The COE clinical examination is held in person at the Australian College of Optometry (ACO), 374 Cardigan Street, Carlton 3053, Melbourne. Both sections (Skills Station and Patient Examination) run over a one-week session. Results are emailed within ~5 weeks.
Before you can sit the clinical
- ✓ Pass both written papers (Part 1 + Part 2)
- ✓ Complete Cultural Safety Training with ≥80% on all assessments
- ✓ Sit the clinical within 3 years of passing the written
Skills Stations
- You rotate through 6 stations and demonstrate 2 skills at each. Time allocation between the two skills is at the candidate's discretion
- Failing any essential criterion fails the entire skill. Failing three or more desirable criteria results in failure of that skill
- You must pass all 12 skills to pass Part 1
- Candidates falling short in up to three of the 12 skills may have the opportunity to re-sit the failed skills the next day as a supplementary examination
For the official list of skills tested, refer to the OCANZ Examination Guide.
Patient Examinations
- You receive only the patient's name, gender, and date of birth — no access to prior clinical records. Approach each as the patient's initial visit
- The 70 minutes covers a full examination including all necessary tests and completion of all paperwork
- To pass an individual patient, you must receive an average mark of 1 in each of the 6 sections of the marking rubric for that patient
- You must pass at least 3 of 4 patients to pass Part 2
For the section names and detailed criteria of the 6-section marking rubric, refer to the OCANZ Examination Guide.
Fees (AUD, 2025/2026)
Fees are payable per attempt and non-refundable for failure. Withdrawals incur a $200 administration fee.
Practise the clinical exam
Use our OSCE Skills Simulator and Patient Examination Simulator to rehearse stations and full patient encounters.
Source: OCANZ Examination Guide (2025) and Application and Examination Fees (ocanz.org). Verified April 2026.