Establishment of the complete text of 17 articles, promulgated on October 14, 2016 as per Examination Yuan Kao-Tai-Zu-(1)-Yi-Zi Order No 10500047981.

Deletions of Articles 15 and 16 and replacement of Article 15 with Article 17, promulgated on March 24, 2017 as per Examination Yuan Kao-Tai-Zu-(1)-Yi-Zi Order No 10600015091.

The text of these Regulations is as follows:

Article 1

These Regulations are established as per Article 11, Paragraph 1 of the Professional and Technical Personnel Examinations Act.

Article 2

Junior and Senior Professional and Technical Examination for Optometric Personnel (hereinafter “the Examination”) is divided into the following levels and categories:

1.Senior examination for opticians.

2.Junior examination for optometric technicians.

Article 3

The Examination should be held either annually or biennially. However, the junior examination for optometric technicians may not be held due to actual situations.

Article 4

The Examination is administered in written format.

Article 5

Candidates who meet conditions referred to in Article 22, Paragraph 2 of the Civil Service Examinations Act, Article 19, Paragraph 2 of the Professional and Technical Personnel Examinations Act, or Article 6 of the Optometric Personnel Act shall not take the Examination.

Article 6

R.O.C. citizens who have graduated from the optometry department at a public or registered private junior college or above, or an overseas junior college recognized by the R.O.C. Ministry of Education, and have completed an internship with satisfactory results may take the optician examination.

The criteria for internship are prescribed separately by the Ministry of Examination (MOEX).

Article 7

R.O.C. citizens who have graduated from the medical optic technique or optometry department at a public or registered private medical vocational school, or an overseas medical vocational school recognized by the R.O.C. Ministry of Education, and have completed an internship with satisfactory results may take the optometric technician examination.

The criteria for internship are prescribed separately by the MOEX.

Article 8

Exam subjects for the optician exam include:

1.Eye anatomy and code of ethics.

2.Visual optics.

3.Optometry.

4.Contact lens studies and ophthalmic dispensing.

5.Low vision studies.

All subjects consist of multiple-choice questions. The duration for each subject is 60 minutes.

Article 9

Exam subjects for the optometric technician exam include:

1.Structure of the eye and introduction to code of ethics.

2.Introduction to optometry.

3.Introduction to contact lens studies.

4.Introductions to optical studies.

All subjects consist of multiple-choice questions. The duration for each subject is 60 minutes.

Article 10

When registering, candidates should submit the following documents and fees by mail:

1.Registration form.

2.Proof of exam eligibility.

3.Copy of citizen identification card. Overseas Chinese should submit their Overseas Chinese Identity Certificate issued by the Overseas Community Affairs Council, or submit their valid R.O.C. passport with approval from an overseas embassy or consulate, representative office, economic and cultural office, or other agency authorized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (hereinafter “Overseas Missions”) proving them to be R.O.C. nationals residing in a foreign country.

4.A 2.5-cm by 3.5-cm close-up photograph showing the head and top of the shoulders. Head coverings should not be worn and the photo should be taken within one year.

5.Registration fee.

6.Other relevant documents.

Documents and fees for online registrations should be submitted in accordance with guidelines found in the Examination Information Pack and on the MOEX’s registration website.

Article 11

For submissions of overseas documents including diplomas, certificates of degree, academic transcripts, credit verifications, a copy of regulations, or other relevant verification documents, originals must be provided together with Chinese translations and copies of verification from overseas missions or from a domestic public notary.

Original copies of the abovementioned documents may be replaced with copies that have been verified to be identical to the original by both a local public notary and an overseas mission.

Article 12

The passing score for the Examination is 60 across all exam subjects.

The passing score in the preceding paragraph is defined as the average score across all exam subjects.

Exam takers who receive a grade of zero on any one of the exam subjects will not pass. Absence from an exam session will result in a grade of zero for that exam.

Article 13

Foreign candidates who meet the eligibility requirement set out in Articles 6 or 7 and who do not meet conditions set out in Article 5 may take the Examination.

Article 14

The list of candidates passing the Examination will be submitted by the MOEX to the Examination Yuan for the issuance of qualification certificates and to the Ministry of Health and Welfare for reference.

Article 15

These Regulations shall come into effect upon promulgation.

 In case of any discrepancy between the English version and the Chinese version, the latter shall prevail.