October 2014

Portfolio and FQE

Overview

Miranda Richardson BSc Hons, FBDO

Assistant Director of Professional
Examinations

Agenda

Introduction
Portfolio Legislation
Portfolio Case Records
FQE Overview
Additional Advice
Contact details

FQE Examination
Portfolio Legislation

Initial Declarations sent to Exams Department.

Date of commencement letters issued.
Any change of supervisor/practice notified and acknowledged.
Trainee/Supervisor membership continuous throughout studies.
50 case records presented in the categories stated each case
record can only be used in one category.
Final Declaration signed by supervisor.
1600 logged hours present and signed by supervisor daily.
Logged hours, final declaration and dispensing tasks sent to Exams
by May 30th registered post (keep a copy).
Summer 2013 saw 40 legislative failures.

FQE Examination
Portfolio Case Records
No patient identification must be shown, but the supervisor must be able
to show an audit trail back to the patient records if an investigation was
required.
Ask your supervisor to check and sign each record.
Use the additional information to justify your dispense and help you
remember what you did, but more importantly, why you did it.
Use dividers to put each category of case record together.
Do not use pencil or excessive correction fluid, and never where a
signature is required.
No sharing of patients permitted
The original and a photocopy of case records is to be presented at the
time of the FQE
Use initiative for gaining experience but check and log supervisor with
ABDO

FQE Examination
Portfolio Case Records
Frame pad centres/bridge width
Boxed lens size, DBL, BCD,
Side type/length, angle of side, HW
Lens type, form ,material,
Centration, dec, tints, coats, MSU,
Glazing instructions, vertex distance
Heights/ fitting cross positions
Final fit what you did
Advice on wear and care
Subsequent visits
Additional Info - justification

FQE Examination
Portfolio Case Records Additional information
Justification why is this the best option for this patient?
Calculations Effectivity, Magnification, differential prism.effect
Product Knowledge areas of vision, Rx ordered, measurements
required
How recommendation meets Px visual requirements
Addressing Occupational needs
Addressing hobbies
Patient condition (LV)and relevant visual acuities
Copy of referral (Anonymised)
List of procedures (CL removal)
Anything you want the examiner to know!!!! Within reason

FQE Examination
Portfolio Case Records

Paediatric Dispensing x 8
Powers +/-5 to +/-9.50D x 8
Powers over +/-9.50D x 4
Bifocals x 4
Trifocals and PPLs x 8
Occupational Dispensing x 4
Referral Involvement x 2
Low Vision x 1
Contact lens Removal x 1
Sports Eyewear x 2
Gross Anisometropia x 2
Prescribed prism x 2
Prescribed tints x 2
Personal Eye Protection x 2

FQE Examination
Portfolio Case Records
Referral Involvement
A registered Dispensing Optician has a duty to refer; this is to
gain experience in this process.
Alert practice staff to involve you in referrals of the external
eye or where symptoms presenting would indicate referral is
required
Ask if you can write the GOS18 (but not sign it)to get a feel
for information needed attach a copy to the case record with
patient details removed, include any follow-up

FQE Examination
Portfolio Case Records
Low Vision
Impairment of visual function that cannot be rectified by
spectacles, contact lenses or surgery.
Must include visions and visual acuities
Low Vision aid helps with visual disability. Complex
telescopic units, high power mags. Simple high add readers,
hand or stand mags.
Must be an actual dispense and not just advice
Additional help in the form of large print books, illumination
advice, non-optical devices such as liquid level indicators,
external support agencies such as RNIB.

FQE Examination
Portfolio Case Records
Contact lens Removal
Remove a contact lens under supervision or observe this
process by a contact lens practitioner.
Record the procedure in the case record under additional
information
This is not a contact lens teach

FQE Examination
Portfolio Case Records
Anisometropia
Prove an understanding of the subject
Discuss the condition
The optical solutions
What was best for this patient
Calculate the differential prism

FQE Examination
Case Records
On the Examination Day
Bring the Portfolio containing their 50 case records.
Two ABDO examiners check the case records for number, content and
legibility awarding up to 20 marks.
Section C3 will be a 20 minute viva covering 4 cases 20 marks each.
Failure to submit the portfolio means you will not be permitted to sit
any sections of the FQE
ABDO request students bring a complete copy which will be housed at
Aston to allow examiners to check for cases of plagiarism.
The portfolio will be returned to the candidate at the end of the
examination day.
The photocopy will be retained.

Practical Examinations
advice to candidates
Apply for practical examinations as early as possible, late
applications will not be accepted.
At the exam venue,

we will be there to welcome you,

look after you,
give you your timetable,
take you to each section.

Borderline cases are automatically reviewed on the day.

The FQE has 5 sections each carrying a 60% pass mark.

Section
Section
Section
Section
Section

A lenses and manual skills,

B dispensing,
C prescription analysis and case records,
D abnormal ocular conditions and
E communication skills

The examiners do want to pass you!

FQE Examination
Section A

1
A1
A2
A3

hours in total.
Spectacle Checking (15minutes)
Spectacle Duplication (15minutes)
Lens Identification and Refractive Index Calculation
(20 minutes)
A4 Manual Skills Task (25 minutes)

FQE Examination
Section A1 Spectacle Checking
Candidates are required to check spectacles glazed with bifocal
lenses against a written order
The candidate will be instructed to record and quantify up to a
maximum of 8 errors
Only the first 8 errors recorded will be marked

FQE Examination
Section A1 Spectacle Checking
The errors will fall into
the following categories:

Spherical power
Cylindrical power
Axis
Addition
Segment size and shape
Segment top position
Geometric inset and
segment drop
Any additional features
relating to the lenses
Frame details and
measurements
There will be no prescribed
prism in the spectacles

Final Qualifying Examination

Section A1
Spectacle Checking

Candidate number

Set Reference

Venue

Date

Please Note: Only the first eight errors recorded will be marked

Nature of Fault

Measurement of fault compared to order

Leave Blank

Total

Please leave blank

(For Examiner's use only)

Totals

Final total

A1

A2

A3

Examiners' signature

Association of British Dispensing Opticians

FQE Examination
Section A2 Spectacle Duplication
Candidates must record sufficient measurements for a pair of
spectacles glazed with progressive power lenses to be duplicated
The candidate will be expected to identify lens engravings from a
given list and mark up the lenses from a set of templates
Spectacles are manufactured with engravings as visible as
possible, a bright light source and magnifier will be provided to
assist the candidate

FQE Examination
Section A2 Spectacle Duplication
The following measurements will appear on the recording sheet
Identification of progressive power lens
Spherical power
Cylindrical power
Axis
Addition
The magnitude and direction of any prismatic element
Monocular centration distances
Fitting cross heights in relation to the HCL
Any additional features relating to the lenses
Frame details
Angle of side

Final Qualifying Examination

Section A2
Spectacle Duplication

Candidate number

Set Reference

Venue

Date

Leave blank

Lens Manufacturer

Lens design name

Sphere

Cylinder

Axis

Addition

Prism and base setting at prism reference point

Monocular Centration Distances

Vertical position of fitting point relative to HCL

Frame name

Frame colour

Eyesize and DBL

Angle of side

Total A2

Examiners' signature

Association of British Dispensing Opticians

FQE Examination
Section A3 Lens Description and Refractive Index
Calculation

Lens Description
Candidates must provide a written description of 3 lenses from a
choice of 6
Six features of each lens will be required one of which is the
correct material (glass or plastic will suffice)
Other features can include:

General type,
form,
horizontal and vertical lens size,
edge finish,
tints,
coatings,
any additional features

FQE Examination
Section A3 Lens Description and Refractive Index
Calculation

The lenses will be a negative power, spherical

uncut
Refractive Index Calculation
The candidate must recall the equation and show
workings

n=1+(0.523xFv)
(F1 +F2)

FQE Examination
Section A3 Refractive Index Marking Scheme

Instructions will encourage candidate to show all workings

Focimeter reading tolerance 0.25D
Lens measure reading tolerance 0.25D
Marks are awarded for quoting the equation or showing
workings from first principles
Refractive index tolerance 0.03 is the answer sensible?

Final Qualifying Examination

Section A3
Spectacle Lens Description and
Calculation of Refractive Index

Candidate number

Set Reference

Venue

Date

Lens Number

Lens Description

Leave Blank

Refractive Index - show workings

Leave Blank

n=

Total A3

Examiners' signature

Association of British Dispensing Opticians

FQE Examination
Section A4 Manual Skills Task

Candidates will be required to carry out TWO of the following tasks:

Spring in lenses and set up a frame

Shorten a metal side by cutting and re-bending
Remove a broken nylon cord, replace and re-fit lens
Increase the angle of let-back on a spectacle frame by filing
Replace faulty components on a compression plug rimless mount
Adjust a metal eye rim to accommodate high plus lenses or lenses made with a
high plus front curvature

FQE Examination
Section A4 Manual Skills Marking Scheme
The marking scheme is weighted as to whether the finished
task would be useable and acceptable to a patient
Marks deducted for tasks not complete, out of tolerance,
frame not set up, damage to lenses and frames and lenses
not cleaned

Final Qualifying Examination

Section A4
Manual Tasks

Candidate number

Venue

Date

Instructions for Task One

Leave Blank

Total

Instructions for Task Two

Leave Blank

Total

Total

Examiners' signature

Association of British Dispensing Opticians

FQE Examination
Section B Spectacle Dispensing
Single vision dispensing with regular bridge handmade frame
-25 minutes
Bifocal dispensing to a frame with a fixed pad bridge
-25 minutes
Progressive power lens dispensing to a frame with pads on arms
-25 minutes

Candidates will see a different examiner for each of their dispensings.

Patients are provided along with a written prescription including lifestyle factors
such as occupation, hobbies, concerns.
All frames and measuring devices will be provided

Special Optical appliances

- 15minutes

Three appliances must be identified, one of which will be an LVA and this will be
discussed in more depth

FQE examination
Section B4 Optical Appliances marking scheme
3 appliances in total
2 appliances will have
marks allocated for a
correct identification and
marks for optical
principles and features
The third appliance will
be an LVA and will have
marks allocated for the
following information:

Identification
Optical system
Possible conditions
Benefits to user
Working distance
Impact of condition
Lighting
Sourcing appliance
Training patient to use an
LVA

FQE Examination
Section B Spectacle Dispensing

FQE Examination
Section C Prescription Analysis and Case Records
There will be 3 viva examinations, each with a different
examiner
2x 30 minute vivas with ABDO prescription books,
1x 20min viva based on prescriptions from your Portfolio.
There will be at least 4 versions of each prescription book
The portfolio will have marks allocated initially for case
record content
Each section will marked out of 100 and an aggregate of the
three vivas recorded for this section

FQE Examination
Section C Prescription Analysis
The three vivas will cover the following topics:
History and Symptoms
Errors, transposition and determining addition powers
Ophthalmic lens materials
Effectivity
Centration
Best form
Tints and coats
Legal and ethical matters
Jump and no jump
Progressive power lens design

FQE Examination
Section C Prescription Analysis

Paediatric (including pre-school) dispensing

Complex prescriptions
Occupational dispensing
Sports eyewear dispensing
Gross anisometropia
Prescribed prisms
Personal eye protection
Low Vision
Discussion on lens types suitable for the prescription
Fitting and adjustment details
Advice and/or instructions given to patient

FQE Examination
Section C Prescription Analysis advice to
candidates
Be professional in your appearance and behaviour
Make body language as positive as you can it will help you
Listen to the examiners question carefully, ask to re-phrase
if you do not understand
Talking gets marks
It is acceptable to say that you do not know the answer
Give clear answers that answer the question fully
Do not go off on a tangent or just give the examiner all your
knowledge in the hope something is correct
Never ask the examiner to indicate your result

FQE Examination
Section D Abnormal Ocular Conditions
Candidates will experience 2 conditions each with two separate
examiners in the form of photographs, schematic drawings and
verbal descriptions
The candidate will be expected

to identify and discuss the condition,

what advice to give to the patient
the referral procedure

Candidates will be expected to recall the information required on a

G0S18, in the event that there are none available

FQE Examination
Section E Communication
Candidates will watch a short DVD of a given patient
scenario with each of the examiners in Sections D/E
The scenarios are filmed in practice using common everyday
scenarios where patients may be angry, concerned,
confused etc
The candidate may request the scenario is played again and
the examiner will then have a discussion with the candidate
The marking for each scenario will consist of a tick-box
scheme to ensure the candidate has recognised the key
issues of how to manage this patient, and to remove any
elements of subjectivity

FQE Examination
Final Advice
It is a professional examination where you will encounter patients,
dress in an appropriate manner, do not chew gum and ensure mobile
phones are switched off.
Speak clearly and offer full answers but do not have a scatter-gun
approach.
It is acceptable to say that you do not know the answer.
If you have a problem, alert the examiner immediately.
If this is not resolved, speak to the supervising examiner or a
member of ABDO staff on the day of the examination.
Borderline cases are reviewed on the day
Approximately 6 weeks for checking, awarding and result generation.
Remember that the examiners want you to pass.

Examination and Registration

Director of Professional Examinations

Alicia Thompson athompson@abdo.org.uk
Tel 07515 427429
Assistant Director of Professional Examinations
Miranda Richardson mrichardson@abdo.org.uk
Tel 07875 591667
Registration Assistant
Emma Hastings ehastings@abdo.org.uk
Tel 01227 732921

Thank you for listening........

Any questions?