KY optometrists will again have to pass US national exam but not until next year

By: Deborah Yetter

Outlets: Kentucky Lantern

Published: February 5, 2026

Words: 1,007

Last Updated: 3 weeks, 1 day ago

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The state board that licenses optometrists reversed itself Thursday and will resume requiring candidates to pass all three parts of a standard national exam instead of substituting an easier Canadian test for one part.

Starting in 2027, optometry graduates seeking a Kentucky license again will be required to pass the exam administered in all 50 states by the National Board of Examiners in Optometry, the Kentucky board decided at a special meeting in Louisville.

The …

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