The Skill Evaluation

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COT Study Guide

After you pass the technician level written exam, you will be required to pass a technician level skill evaluation.  The key to being able to pass the skill evaluation is to actually be skilled at the tasks given.  This means having experience performing the skills on actual patients.  If you don't have experience, you will probably have trouble with this testing, because no study guide will prepare you for every possible scenario that may appear on a test. 

On the flip side, just because you have experience, don't think that you can skip the study guide.  Having experience doesn't necessarily mean that you are performing  all steps of the skill correctly.

The text in blue below is quoted directly from the Joint Commission website.  I have inserted comments in red.

"The Joint Commission has developed a computer-based simulation for the COT Skill Evaluation conducted at over 250 test center locations throughout the U.S. and Canada. This computer simulation has replaced the hands-on Skill Evaluation and will assess the candidate's performance in the following seven skill areas:

1. Clinical Optics/Lensometry (Demonstrate the ability to perform non-automated lensometry to determine the strength of the distance correction and the bifocal or trifocal add.)  Instruction for performing lensometry is available in the Ophthalmic Medical Assisting book.

2. Visual Fields (Demonstrate the ability to perform an automated visual field on specified automated visual field test.)  Read Module 12, Module 13, and Module 14.

3. Ocular Motility (Demonstrate the ability to detect a phoria or tropia, and identify the direction of the deviation using appropriate cover tests.)  Read Module 5.

4. Contact Lens (Demonstrate the ability to perform keratometry.) Read this article.

5. Clinical Optics/Retinoscopy (Demonstrate the ability to perform retinoscopy.)  Read Module 6 (minus cyl.), or Module 7 (plus cyl.), depending upon your orientation.

6. Clinical Optics/Refinement (Demonstrate the ability to perform refinement.)

Read Module 46 and Module 47

7. Tonometry (Demonstrate the ability to perform applanation tonometry.)  Read the chapter on tonometry in  Ophthalmic Medical Assisting (Comprehensive Medical Eye Exam), and read the section on tonometry in Module 41.