Certified Ophthalmic Assistant (COA) Examination — International Joint Commission on Allied Health Personnel in Ophthalmology (IJCAHPO)
The Certified Ophthalmic Assistant (COA) exam from IJCAHPO tests the core skills of ophthalmic assistants across 22 content areas, from history taking and visual assessment to tonometry, pharmacology, imaging and patient services. Passing it shows an employer you have met a recognized standard. SummitCert's portal offers explained practice questions, flashcards, a timed 200-question mock, a glossary and progress tracking by content area.
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Everything included — in full detail
This is exactly what you unlock. No vague promises — real numbers, straight from the portal.
Your full practice pool — 350 questions total, written to mirror the real exam blueprint, with full answer explanations for every question.
Including History and Documentation, Visual Assessment, Visual Field Testing, and more.
A complete, realistic exam-day simulation with the same question count and time limit as the real thing.
Covering every key term, concept, and framework you're expected to know.
Hand-picked walkthroughs and explainers organized by topic.
Visual breakdowns of the frameworks and models the exam tests you on.
The exact formulas and calculations you need, ready to review before test day.
A searchable glossary so unfamiliar terminology never slows you down.
See your accuracy by domain, spot weak areas early, and follow a built-in study schedule.
Tailored to this exam: it knows your progress and weak areas, remembers your earlier chats, and picks up where you left off on your other devices.
Study anywhere — your progress syncs on the device you are using and picks up where you left off.
No subscriptions, no renewals — buy once and keep studying until you pass.
See the COA Exam portal
Real screenshots — this is exactly what you'll be studying in. Click to zoom in.
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Topics you'll drill
8 core topics pulled straight from the real question bank.
- History and Documentation
- Visual Assessment
- Visual Field Testing
- Pupil Assessment
- Tonometry
- Keratometry
- Lensometry
- Biometry
COA Exam exam requirements & cost
Straight from the certifying body — separate from what we charge for the study portal.
The IJCAHPO COA page describes a 200-question, 180-minute computer-based multiple-choice examination delivered at Pearson VUE test centers. The COA examination content areas (effective August 1, 2025) are weighted History and Documentation 9%, Visual Assessment 7%, Visual Field Testing 6%, Pupil Assessment 7%, Tonometry 7%, Keratometry 2%, Lensometry 3%, Biometry 3%, Diagnostic Ultrasound 2%, Supplemental Testing 3%, Microbiology 2%, Pharmacology 6%, Surgical Assisting 3%, Ophthalmic Patient Services and Education 8%, Optics and Spectacles 2%, Contact Lenses 2%, Equipment Maintenance and Repair 2%, Medical Ethics, Legal, and Regulatory Issues 4%, General Medical Knowledge 8%, Refraction 5%, Ophthalmic Imaging 5% and Ocular Motility Testing 4%. IJCAHPO reports the result as pass or fail with a performance report by assessment area; the actual score is not reported. The IJCAHPO page says an application for retest must be received within 12 months of the initial examination. IJCAHPO reports the result only as pass or fail, with a performance report by assessment area, and does not report a score. The percent score in the portal mock is only a self-check. IJCAHPO lists the COA fee in a separate fee schedule that was not part of the sources used for this guide, so no figure is quoted. Confirm the current fee with IJCAHPO before you apply. The content outline spreads questions across 22 areas; the largest are History and Documentation (9.0%); Ophthalmic Patient Services and Education (8.0%); General Medical Knowledge (8.0%). The full list of areas and weights is on the portal exam page. IJCAHPO offers three pathways: graduation from an accredited clinical training program, graduation from a non-clinical program plus 500 supervised hours, or work experience of 1,000 supervised hours plus an approved independent study course; confirm the current rules. The portal is a practice aid built on the published content areas: it is not a copy of the exam and it does not predict your result.
COA Exam exam blueprint
Real domain weighting from the certifying body's own published exam syllabus.
- History and Documentation9%
- Visual Assessment7%
- Visual Field Testing6%
- Pupil Assessment7%
- Tonometry7%
- Keratometry2%
- Lensometry3%
- Biometry3%
- Diagnostic Ultrasound2%
- Supplemental Testing3%
- Microbiology2%
- Pharmacology6%
- Surgical Assisting3%
- Ophthalmic Patient Services and Education8%
- Optics and Spectacles2%
- Contact Lenses2%
- Equipment Maintenance and Repair2%
- Medical Ethics, Legal, and Regulatory Issues4%
- General Medical Knowledge8%
- Refraction5%
- Ophthalmic Imaging5%
- Ocular Motility Testing4%
Real pass rate, retake policy, scoring, and a study timeline for COA Exam — free, no purchase required.
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