ABDO’s Exams and Registration Department and the General Optical Council (GOC) have agreed temporary amendments to supervision arrangements, due to the current situation with Covid-19.
The following measures have been agreed to assist students and supervisors regarding supervision due to extended periods of training, and potential overlap with new trainees requiring supervision.
The following is a temporary update to the supervisor/student ratios:
• For the period of September 2020 to July 2021 only, pre-approved supervisors may oversee the training of a maximum of three GOC- registered students
• Supervisors will be required to notify the Examinations and Registration Department by email to ehastings@abdo.org.uk for the appropriate declaration
• A pre-agreed extension will only be permitted where candidates were already registered to sit their assessments in April 2020 or summer 2020
• One of the three supervised candidates must have completed 80 per cent of their PQP and ready to sit their final assessments as soon as is safe to do so
• If the final year candidate subsequently is unsuccessful in their assessments, the supervision extension will continue to the end of August 2021 to allow the full number of permitted re-sit attempts in that time
• If the final year student qualifies earlier than August 2021, the usual supervision rules of a maximum of two GOC-registered trainees will be re-instated
• Supervisors must maintain the GOC supervision policy for all candidates that they have registered to supervise
This applies only to final year students registered for the April 2020 or summer 2020 ABDO assessments.
Anyone with any questions on the above points is asked to contact Mark Chandler, ABDO head of Exams and Registration, on 01227 732920 or at mchandler@abdo.org.uk