1|Page
NBEO PART 1 EXAM ACTUAL EXAM 2026 | ALL
QUESTIONS AND CORRECT ANSWERS | VERIFIED
ANSWERS | BRAND NEW VERSION!
A 32-year old female is seen at your office complaining of a recent
onset of blurred vision, only at a distance. A thorough case history
reveals that she recently began taking a new medication which you
correctly assume has induced myopia. Which of the following
medications is MOST likely to be the culprit? - ANSWERS--
Isotretinoin, birth control pills, and diuretics, among many other
drugs, can cause myopia in some patients. Myopia mostly likely
results from corneal swelling, which steepens the curvature of the
cornea. Drugs that cause swelling of the lens, accommodative spasm,
or edema of the ciliary body will also result in myopia. A reduction in
the dose of the medication or cessation of the offending drug will
usually result in reversal of nearsightedness. Fish oil, Tylenol, and
Tums have not been shown to have a correlation with transient
myopia development.
An increased rate of molecular movement down its respective
concentration gradient via help from carrier proteins refers to which
type of transportation? - ANSWERS--Facilitated diffusion is described
as the net movement of molecules down its concentration gradient
whose rate of diffusion is increased via the use of carrier proteins.
Passive diffusion refers to the movement of molecules through a
plasma membrane from an area of high concentration to an area of
low concentration without the use of carrier molecules. Active
transport implies the movement of material against its respective
concentration gradient. This type of transport requires energy and
enlists the use of specific carrier proteins. Lastly, group translocation
,2|Page
is defined as the chemical modification of a molecule while it is being
transported into a cell; for example, sugars are often phosphorylated
during transportation.
A 24-year old female patient presents at your office complaining of
side effects that began when she started using Patanol to treat her
ocular allergies. She reports complete compliance with her eye drop
administration. Which of the following symptoms is MOST likely
associated with olopatadine (Patanol) use? - ANSWERS--Topical
antihistamines and mast cell stabilizers such as Patanol (olopatadine)
are commonly prescribed to relieve the symptoms associated with
ocular allergies. They are a very effective class of medication due to
their dual action mechanisms. Topical antihistamines that possess
this dual action are olopatadine (Patanol), ketotifen fumarate
(Zaditor), azelastine (Optivar), and epinastine (Elestat). The
aforementioned drops serve to alleviate itching and redness by
blocking H1 receptors as well as inhibiting mast cell and basophil
degranulation. Side effects of topical antihistamine/mast cell
stabilizers include stinging upon instillation, headaches, and adverse
taste (don't forget to inform your patients about punctual
occlusion!). Tachycardia, depression, gastrointestinal discomfort, and
visual hallucinations have not been reported with Patanol use.
A 63-year old female is seen at your office with a chief concern of
blurry vision in the morning that takes about an hour to resolve
before she can see clearly again. Biomicroscopy reveals endothelial
guttata. You correctly diagnose her with moderate Fuch's dystrophy.
Which ophthalmic drop would be of MOST benefit to her? -
ANSWERS--Sodium chloride is a topical hyperosmotic agent used to
relieve stromal edema caused by endothelial decompensation.
Topical steroids work well to decrease swelling caused by
,3|Page
inflammation. In the above case, the corneal edema is not mitigated
by an inflammatory response. Tobramycin and Vigamox would be of
no benefit since there is no active infection, and prescribing either of
these would only lead to corneal toxicity or increased pathogen
resistance over time.
A deficiency of which vitamin leads to prolonged dark adaptation? -
ANSWERS--A deficiency of vitamin A causes prolonged dark
adaptation. Vitamin A is classified as a retinoid, and its active form is
retinol. Retinol is necessary for the formation of rhodopsin, a
pigment used by rods. Rods are most active in situations with dim
illumination. Less rhodopsin results in fewer rods being able to
respond in low levels of light, causing prolonged dark adaption.
+1.50-1.50 x 090 is required to neutralize a reflex in retinoscopy with
a working distance of 50 cm. What is the resulting NET retinoscopy
finding? - ANSWERS--A working distance of 50 cm creates a divergent
wave of 2.00 D that is neutralized by retinoscopy in addition to the
patient's refractive error. Therefore, + 2.00 D must be subtracted
from the spherical portion of the findings. To determine how much
to subtract from the gross findings, one must first calculate the
reciprocal of the working distance in meters. In our case, 1/0.5 = 2.
Therefore +1.50 (the spherical gross findings) -2 = -0.50-1.50 x 090.
Remember NET is the final result, this is found after the working
distance has been accounted for by subtracting the working distance
from the spherical portion of the findings.
A ray of light traveling in water (n=1.33) strikes a flat, transparent
surface (n= 1.59) at an angle of 32 degrees from the normal. What is
the angle of refraction? - ANSWERS--Snell's law of refraction states
, 4|Page
that when light travels through a material that possesses an index of
refraction greater than 1.0, the light rays change direction and
become bent (or refracted). Snell's law is depicted as the following: n
sin i= n' sin i' where n= the index of refraction of the first medium, i=
the angle of incidence, n'= the index of the second medium, and i' =
the angle of the refracted ray. All angles are measured with respect
to the normal, which lies perpendicular to the interface between the
different media. For the above example, 1.33(sin 32)=1.59 sin i',
solving for i'= 26.31 degrees. It is important to commit the index of
refraction of water to memory; it is 1.33.
A central retinal artery occlusion (CRAO) causes tremendous damage
to the retina. How will the electroretinogram (ERG) of a person who
has suffered a CRAO be affected? - ANSWERS--A central retinal
artery occlusion will cause a loss of the b-wave which is formed by
responses from the bipolar and Muller cells, both of which are
nourished by the central retinal artery. The a-wave results from
excitation of the photoreceptors. The a-wave will not be lost in the
event of a CRAO due to the fact that photoreceptors receive their
oxygen supply via the choroid.
Free radicals can cause severe damage to tissue. Which of the
following electrolytes can function as an antioxidant in the aqueous?
- ANSWERS--The aqueous humor contains many electrolytes
including Na+, K+ , Cl-, HCO3-, glucose, lactate, amino acids, and
ascorbate. Ascorbate is found in high concentrations in the aqueous
(20x greater when compared to the concentration found in plasma).
Ascorbate can serve as an antioxidant to eradicate free radicals
reducing potential damage from ultraviolet light. Interesting note:
the aqueous humor and tears of uncontrolled diabetics display
higher levels of glucose than those of non-diabetics.
NBEO PART 1 EXAM ACTUAL EXAM 2026 | ALL
QUESTIONS AND CORRECT ANSWERS | VERIFIED
ANSWERS | BRAND NEW VERSION!
A 32-year old female is seen at your office complaining of a recent
onset of blurred vision, only at a distance. A thorough case history
reveals that she recently began taking a new medication which you
correctly assume has induced myopia. Which of the following
medications is MOST likely to be the culprit? - ANSWERS--
Isotretinoin, birth control pills, and diuretics, among many other
drugs, can cause myopia in some patients. Myopia mostly likely
results from corneal swelling, which steepens the curvature of the
cornea. Drugs that cause swelling of the lens, accommodative spasm,
or edema of the ciliary body will also result in myopia. A reduction in
the dose of the medication or cessation of the offending drug will
usually result in reversal of nearsightedness. Fish oil, Tylenol, and
Tums have not been shown to have a correlation with transient
myopia development.
An increased rate of molecular movement down its respective
concentration gradient via help from carrier proteins refers to which
type of transportation? - ANSWERS--Facilitated diffusion is described
as the net movement of molecules down its concentration gradient
whose rate of diffusion is increased via the use of carrier proteins.
Passive diffusion refers to the movement of molecules through a
plasma membrane from an area of high concentration to an area of
low concentration without the use of carrier molecules. Active
transport implies the movement of material against its respective
concentration gradient. This type of transport requires energy and
enlists the use of specific carrier proteins. Lastly, group translocation
,2|Page
is defined as the chemical modification of a molecule while it is being
transported into a cell; for example, sugars are often phosphorylated
during transportation.
A 24-year old female patient presents at your office complaining of
side effects that began when she started using Patanol to treat her
ocular allergies. She reports complete compliance with her eye drop
administration. Which of the following symptoms is MOST likely
associated with olopatadine (Patanol) use? - ANSWERS--Topical
antihistamines and mast cell stabilizers such as Patanol (olopatadine)
are commonly prescribed to relieve the symptoms associated with
ocular allergies. They are a very effective class of medication due to
their dual action mechanisms. Topical antihistamines that possess
this dual action are olopatadine (Patanol), ketotifen fumarate
(Zaditor), azelastine (Optivar), and epinastine (Elestat). The
aforementioned drops serve to alleviate itching and redness by
blocking H1 receptors as well as inhibiting mast cell and basophil
degranulation. Side effects of topical antihistamine/mast cell
stabilizers include stinging upon instillation, headaches, and adverse
taste (don't forget to inform your patients about punctual
occlusion!). Tachycardia, depression, gastrointestinal discomfort, and
visual hallucinations have not been reported with Patanol use.
A 63-year old female is seen at your office with a chief concern of
blurry vision in the morning that takes about an hour to resolve
before she can see clearly again. Biomicroscopy reveals endothelial
guttata. You correctly diagnose her with moderate Fuch's dystrophy.
Which ophthalmic drop would be of MOST benefit to her? -
ANSWERS--Sodium chloride is a topical hyperosmotic agent used to
relieve stromal edema caused by endothelial decompensation.
Topical steroids work well to decrease swelling caused by
,3|Page
inflammation. In the above case, the corneal edema is not mitigated
by an inflammatory response. Tobramycin and Vigamox would be of
no benefit since there is no active infection, and prescribing either of
these would only lead to corneal toxicity or increased pathogen
resistance over time.
A deficiency of which vitamin leads to prolonged dark adaptation? -
ANSWERS--A deficiency of vitamin A causes prolonged dark
adaptation. Vitamin A is classified as a retinoid, and its active form is
retinol. Retinol is necessary for the formation of rhodopsin, a
pigment used by rods. Rods are most active in situations with dim
illumination. Less rhodopsin results in fewer rods being able to
respond in low levels of light, causing prolonged dark adaption.
+1.50-1.50 x 090 is required to neutralize a reflex in retinoscopy with
a working distance of 50 cm. What is the resulting NET retinoscopy
finding? - ANSWERS--A working distance of 50 cm creates a divergent
wave of 2.00 D that is neutralized by retinoscopy in addition to the
patient's refractive error. Therefore, + 2.00 D must be subtracted
from the spherical portion of the findings. To determine how much
to subtract from the gross findings, one must first calculate the
reciprocal of the working distance in meters. In our case, 1/0.5 = 2.
Therefore +1.50 (the spherical gross findings) -2 = -0.50-1.50 x 090.
Remember NET is the final result, this is found after the working
distance has been accounted for by subtracting the working distance
from the spherical portion of the findings.
A ray of light traveling in water (n=1.33) strikes a flat, transparent
surface (n= 1.59) at an angle of 32 degrees from the normal. What is
the angle of refraction? - ANSWERS--Snell's law of refraction states
, 4|Page
that when light travels through a material that possesses an index of
refraction greater than 1.0, the light rays change direction and
become bent (or refracted). Snell's law is depicted as the following: n
sin i= n' sin i' where n= the index of refraction of the first medium, i=
the angle of incidence, n'= the index of the second medium, and i' =
the angle of the refracted ray. All angles are measured with respect
to the normal, which lies perpendicular to the interface between the
different media. For the above example, 1.33(sin 32)=1.59 sin i',
solving for i'= 26.31 degrees. It is important to commit the index of
refraction of water to memory; it is 1.33.
A central retinal artery occlusion (CRAO) causes tremendous damage
to the retina. How will the electroretinogram (ERG) of a person who
has suffered a CRAO be affected? - ANSWERS--A central retinal
artery occlusion will cause a loss of the b-wave which is formed by
responses from the bipolar and Muller cells, both of which are
nourished by the central retinal artery. The a-wave results from
excitation of the photoreceptors. The a-wave will not be lost in the
event of a CRAO due to the fact that photoreceptors receive their
oxygen supply via the choroid.
Free radicals can cause severe damage to tissue. Which of the
following electrolytes can function as an antioxidant in the aqueous?
- ANSWERS--The aqueous humor contains many electrolytes
including Na+, K+ , Cl-, HCO3-, glucose, lactate, amino acids, and
ascorbate. Ascorbate is found in high concentrations in the aqueous
(20x greater when compared to the concentration found in plasma).
Ascorbate can serve as an antioxidant to eradicate free radicals
reducing potential damage from ultraviolet light. Interesting note:
the aqueous humor and tears of uncontrolled diabetics display
higher levels of glucose than those of non-diabetics.
