Applies to:
Candidates registered for an administration of the CACO who withdraw their registration or are absent from an administration of the exam.

Principle(s):
Canadian Examiners in Optometry (CEO) – Examinateurs Canadiens en Optométrie (CEO-ECO) is committed to administering the CACO, the national entry-to-practice examination for optometry in Canada, in a manner that is fair and equitable to all exam candidates.

Policy:

1. Candidates who withdraw from the exam within 14 days after the application deadline will be provided a full refund, minus the administrative fee.
2. Candidates who withdraw from the exam 15 calendar days or more after the application deadline OR are absent on the day of the examination will normally receive no refund for any reason, except an exceptional circumstance in which case the candidate may apply to CEO-ECO for a refund of up to 50% of the exam fee.

Exceptional circumstances: may be defined as circumstances beyond the control of the candidate such as illness, an accident, emergency, bereavement, which require documentation satisfactory to the Chief Executive Officer of CEO-ECO.

Procedure:

1. Candidates may withdraw their registration for the examination by contacting the CACO Coordinator and making a request in writing using the CACO Withdrawal Form as per the deadlines indicated in this policy. CACO Withdrawal Form
2. Requests for refunds must be submitted in writing up to 30 calendar days after the Withdrawal Form was submitted to CEO-ECO, with supporting documentation (e.g. proof of illness, death certificate, accident report etc.). Such submissions and documentation must identify the limits that the circumstance places on the candidate’s performance ability on the CACO.
3. Refunds will be considered by the Chief Executive Officer on a case-by-case basis. Decisions regarding refunds are final.
4. CEO-ECO will provide a response to requests for a refund due to exceptional circumstances within 30 calendar days of having received the written request including all necessary supporting documentation. Requests for refunds will not be considered without supporting documentation.
5. If the withdrawal is approved due to an exceptional circumstance, it will not be counted as an attempt.
6. Candidates who attempt the exam and withdraw at any time for any reason will have the attempt counted as an attempt.

If a candidate withdraws his or her exam registration, the cancelled registration and fee cannot be held, deferred or transferred to a future administration. The candidate must re-apply to register for a future CACO administration.

Please note:
if a candidate withdraws his or her exam registration due to immigration issues or the need to obtain a travel visa this will not be considered an exceptional circumstance.
if a candidate is no longer eligible to attempt the exam, for example due to failure to graduate with an OD degree, this will not be considered an exceptional circumstance.