An optical fiber ribbon splitting tool for selectively separating optical fibers of an optical fiber ribbon into one or more subsets of optical fibers. The ribbon splitting tool comprises a housing, a shearing device movably mounted within the housing, and an actuator for actuating the shearing device such that a subset of optical fibers is separated from the optical fiber ribbon. The shearing device may comprise a plunger having at least one shearing edge profile and a platen. A ribbon splitting tool for use at a cable access point of a fiber optic cable in which at least one optical fiber ribbon is accessible for splitting.