CLiP: from application to qualification

But what are the changes that optometrists in training should be aware of? When do they need to apply for CLiP, when will their assessments be, and at the end of it all, when will they return to university for their final assessment? Does any of this align with the dates that pre-registration optometrists have worked towards as part of the Scheme for Registration, or is everything – everything! – brand new?

Here, Martyn Jones, head of curriculum development at the College of Optometrists, walks OT through what those applying for CLiP and those currently on the programme need to be aware of at every point of the academic year – and two optometrists just starting out share their experiences.

Second and third years: organising and applying for CLiP

October–early November: Prepping CLiP applications

Student optometrists in their second year (known by the College of Optometrists as the ‘recruitment year’) should expect their first contact regarding CLiP in October and early November.

“We get in touch with students in October or November and suggest that they start looking at the resources that are in place around recruitment,” Jones told OT.

This stage of the process, where you will begin to consider what you might want from a CLiP role, is known as the Professional Pathway Part 2.

The College of Optometrists advises creating a CV if you do not have one already, and considering priorities and preferences in terms of practice setting and geographic location.

Look out for a document entitled Preparing for CLiP – College of Optometrists, which will be emailed to you by the College, alongside guidance for applications and key dates to look out for, including webinars.

You will also have the opportunity to see sample interview questions. Jones advises thinking about how you might answer the questions, and acknowledges that you might not yet have any optometry experience to share.

“It can be something you did at sixth form; it could be charity work; it could be something you did in church,” Jones told OT: “It doesn’t have to be a job. Just think about where you’ve dealt with people, and how you’ve dealt with problems.”

Mid-January: time to browse through CLiP roles

A week before the CLiP application window opens, employers can set roles live on the portal – and students can browse through them ahead of time.

“Students have a week to log on and look at look at jobs,” Jones said.

He advised using filters to narrow down the search – and to expect fierce competition for roles in city centres.

“Generally speaking, students shouldn’t bank on getting city centre locations,” Jones said.

He explained: “There’s going to be a lot of competition for those. It’s really useful if some of the applications they make are further out of town, or in more remote areas. We encourage them to think about the mix.”

End of January: round one application window

On your marks: the CLiP round one application window will open in late January.

The College emphasises the importance of applying early, and using all five available applications to give the best chance possible of finding a role you want.

After running the process with all university partners on board in 2026, Jones has noted the importance of letting students know which roles have proved popular, and which have had fewer applications.

“We have contacted students to point them towards that information, and it seemed to make a big difference this year in terms of students choosing to make applications a bit further out,” Jones told OT.

The application window is open for two or three weeks, but Jones explained that no offers will be accepted during this period.

“We have an agreement with employers: they don’t invite anybody to interview until everything is closed,” he said.

However, the process will be fast when the application window closes, he emphasised: “Employers will be on there on the last day, at closing time, looking at who they’ve got and starting to send out their invitations to interview. That happens very quickly.”

Mid-February: CLiP application deadline

After a short window, the CLiP application window will close in mid-February – a deadline you certainly won’t want to miss.

Late February: CLiP offers start being made

Once the application window closes, students are likely to start hearing from employers quickly.

“We can’t give any fixed indication to students about how long it will be before they need to start worrying that they haven’t heard from anyone,” Jones said.

“But generally, I think students will start to hear in that week [after the application window closes], if they are being invited to interview.”

Mid-April: holding deadline

The next stage of the process is interviews, and – hopefully – offers being made.

Employers are expected to have completed interviews by mid-March, and to have made offers by early April. Students are not obliged to take the first offer that is made to them.

Jones explained: “There is a period where all the interviews happen and employers make offers.

“We have an agreed date with the employers, which is a holding deadline for the students. If the student gets an offer and doesn’t want to say yes or no, they just want to keep it in their pocket and wait to see what else comes up, they can keep it until that holding deadline, and nobody is allowed to go in and pressure them to make a decision.”

He added: “They are allowed to do that with one offer only. If another offer comes through and they prefer that, they can choose to hold that next one, but then the original one automatically rejects within the system.”

Early-mid April: accepting a CLiP role

Students will be expected to confirm their offers by mid-April.

April–June: familiarisation with CLiP

Students who have secured a role will hear from the College of Optometrists with information including a series of videos on starting CLiP.

The College advises looking at CLiP resources and familiarising with expectations, contacting them if you foresee any problems with the role, and logging experience in the CLiP Portal where necessary.

Jones also advises making sure you keep an eye on university emails over the summer holidays, as future CLiP employer might be trying to contact students – for example, with an employment contract.

“The employer may get nervous if they’ve sent a contract and it’s not back with them within two weeks – even though, for a student, two weeks in the summer holiday is not a long time,” Jones said.

June: round two application window

If a student didn’t secure a CLiP placement of their choice the first time round, they shouldn’t worry – the application process has been set up to ensure plenty of time to do so. The round two application window opens in May of the recruitment year, and is open until August. Interviews will take place in July and August.

September: round three application window

Students who have not yet secured a CLiP role will have the opportunity during the final recruitment window, which takes place in the autumn. The College of Optometrists will be able to provide one-on-one support for students who require it in this period.

October–November: preparing for CLiP and utilising resources

By now, the majority of CLiP roles should have been secured. In this period, the College advises referring to CLiP Student Handbook and using its CLiP resources to get a sense of how the CLiP year is structured and what will be expected of you.

This period, Jones said, is designed to “get in your head what it’s going to be like: When’s it going to start? When are the assessment points during CLiP? What kind of thing are you going to do, and what kind of arrangements will your employer be making for you?”

Jones also emphasised to OT the importance of not planning any long holidays or significant time off during the CLiP year.

“The key message is that this is a quite intense year in practice. You get time off as per employment law, but you can’t at any point take all that time off at once. It’s not the year you want to do your trip to Australia, because there are assessment points all the way through,” Jones said.

He added: “We tell students not to make any big plans, and to be ready to start in July, when most people’s CLiP placements start.”

January–July

After Christmas and for the rest of the academic year, the professional pathways as administered by the College of Optometrists are almost done – but they will be in touch with reminders about CLiP, as well as resources on professional behaviours such as dress codes and time management, as the start of CLiP approaches.

Fourth years: welcome to the CLiP year

July: CLiP roles begin

Trainee optometrists will start their CLiP in July, after completion of their third year of university. For the purposes of this, optometrists in training are now officially in their fourth year.

Students will start with CLiP part one, which lasts for 22 weeks.

July–December: CLiP part one and Service Evaluation Project planning

In the first 22 weeks of CLiP, optometrists in training will be progressing through CLiP part one, where they will be tested on clinical core outcomes, including patient communication, infection control, and safety and risk, Jones told OT.

CLiP part one will be made up of a remote and a face-to-face aspect, Jones said.

He explained: “The format of CLiP part one and CLiP part two is basically the same. The best way to see the CLiP journey is through four assessment visits: CLiP part one remote, CLiP part one face-to-face, then CLiP part two remote, and CLiP part two face-to-face.”

Assessment visits are nine to 12 weeks apart, allowing time to resit straightaway if needed, Jones told OT.

CLiP 1R assessments take place from late August to mid-September, and CLiP 1F assessments take place early to late November.

Optometrists in training are encouraged to refer to the CLiP Assessment Handbook, and should also start discussing their CLiP 1R visits with their supervisor early, as well as noting assessment deadlines and dates – and setting reminders so they aren’t taken by surprise later.

Early in this period, they should also start considering their Service Evaluation Project, which investigates how well a service offered by the practice is meeting its aims to improve the experience for patients using that service.

This will include students discussing ideas with their supervisor, reading guidance and watching the Service Evaluation Project video, and familiarising themselves with the project planning tool and workbook.

The Service Evaluation Project is submitted during the CLiP 1F assessment.

The system has been designed so that once a student has passed CLIP part one, this part of the process is signed off and they can progress to CLiP part two, Jones explained.

January–May: prepare for and take CLiP part two assessments

In mid-January, optometrists in training are likely to move onto CLiP part two, which includes assessments on more complex pathologies, including low vision and binocular vision.

Students should prepare for their next set of assessments in this period, including understanding the differences required in CLiP 2R/2F when compared to CLiP part one.

CLiP 2R assessments take place early to late February, and CLiP 2F assessments take place mid-April to early May.

May–June: final weeks in CLiP, examinations, and qualification

May and June should see optometrists in training reach the 44 weeks in practice that is required to complete CLiP. Now, the only hurdle left to qualification is the final assessment, which is sat at university. Beyond this, qualification awaits.

Jones told OT: “If students have finished all of the CLiP assessments and they’re working out their remaining CLiP weeks, they will then return to universities for assessment weeks.”

He added: “All the universities have some element of final assessment after CLiP. In some cases, that is the universities running their own objective structured clinical examination.”

September: welcome to the GOC register

If a student passes all the necessary requirements, their university will award their degree in September or October and will confirm them as a fully qualified registrant with the General Optical Council.