NOCE Cheat Sheet 2026

The 30 highest-yield NOCE facts, distilled from real exam questions. Print it, save it as a PDF, or study it here — free, no sign-up.

1. Which contact lens wearing schedule requires the most stringent patient education regarding infection risk? → Extended wear (overnight)
2. Which combination of lens materials inherently blocks UV radiation up to 400nm without requiring an additional UV coating or treatment? → Polycarbonate and Trivex
3. What does lag (or lens lag) describe in contact lens fitting assessment? → The movement of the lens in the opposite direction after an eye movement
4. What is the resulting prescription when +1.75 -2.50 x 085 is transposed? → -0.75 +2.50 x 175
5. According to the ANSI Z80.1-2020 tolerance standards, what is the allowable tolerance for sphere power for a prescription of -4.75 D? → ±0.13 D
6. In contact lens prescribing, what is the recommended approach when there is a significant amount of residual astigmatism with a spherical soft lens? → Prescribe a toric soft contact lens to correct the residual cylinder
7. A reverse slab-off is used to compensate for vertical imbalance in a patient with anisometropia. On which lens is a reverse slab-off applied? → The lens with the most plus or least minus power in the vertical meridian.
8. Which layer of the cornea is responsible for pumping excess fluid out of the stroma to maintain its clarity? → Endothelium
9. A patient is diagnosed with myopia. This refractive error is primarily caused by which anatomical variation? → The eyeball being too long, causing light to focus in front of the retina.
10. Compared to a standard single-layer AR coating, a premium multi-layer AR coating typically reduces surface reflection to approximately what level? → Less than 0.5% total reflection, compared to 2–4% for standard AR
11. What name is given to the propensity of the eye to turn from its natural position? → Phoria
12. What is the primary purpose of the lens edge lift in an RGP contact lens fit? → To allow tear exchange and lens movement
13. What always happens to light beams that pass through a "plus" lens? → Converge
14. Photochromic lenses typically activate in response to which type of radiation? → Ultraviolet (UV) radiation
15. What is the term for the distance between the inside surface of a corrective lens and the surface of the eye? → Vertex distance
16. Which of the following photoreceptor cells are most concentrated in the fovea and are responsible for sharp, detailed color vision in bright light? → Cones
17. What is the primary purpose of an anti-reflective (AR) coating applied to ophthalmic lenses? → To reduce glare and surface reflections, improving visual clarity and cosmetic appearance
18. Visual information from the nasal (medial) half of the right retina is transmitted along the visual pathway to which area of the brain? → The left primary visual cortex
19. When assessing the fit of a soft contact lens using a slit lamp, a well-fitting lens should demonstrate how much movement on a blink? → 0.25–0.50 mm
20. What does the base curve (BC) of a contact lens refer to? → The radius of curvature of the back surface of the lens
21. A lab order requires compounding 3.0 Δ Base In and 2.0 Δ Base Up for the right eye. What is the approximate resultant prism and axis? → 3.60 Δ @ 034°
22. What is the primary process by which light moves from one medium into another with a different density known as? → Refraction
23. What does the Dk value of a contact lens material represent? → Oxygen permeability of the lens material
24. A keratoconus patient is best managed with which type of contact lens to achieve optimal visual acuity? → Rigid gas permeable (RGP) lens
25. Which of the following tasks typically falls outside the legal scope of practice for a dispensing optician in the majority of US states? → Performing a refraction to determine a new prescription.
26. In a standard multi-coating stack applied to an ophthalmic lens, which coating is typically applied as the outermost (final) layer? → Hydrophobic/oleophobic top coat
27. What component of a prescription for glasses serves as a gauge for the patient's myopia or hyperopia? → Sphere
28. What word best describes the direction change of light as it moves from one medium to another? → Refraction
29. A patient reports their daily wear soft contact lenses feel dry and uncomfortable by midday. Which product is most appropriate to recommend for in-eye use? → Rewetting drops formulated for contact lenses
30. Which of the following attributes of a titanium frame is a benefit? → Corrosion resistant