Contrast sensitivity testing

Contrast sensitivity is the ability for a person to detect an object against a background that can be very similar to the object in contrast. A person who has good contrast sensitivity is able to distinguish an object which may be very similar in color or contrast to the background in a dim environment. Testing…

Accommodative facility test

The accommodative facility test is used to examine a person’s focusing ability. Young persons below 40 years of age are able to focus at near objects and then switching focus to a distant object rapidly without losing clear focus. The ability to do this very rapidly while attaining clear vision before moving on the the…

Dominant eye test

We all have a preferred or dominant eye just as we all have a preferred or dominant hand. In most cases, the dominant eye corresponds with the side of the dominant hand. Thus, if you are right-handed, chances are that your dominant eye is also the right eye. Of course, this is not always true.…

Crossed eyes test

The condition ‘crossed eyes’ is perhaps better known by its medical names ‘squint’ or ‘strabismus’. It occurs when the eyes are not coordinated. When one eye is looking at something, the other eye is looking in a different direction, either turned in towards the nose or looking out. The Light Reflex Test You can do…

Colour blindness test

This is a test for colour blindness or to use a better but less common term, colour vision deficiency. Most so-called “colour blind” individuals are not truly colour blind but instead have abnormal colour vision. They only have problems distinguishing certain colours and shades of the same colour. They do not see only in black…

Amsler test

Test one eye at a time. Cover the other eye with an eye patch. You can make an eye patch by simply folding and with a piece of tissue paper. Look at the chart projected on the screen at a close reading distance of about 36cm (14 inches). Wear your reading glasses to do the…

Astigmatism test

The test is done one eye at a time. Cover the other eye and view the astigmatism dial. Do all the lines appear equally dark? If so, you do not suffer from astigmatism. However, if some lines appear significantly darker than others, you have astigmatism. Note : The danger of astigmatism Astigmatism is a condition where…

Presbyopia test

As one reaches the age of 40 years, the eyes start to lose their ability to focus for near. This natural aging phenomenon is called presbyopia. It is also known as middle-age farsightedness. Shortsighted people tend to become presbyopic at an earlier age. Instructions : Position your eyes so that they are at a close…

Pin hole test

Do this test if your Distance Vision Test result is worse than 6/6. Instructions: You will first need to make a pinhole eye occluder. This can be simply made by cutting out an 8cm by 12cm piece of card paper and punching a 1.5 mm diameter pinhole through it as shown: To do the Pin…

Distance vision test

This test, also known as the Visual Acuity Test, tests the sharpness of vision by grading the ability of the eye to discern diminishing sizes of alphabets, numbers or shapes at a specified distance of 6 metres. Instructions : The test chart can be found below. Measure the height of the biggest number (i.e. 5)…