Dispensing optician

You'll need to complete a course approved by the General Optical Council, and pass the Professional Qualifying Examinations from the Association of British Dispensing Opticians (ABDO).

You can qualify by taking:

• a two-year, full-time diploma course, followed by one year working under supervision
• a three-year, day release course if you're in suitable employment
• a three-year distance learning course, including a four-week residential block, offered by the ABDO - you'll need to be in suitable employment

Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

• 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English, maths and science
• 1 or 2 A levels, or equivalent, including a science

More Information

• equivalent entry requirements
• student finance for fees and living costs
• university courses and entry requirements

Registration

• you'll need to be registered with the General Optical Council

Professional and industry bodies

You could join the Association of British Dispensing Opticians, for professional development and training opportunities.

Further information

You can find out more about working as a dispensing optician from the Association of British Dispensing Opticians and the General Optical Council.

You'll need:

• customer service skills
• excellent verbal communication skills
• the ability to work well with your hands
• to be thorough and pay attention to detail
• maths knowledge
• the ability to work well with others
• the ability to sell products and services
• patience and the ability to remain calm in stressful situations
• to be able to carry out basic tasks on a computer or hand-held device

You'll need to:

• pass enhanced background checks

As a student you must join the student register of the General Optical Council before you carry out any clinical work.

If you qualified in another area of the EU or EEA and want to work in the UK, you need to check with the General Optical Council that your qualifications meet UK requirements. If your qualifications are accepted, you would then need to contact the Association of British Dispensing Opticians for details of their Professional Qualifying Examination.

You'll work with clients who have a prescription to correct their vision from an optometrist or ophthalmologist.

As a dispensing optician, you could:

• calculate vision distances and angles
• provide advice and information on a customer's options for lenses
• measure for spectacles or contact lenses
• use your sales and communications skills to help people choose the right types of spectacle frames
• fit, adjust and repair frames
• give advice on how to care for and get the best out of eye equipment
• refer clients back to an optometrist for further vision tests when required

You could work at a store.