To be eligible to take the optometry examination, a person must be a graduate of an accredited school or college of optometry approved by the Washington state board of optometry. The board of optometry adopts the most current standards of the Council on Optometric Education, or its successor organization, of the American Optometric Association. Optometric schools and colleges which apply for board approval must meet current Council on Optometric Education standards. It is the responsibility of a school to apply for approval and of a student to ascertain whether or not a school has been approved by the board.

The board reserves the right to withdraw approval of a school which ceases to meet the board's standards after notifying the school in writing and granting it an opportunity to contest the board's proposed withdrawal.