Frequently Asked Questions
  1. What is the OptoPrep Guarantee?
  2. Why should I sign up for OptoPrep
  3. Who writes OptoPrep Questions?
  4. How long is my subscription valid?
  5. Can I share my OptoPrep account?
  6. Can I answer the questions in OptoPrep more than once?
  7. How many practice exams are there?
  8. Are partial subscriptions available?
  9. What do I do if I find a typographical error or believe a question, answer, or explanation contains an error?
  10. Are OptoPrep questions taken from actual NBEO material?
  11. Can I extend my subscription if my account expires?
  12. What are the system requirements to use OptoPrep?
  13. Why can't I log in to my account?
  14. I am unable to register for an account with OptoPrep. What can I do?
  15. How can I change my password?
  16. When I try to log in, I am unable to do so and the screen says "Uh Oh, please login". What do I do?
Answers
  1. What is the OptoPrep Guarantee?
     OptoPrep is confident that anyone who completes the OptoPrep course will pass the NBEO exam on their first attempt. This is largely due to the question recycling feature of OptoPrep, which essentially forces students to learn all of the material in order to make it through the entire course. Therefore, OptoPrep will pay for your OptoPrep re-subscription if you do not pass the NBEO exam. In order to qualify for a free re-subscription, you must have completed the full OptoPrep course by finishing all (or at least 80% of all) practice questions and timed exam questions before the date of your NBEO exam. If you did not pass the NBEO exam, please contact support for instructions on how to obtain a free re-subscription.
  2. Why should I sign up for OptoPrep
     OptoPrep is a study resource with numerous features not available elsewhere to assist you in passing the NBEO. With its interactive, on-line format, OptoPrep customizes your study sessions by creating detailed reports on your progress in all subject areas. This will allow you to allocate your study time to the areas that will help you most on your exam. The database also remembers the questions that you answer incorrectly and asks you those questions again until you get them right. Randomization of the answer choices prevents you from memorizing the location of the correct answer and helps you to actually learn the subject matter.

    OptoPrep has the most extensive question database of its type with over 1200 questions, and detailed answer explanations, which serve as key learning material. OptoPrep has an impressive group of contributors and staff who keep material relevant and up to date in all areas (See the list here).

    The practice questions are formatted similarly to that of the actual exam, allowing you to become more familiar and comfortable with the types of questions on the exam and the process of navigating through this type of test. The database covers topics most relevant and commonly covered on the NBEO, and excludes most of the minutia that would be less efficient for you to study. In short, OptoPrep is the interactive, straightforward, and to-the-point way to prepare for your optometry board exam.
  3. Who writes OptoPrep Questions?
     Optometrists, along with others in the medical field, contribute and edit content. In addition to our customer and technical support staff, specialists in every major subject area are available to respond to student inquiries. Our group consists of seasoned optometrists as well those with recent NBEO experience. This means that if you read a question and feel that you have learned something differently, an e-mail to our support desk will be forwarded to an expert in that area so that you can receive an up-to-date response from a specialist.
  4. How long is my subscription valid?
     OptoPrep subscriptions are available in 30, 60, and 90 day increments valid from the date of payment.
  5. Can I share my OptoPrep account?
     OptoPrep prohibits sharing of your account and monitors all account activity. OptoPrep reserves the right to cancel a subscription if unauthorized use is suspected. Additionally, sharing of accounts will alter your personalized performance record and reduce the number of questions you have available to take.
  6. Can I answer the questions in OptoPrep more than once?
     Throughout the course, you will take most questions at least twice, once in the practice mode and once in a practice exam. Any time you miss a question in either mode, it will be recycled and you will be asked that question again in subsequent practice sessions or exams.

    The question recycling aspect of OptoPrep is one of its unique and special features. This feature forces the user to learn all of the material in order to successfully complete both sections of the program. OptoPrep feels that anyone who has learned all of the material in the course should be in spectacular shape going into his or her exam.

    Once you have correctly completed questions, they will not be asked to you again. However, you can go back to review individual questions in the "Review and Stats" area of the program, as well as in the "Missed Questions" area.
  7. How many practice exams are there?
     The practice exam question database contains over 1200 questions. Since there are 30 questions in each exam section, there are approximately 40 practice exams if you answer every question correctly. However, if you miss questions in these exams, they will be recycled (with answer choices re-ordered) and asked again in a subsequent exam, so you will actually have more than 40 exams depending on how well you do.
  8. Are partial subscriptions available?
     No, partial subscriptions are not offered at this time.
  9. What do I do if I find a typographical error or believe a question, answer, or explanation contains an error?
     If you believe there is an error in a question, please copy and paste the question into an e-mail to OptoPrep Support and indicate what you believe to be incorrect. If you have a reference for your viewpoint, feel free to include it. The OptoPrep team meets weekly to review any questions about the course material and to make modifications and additions as needed. When necessary, OptoPrep may also contact an appropriate expert to obtain the most definitive answer to your question, which can take some additional time.
  10. Are OptoPrep questions taken from actual NBEO material?
     No. OptoPrep questions are original, copyrighted, and are not taken from previous NBEO material. Printing, distributing, or any other use of the questions, answers, explanations, photographs, or other material on this site is strictly prohibited without express written consent from OptoPrep. Any person or company claiming to use NBEO material without their express consent is in violation of their Code of Conduct, and use of such materials is illegal and could result in license forfeiture. OptoPrep is a successful review program because the questions in the course cover a wide array of topics that an entry-level optometrist would be expected to know. By providing detailed explanations with many questions, even if the exact question on the topic is not the same as on your NBEO, the material you have learned will help you reason your way to the best answer.
  11. Can I extend my subscription if my account expires?
     OptoPrep allows 30-day subscription extensions. The cost for a 30-day extension is $35. Smaller increments are not available. When your OptoPrep subscription expires you will automatically be prompted to sign up for an extension if desired.
  12. What are the system requirements to use OptoPrep?
     OptoPrep requires an Internet connection. High-speed connections will be most efficient for study purposes. OptoPrep is optimized for use with a Firefox Web browser (which can be downloaded for free at www.mozilla.com). It is compatible with most other web browsers as well, provided that they are JavaScript enabled, and allow both cookies and pop-ups. OptoPrep is also compatible with Apple Safari 2.0 or later for MacOS X.
  13. Why can't I log in to my account?
     Check your Internet browser settings to make sure that cookies, Java, JavaScript, and pop-ups are enabled. Please click here for detailed instructions on how to enable these functions within your Web browser. If these suggestions do not work, please download and use Mozilla Firefox as your browser. It is free and safe to download from here.
  14. I am unable to register for an account with OptoPrep. What can I do?
     The most common cause for registration failure comes from an incorrect billing address, name, credit card number, or credit card expiration date. Please make sure these are all correct before submitting your registration. Discrepancies with any of this information may cause your registration to fail. It is for your own security!

    If you are confident that you have input all of the information correctly, but still get the same error message repeatedly, contact OptoPrep support so that we can determine the cause of your registration failure and help you to sign up.
  15. How can I change my password?
     To change your password, please do the following:

    1) Log in to your account
    2) Click Account Info in the upper left corner of your OptoPrep homepage
    3) Click the Change Password button at the bottom of the Account Info Page
  16. When I try to log in, I am unable to do so and the screen says "Uh Oh, please login". What do I do?
     Check your Internet browser settings to make sure that cookies, Java, JavaScript, and pop-ups are enabled. Please click here for detailed instructions on how to enable these functions within your Web browser. If these suggestions do not work, please download and use Mozilla Firefox as your browser. It is free and safe to download from here.