The Clinical Science examination includes a scoring component on the Treatment and Management of Ocular Disease (TMOD) exam. This embedded component consists of 90 of the 180 items in the section on Ocular Disease/Trauma. The resultant score is equivalent to that of the stand-alone TMOD examination.
The Clinical Science examination is targeted for students near the middle of their final professional year in a ACOE accredited school or college of optometry. Clinical Science is composed of six major subject areas, four of which parallel the four Basic Science subject areas. The subject areas and their relative emphases are shown below.
Each section is linked to a PDF file. To ensure your ability to read these PDF files, please download the latest version of the Adobe Acrobat Reader® by clicking here!
| A. Systemic Conditions - 70 Items (16%) |
Number of Items** |
| 1. General Health |
5-9 |
| 2. Neurological System |
3-5 |
| 3. Musculoskeletal System |
1-3 |
| 4. Skin and Hair |
1-3 |
| 5. Head and Neck |
2-6 |
| 6. Hematopoietic System |
2-4 |
| 7. Immunologic System |
3-7 |
| 8. Cardiovascular System |
4-10 |
| 9. Renal and Urogenital System |
3-7 |
| 10. Gastrointestinal System |
2-4 |
| 11. Liver and Biliary Tract |
1-3 |
| 12. Endocrine/Metabolic System |
5-9 |
| 13. Reproductive System |
1-3 |
| 14. Respiratory System |
4-10 |
| 15. Nutrition |
1-3 |
| 16. Mental Illness and Behavioral Disorders |
1-3 |
| 17. Infectious Diseases |
3-5 |
| 18. Congenital/Hereditary Conditions |
1-3 |
| |
|
| B. Ocular Disease/Trauma - 180 Items (41%)*** |
Number of Items** |
| 1. Orbit, Adnexa, Lacrimal System |
22-34 |
| 2. Cornea/External Disease |
42-60 |
| 3. Glaucoma |
20-30 |
| 4. Lens/Cataract |
5-11 |
| 5. Uveitis, Sclera/Episclera |
18-28 |
| 6. Retina/Vitreous |
19-29 |
| 7. Neuro-Ophthalmic Disorders |
16-26 |
| |
|
C. Refractive/Oculomotor/Sensory Integrative Conditions 125 Items (29%) |
Number of Items** |
| 1. Anomalies of Refraction: Ametropia |
21-27 |
| 2. Anomalies of Refraction: Presbyopia |
8-10 |
| 3. Anomalies of Refraction: Aphakia, Pseudophakia, and Aniseikonia |
5-9 |
| 4. Low Vision |
10-14 |
| 5. Sensory Anomalies of Binocular Vision/Strabismus |
16-20 |
| 6. Anomalies of Eye Movement |
10-14 |
| 7. Anomalies of Accommodation and Accommodative Vergence |
10-14 |
| 8. Refractive Correction Applications |
28-34 |
| |
|
| D. Perceptual Conditions - 33 Items (8%) |
Number of Items** |
| 1. Anomalies of Child Development |
10-14 |
| 2. Anomalies of the Aging Adult |
10-14 |
| 3. Anomalies Secondary to Acquired Neurological Impairment |
4-8 |
| 4. Anomalies of Color Vision (Inherited, Acquired) |
2-4 |
| |
|
| E. Public Health - 15 Items (3%) |
Number of Items ** |
| 1. Epidemiology |
4-7 |
| 2. Biostatistics and Measurement |
2-3 |
| 3. Environmental Vision |
1-3 |
| 4. Health Care Policy and Administration |
4-6 |
| |
|
| F. Legal and Ethical Issues - 12 Items (3%) |
Number of Items ** |
| 1. Licensure and Governmental Regulation of Optometry |
2-4 |
| 2. Standards of Professional Ethics |
1-2 |
| 3. Doctor-Patient Relationship |
3-6 |
| 4. Professional Liability |
2-4 |
| |
|
|
TOTAL |
435 |