Supervisors
Learn about supervisor responsibilities, requirements, and standards for overseeing provisional registrants.
Last updated 26 August 2025
Eligibility
During the period of provisional registration, all provisional registered practitioners are required to appoint a supervisor. The choice of supervisor must:
Be a practitioner holding full registration in the respective profession (refer to Table 1);
Possess a minimum of 3 years’ full-time working experience;
Under full-time employment and works at the same workplace as the supervisee (i.e. same company and practising outlet);
Must not have any direct personal relationship with the supervisee either by spousal or first-degree relatives (parents, full siblings and children); and
e. Attend the supervisory framework briefing prior or during the period of undertaking.
Information on supervisors and their respective supervisees
Supervisor (Full registration) | Supervisee |
|---|---|
Optometrist | May supervise the following temporary/conditional/provisional practitioner:
|
| May only supervise the following temporary/conditional/provisional practitioner:
|
Optician (Dispensing) | May only supervise the following temporary/conditional/provisional practitioner:
|
Supervisor's Role
The appointed supervisor is responsible for:
Providing adequate supervision and guidance to the supervisee during the period of his/ her provisional registration;
Assisting in co-managing the supervisee’s patients professionally as his/ her own;
Vetting and signing-off supervisee’s cases gathered under the framework;
Ensuring that supervisee’s conduct and practice is befitting of the profession and adhering to the Board’s Code of Professional Conduct and Professional Practice Guidelines for Optometrists and Opticians;
Conducting a progress assessment with supervisee on his/her performance at prescribed intervals using the supervisor’s report template and submit on a timely manner as required by the Board.
The appointed supervisor is allowed to have more than 1 workplace, but the principal workplace must be the same as supervisee. At any time, the supervisor can only accept up to a maximum of 3 supervisees
in total.
In the event that the appointed supervisor is away from work for a period of more than a month (e.g. taking long leave), resigns or is unable to continue his/her supervisory duties, he/she shall be responsible to:
Recommend a covering supervisor to the supervisee(s) for appointment;
Update the Board with any supporting documents at least two weeks before the absence for record;
Ensure that his/her supervisory duties is handed over to the newly appointed supervisor; and
Supervisee should stop practising optometry/ opticianry immediately if the appointment of the new supervisor is not completed/ choice of supervisor is not approved.