CET User Frequently Asked Questions

About Continuing Education and Training (CET)
From 1 July 2005, Continuing Education and Training (CET) became a statutory requirement for continued registration. The CET scheme exists to ensure registrants maintain the up-to-date knowledge and skills they need to practise safely throughout their career.

Information for registrants
The first CET cycle ended on 31 December 2006. The second cycle runs from 1 January 2007 to 31 December 2009. You need to earn and confirm the required number of CET points by 31 December 2009 to be eligible to renew your registration in 2010. It is your responsibility to ensure that you obtain the correct amount of CET points and that you inform the GOC of the points you have completed by confirming the points via the CET website at www.cetoptics.com.

How do I register on cetoptics.com?: • Log on to the website (www.cetoptics.com) and click on ‘For CET Users’
• Click on the word ‘register’
• Type in your GOC registration number (including the hyphen) and date of birth
• Type in your email address
The system will automatically send you an email with your username and password. If you do not receive a message, email admin@cetoptics.com with your full name and GOC number. The CET optics administrator will find out what the problem is and your user record will be updated and a username and password will be sent by email.
What if I don’t have a computer?: Public libraries offer free Internet provision. Your place of work, colleagues, friends or relatives may also be able to help. You can use any email address. Many providers (eg Yahoo, Hotmail) offer free email.
How many points do I need?: Optometrists and dispensing opticians need 36 general points over three years.
Practitioners on one of the specialist registers (a DO on the contact lens register or an OO on the additional supply or supplementary prescribing register) need additional specialist points (see below).
What do I do if I'm on the specialist registers?: You need one specialist CET point for each two full months you are on the register, up until 31 December 2009. The points requirement applies to each registered specialty. Therefore, optometrists with both Additional Supply and Supplementary Prescribing specialties will need to earn the relevant number of points for both.
What do I do if I want to join part-way through a cycle?: If you join the register part-way through a cycle, the number of points you need is reduced proportionately. You need one general point for each full month you are on the register until the end of the cycle. For specialists, you need a further point for each two months you are on the register (or from when you join the specialty list) until the end of the cycle.
For example, if you join in October 2007 you will be registered for 26 whole months until the end of December 2009, so you will need 26 general points. A specialist would need a further 12 specialty points.
NOTE: There is no double counting or points capping in the current cycle.
When do I need to get my points by?: You need to earn and confirm the relevant number of points by 31 December 2009.
How do my points get added?: After you complete an accredited ‘event’, the CET provider will enter your points on the CET website within 10 days. (Distance learning providers will enter your CET points 10 working days after the published closing date.) These will appear on your record as ‘pending points’. To accept them, you need to log into your CET User record at www.cetoptics.com and select ‘MY CET > PENDING POINTS’.
You need to confirm your pending points – only confirmed points will count towards your total.
What if I am taking maternity leave or a career break?: If you remain on the Register during your break you will need to have gained all the required CET points by 31 December 2009.
What if I come off the register and want to restore?: If you come off the register and want to restore, you must comply with the restoration requirements on the restoration form. These include having evidence of having completed at least 12 CET points in the 12 months immediately preceding the month of restoration or if you joined the register for the first time less than 12 months before restoration then you will need evidence of having gained the equivalent of one point for every month from the month of restoration back to the month you were initially registered. . Once you have resorted you will need to gain points pro rata to 31 December 2009.
If you restore to the register only the points you gain from the date of restoration (under your new GOC number) will count towards the total you need at 31 December 2009. Any points under your old number will not count towards the total required at 31 December 2009.
How do I tell the GOC when I reach my points total?: Once you have confirmed your points on www.cetoptics.com, you don’t need to do anything else. Cetoptics will automatically notify the GOC of everyone who has met the minimum points requirement by 31 December 2009. If you don’t have enough points for any reason, the GOC will write to you in January 2010. Otherwise, you will be free to renew your registration in April 2010.
Can I carry points forward to the next cycle?: No. Your CET record will be reset to zero on 1 January 2010. You will have until 31 December 2012 to earn your next ‘batch’ of CET points.