Part II Patient Assessment and Management (PAM) — Information & Free Practice
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Part II Patient Assessment and Management (PAM)
- Provider
- National Board of Examiners in Optometry (NBEO); delivered at Pearson Testing Centers
- Format
- One-day computer-based, image-intensive, case-based examination; each patient case is followed by 3-6 related multiple-choice items with 3-10 answer options; items may be single-answer or multiple-response (up to 4 correct answers, all required for credit). Includes approximately 120 embedded TMOD items, reported as a separate TMOD breakout score and pass/fail decision
- Exam questions
- 350 items
- Time limit
- Two sessions of 175 items each, 3.5 hours per session
- Passing score
- Scaled score on a 100-900 scale; anything above 300 is a passing score
- Exam fee
- $1490 (rates for examinations administered beginning August 2026)
Examination outline
Clinical Correlation of Basic Science Principles — 11% - 17% of items (40 - 60 items); includes embedded Treatment and Management of Ocular Disease (TMOD) items
- Clinical Correlation of Basic Science Principles — Pathophysiology/etiology
- Clinical Correlation of Basic Science Principles — anatomy
- Clinical Correlation of Basic Science Principles — biochemistry
- Clinical Correlation of Basic Science Principles — physiology
- Clinical Correlation of Basic Science Principles — immunology/microbiology/pathology
- Clinical Correlation of Basic Science Principles — optics
- Clinical Correlation of Basic Science Principles — pharmacology
Diagnosis — 26% - 34% of items (90 - 120 items); includes embedded Treatment and Management of Ocular Disease (TMOD) items
- Diagnosis — Most appropriate diagnosis
- Related to Diagnosis — Indicate data supporting or correlating with diagnosis; correlation of possible additional data; or indicate additional data or next test needed
Treatment / Management — 40% - 57% of items (140 - 200 items); includes embedded Treatment and Management of Ocular Disease (TMOD) items
- Treatment/Management — Most appropriate treatment/management
- Related to Treatment/Management — Treatment mechanism, additional data needed to treat effectively, additional data or next test needed, patient education, follow-up, or prognosis
Legal Issues / Ethics / Public Health — 4% - 10% of items (15 - 35 items)
- Legal Issues / Ethics — Licensure and governmental regulation of optometry, standards of professional ethics, doctor-patient relationship, professional liability
- Public Health — Epidemiology, biostatistics and measurement, environmental vision, health care policy and administration
Examination sources
- NBEO Part II PAM Content Matrix
Page 1, item type column percentages
- NBEO Part II PAM Content Matrix
Page 1, item type column item ranges
- NBEO Part II PAM Content Matrix
Page 1, footnote **
- NBEO Part II PAM Content Outline
Page 2, introduction
- NBEO Part II PAM Content Outline
Page 2, Refractive / Sensory Processes / Oculomotor Processes table heading
- NBEO Part II PAM Content Outline
Page 2, Normal Health / Disease / Trauma table heading
- NBEO Part II PAM Content Outline
Page 2, Type of Test Items table, Legal Issues / Ethics row
- NBEO Part II PAM Content Outline
Page 2, Clinical Presentation sentence
- NBEO Part II PAM Content Outline
Page 3, TMOD item classification
- NBEO Part II PAM/TMOD page
Exam Information, first paragraph (cases)
- NBEO Part II PAM/TMOD page
Exam Information, first paragraph (result)
- NBEO Part II PAM/TMOD page
Test Day Information paragraph (sessions)
- NBEO Part II PAM Content Outline
Page 4, item format and scoring
- NBEO Scoring & Reporting page
Score Scaling and Reporting paragraph
- NBEO Exam Policies & Eligibility page
Exam Eligibility Policy, student candidates, Part II PAM/TMOD
- NBEO Part II PAM/TMOD page
TMOD Information paragraph (registration)
- NBEO Part II PAM/TMOD page
Test Day Information paragraph
- NBEO Exam Fees page
Exam Fees table, heading
- NBEO Exam Fees page
Exam Fees table, Part II PAM row
Related license preparation
This examination may be required or accepted as an alternative, depending on the license and application pathway.
- Temporary License for Child Support Arrears; temporary military courtesy license; temporary license for military personnel; Optometrist License; Restricted Optometrist License; retired status license
- Optometrist License; Pharmaceutical Agent Number; Certificate of Special Qualification; Volunteer Health Services Registration
- Diagnostic Pharmaceutical Agents Certification; Optometrist Fictitious Name Permit; home residence permit; immunization certificate; Inactive Optometrist License; Optometrist License; Temporary Optometrist License for Military Spouses or Partners; Probationary Optometrist License; Retired Optometrist License; license with retired volunteer service designation; TLG; therapeutic pharmaceutical agents (tpa) certification; TPG; TPL
- Temporary Emergency License; Inactive Status License; Credentialing for Procedures Requiring Injections or Lasers; License to Practice Optometry; Probationary License to Practice Optometry; Temporary License Pending Child-Support Compliance
- Expanded Therapeutic Procedures Credential; Expanded Therapeutic Laser Procedures Credential; License to Practice Optometry; Limited License to Practice Optometry
- certificate of qualification in the utilization of dpas; Optometrist License; Temporary License for a Military Spouse; certificate of qualification in the utilization of tpas
- Optometrist License; clinical academic limited license; educational limited license; Optometrist Limited License; Optometrist Nonclinical Limited License; special volunteer license; Optometrist Temporary License; Optometrist Therapeutic Pharmaceutical Agents Certification
- Optometrist License; Optometrist License Subject to Probation; Certification to Use Pharmaceutical Agents; One-Time Nonrenewable Two-Year Temporary Optometrist License
- Optometrist License; Certification to Use Pharmaceutical Agents for Diagnostic Purposes; Military Spouse Temporary Credential; Certification to Use Pharmaceutical Agents for Therapeutic Purposes
- licenses to operate extended clinical facilities for the treatment of visual disorders; certificate of registration of the assumed or fictitious name; Certificate to Treat Persons Diagnosed with Glaucoma; Permit to Provide Optometric Services for a Health Maintenance Organization; License to Practice Optometry; Certificate to Own or Operate a Mobile Optometry Clinic; Certificate to Administer and Prescribe Pharmaceutical Agents; Certificate as a Substitute Optometrist
- Authorization to Prescribe Controlled Substances; Certification to Use Diagnostic Pharmaceutical Agents; Certification to Treat Glaucoma; License to Practice Optometry; Provisional License to Practice Optometry; Temporary Permit; Certification to Use Therapeutic Pharmaceutical Agents
- Optometry License on Inactive Status; Temporary Permit to Practice Optometry; Certificate for a Licensed Optometrist Becoming an Owner or Manager of a Professional Entity; Oklahoma License to Practice Optometry; Special Volunteer License to Practice Optometry; Temporary Optometry License for Instructors; Therapeutic Pharmaceutical Agent Certificate
- Optometrist; Temporary Professional License (Military Spouse)
- Optometrist License