CEO uses multiple-choice questions (MCQ’s) for Optometric Knowledge, Ocular Therapeutics and Clinical Judgement. The MCQ format is objective, allows efficient scoring, and enhances the sophistication of statistical analysis that yields high levels of reliability.

Questions may be simple, requiring recall of basic memorized material, or complex, requiring calculation or problem-solving skills. Nonetheless, the question format is consistent. Each MCQ consists of a stem, which introduces the content of the question, and 3-5 answer options, one of which is the correct or best response. Most MCQ’s contain four options.

Some MCQ’s may contain pictures, photographs, sketches, a data table or a graph. This material may need to be integrated in order for the correct answer to be selected.

The stem of some questions contains a superlative (e.g., MOST), a pejorative (e.g., LEAST), or a negative (e.g., NOT). The purpose of this type of question is not to mislead or “trick”, but rather to represent clinical scenarios that optometrists often confront. For example, a patient may be treated with several regimens; however, the selection criterion is typically the MOST effective treatment with the LEAST likely adverse outcome. In other questions, any one of several treatments may be equally effective, but there is one that should NOT be prescribed. When confronting a question item of this nature, candidates should respond to the item as they would in a corresponding clinical situation.