The ACVREP CVRT handbook lists 150 multiple-choice and multiple-select questions, with a standard 3.5-hour limit. Preparation should cover all 17 test domains as well as applying knowledge to the information supplied in a question. Check the current Category 1 eligibility route and complete the supervised-practice and certification requirements separately from passing the exam.
Check your eligibility route
ACVREP’s current eligibility page marks Category 2 as temporarily suspended. Use the Category 1 requirements applicable to your education and country.
For US candidates, Category 1 requires at least a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution with an emphasis in Vision Rehabilitation Therapy. The page gives separate degree-equivalence or post-secondary diploma provisions for non-US candidates.
The University Students Program allows eligible students to apply within six months before anticipated graduation, before completing the internship or graduating. That early eligibility does not award certification; the required transcript and competency documentation must still be accepted.
Official sources: Certified Vision Rehabilitation Therapist (CVRT) - ACVREP — Steps to CVRT Certification, scheduling, accommodations, retake, certification application; Certified Vision Rehabilitation Therapist (CVRT) Handbook - Criteria for Eligibility - ACVREP — Category 1, University Students Program, Category 2 suspension, supervised practice
Check both supervised-practice hour requirements
The requirement is at least 350 hours of discipline-specific supervised practice, including at least 260 hours of direct service with consumers or family members.
A current CVRT must supervise the practice and evaluate performance. Submit the required Clinical Competency Evaluation forms. An off-site arrangement also needs the signed Off-Site Supervisor Contract approved before practice begins.
Hours are only part of the requirement. The prescribed practice, competencies, supervision and documentation conditions must also be satisfied.
Practice exercise
In this original requirements-checking exercise, assume a candidate has 360 total supervised-practice hours, including 250 direct-service hours. Are both numerical minimums met? Assume all other supervision and documentation conditions are outside the scope of this question.
Show worked answer
No. The total exceeds 350, but direct service is 10 hours below the 260-hour minimum.
Check the conditions separately: 360 ≥ 350, while 250 < 260. Extra hours in the overall total do not replace the required direct-service hours. This arithmetic check alone does not establish eligibility or clinical competence.
What does the examination look like?
Section 10 of the CVRT handbook specifies 150 questions using multiple-choice and multiple-select formats. It lists a 3.5-hour non-accommodated limit and a five-hour limit with accommodations.
Follow the arrangements approved for your own examination. ACVREP asks for a supporting document from a physician or school counselor and reviews each request before scheduling, so the five-hour limit applies to approved accommodations rather than being automatic.
The handbook carries a last-updated marker of February 19, 2025. Read it alongside ACVREP's current eligibility, scheduling and fees pages, which the organization maintains separately on its website.
Official sources: ACVREP CVRT Certification Handbook — https://www.acvrep.org/resource/docs/CVRT-Certification-Handbook.docx; Certified Vision Rehabilitation Therapist (CVRT) - ACVREP — Steps to CVRT Certification, scheduling, accommodations, retake, certification application
Review all 17 test domains
The handbook publishes the following domain allocation, totalling 150 questions. Use its detailed objectives and the Body of Knowledge to identify the knowledge and application tasks within each area.
| Test domain | Questions |
|---|---|
| Knowledge of the Blindness System | 7 |
| Medical Aspects of Blindness and Low Vision | 17 |
| Professionalism and Practice Methods | 9 |
| Personal Management | 11 |
| Home Management | 11 |
| Communication Systems | 11 |
| Braille and Other Tactual Systems | 9 |
| Access/Assistive Technology | 10 |
| Recreation and Leisure | 6 |
| Aging and Vision Loss | 10 |
| Deaf-blindness and Hearing Impaired-blindness | 6 |
| Teaching and Learning Strategies | 10 |
| Psychosocial Aspects of Blindness and Vision Loss | 6 |
| Additional Disabilities | 9 |
| Research | 4 |
| Orientation and Mobility | 7 |
| Employment-Related Skills | 7 |
Official sources: ACVREP CVRT Certification Handbook — https://www.acvrep.org/resource/docs/CVRT-Certification-Handbook.docx; Certified Vision Rehabilitation Therapist (CVRT) Handbook - Body of Knowledge - ACVREP — Section 3, Vision Rehabilitation Therapy Core Domain Body of Knowledge Areas
Prepare beyond your day-to-day caseload
The handbook explains that the examination covers the full scope and Body of Knowledge, including areas that may not feature in your current work.
Review the test objectives alongside the related coursework and references. For a topic you know well in practice, check whether you can explain the underlying principle; for an unfamiliar area, identify the learning material or supervised training needed.
For scenario questions, use only the information provided. The handbook explicitly distinguishes an examination scenario from the fuller information you would gather about a real client.
Use the official sample questions and references to practise that reasoning. Topic headings establish what to study; they do not supply a medication routine, rehabilitation prescription or device-selection rule for an individual client.
Official sources: ACVREP CVRT Certification Handbook — https://www.acvrep.org/resource/docs/CVRT-Certification-Handbook.docx; Certified Vision Rehabilitation Therapist (CVRT) Handbook - Body of Knowledge - ACVREP — Section 3, Vision Rehabilitation Therapy Core Domain Body of Knowledge Areas
Track the application stages and deadlines
Apply for eligibility, register and take the examination, then complete the certification application after passing. Each stage has its own requirements.
- Provide required eligibility information within six months of the eligibility application.
- Register for the exam within six months after being declared eligible.
- Schedule and take the exam within three months of examination registration.
- Complete the certification application within six months after passing.
- Check the retake limits in the process timeline: the earlier of 24 months from initial examination registration or four attempts applies, followed by cancellation and the stated reapplication waiting period if unsuccessful.
Official sources: Certified Vision Rehabilitation Therapist (CVRT) - ACVREP — Steps to CVRT Certification, scheduling, accommodations, retake, certification application; Certification - ACVREP — Certification Process Timeline, effective April 1, 2016
Confirm scheduling arrangements and costs
ACVREP’s current fees page separates eligibility, examination and certification charges.
The published fees are $140 for the eligibility application, $490 for the certification examination covering up to two administrations, and $125 for certification. That totals $755 for those three standard charges. An optional CVRT practice exam is listed at $65.
The CVRT programme page describes a mandatory 30-calendar-day wait after approval and warns that changing a scheduled date requires another 30-day wait. Check your account instructions before choosing or changing a date.
Follow the separate process if you need accommodations or private proctoring, including the required account and supporting documentation. Use a computer or tablet for the scheduling platform, as ACVREP advises.
Official sources: Certified Vision Rehabilitation Therapist (CVRT) - ACVREP — Steps to CVRT Certification, scheduling, accommodations, retake, certification application; Certification Fees - ACVREP — https://www.acvrep.org/certifications/fees
Official sources
Facts checked:
- Certified Vision Rehabilitation Therapist (CVRT) - ACVREP
- Certified Vision Rehabilitation Therapist (CVRT) Handbook - Body of Knowledge - ACVREP
- Certified Vision Rehabilitation Therapist (CVRT) Handbook - Criteria for Eligibility - ACVREP
- Certification - ACVREP
- Certified Orientation and Mobility Specialist (COMS) - ACVREP
- Recertification Points - ACVREP
- Occupational Therapist Certified in Adult Vision Rehabilitation (OTCAVR)
- ACVREP CVRT Certification Handbook
- Certification Fees - ACVREP