board of Optometry
243 N Lindbergh Blvd.
St. Louis, MO 63141

Payments received after May 31st each year will be charged a $25 late fee.

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By going through the voluntary process of becoming board certified, our Diplomates demonstrate competence beyond entry level.

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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