Effective with the October 2011 administration, the Canadian Assessment of Competence in Optometry (CACO) will replace the CSAO as the standard by which competence is verified in optometrists seeking authorization to practise in Members’ jurisdictions.  For those Registrants that initiated the CSAO in Spring 2011 or Fall 2010 and that require reassessment of one or more failed components, the CSAO will continue to be administered as follows: 

• Registrants who fail one or more components of the CSAO may be reassessed on only the failed component(s)
• Performance scores on reassessments and repeat assessments of competence supersede performance scores obtained on previous assessments or reassessments
• Registrants must pass all components of the CSAO within three consecutive administrations upon initiation else they will have failed the CSAO in its entirety
• Registrants who opt to skip an administration opportunity forfeit that opportunity
• Registrants who fail one or more components of the CSAO on initial assessment will be advised to address the cause of the failure(s) with appropriate remedial training before taking a reassessment of the failed component(s)
• Registrants who fail a first reassessment of any component(s) may be reassessed a second time in the failed component(s)
• Registrants who fail one or more components of the CSAO on a first reassessment will be advised to participate in structured and supervised education and/or training related to the failed components before taking a second reassessment of the failed component(s).  

• To be eligible to re-register after having failed the CSAO in its entirety, a person must: