Certified Ophthalmic Assistant (COA) Study Guide – Comprehensive Review and Practice
Questions for Exam Preparation
HISTORY TAKING (5%)
A patient's history of pain and low vision could be attributed to:
A) acute glaucoma
B) strabismus
C) stroke
D) subconjunctival hemorrhage - ✔✔A) acute glaucoma
HISTORY TAKING (5%)
Which of the following is a symptom?
A) flakes on the lashes
B) flashes of light
C) red eye
D) swollen lid - ✔✔B) flashes of light
HISTORY TAKING (5%)
Under what heading should the onset of current symptoms be recorded?
A) Current medications
B) Past history
C) Physical signs
D) Present illness - ✔✔D) Present illness
HISTORY TAKING (5%)
What is a contraindication to contact lens wear?
,A) Seizure disorders
B) Strabismus as a child
C) High blood pressure
D) Cataracts - ✔✔A) Seizure disorders
HISTORY TAKING (5%)
Which is the main reason for the patient's visit to the ophthalmologist recorded?
A) Chief complaint
B) Family History
C) Past medical history
D) Past ocular history - ✔✔A) Chief complaint
VISUAL ASSESSMENT (6%)
What is a probable cause of blurred distance vision that is improved by squinting?
A) Esotropia
B) Glaucoma
C) Uncorrected myopia
D) Uncorrected presbyopia - ✔✔C) Uncorrected myopia
VISUAL ASSESSMENT (6%)
Which of the following equivalencies is correct?
A) 5/200 is equivalent to 20/400
B) 6/60 is equivalent to 3/120
C) 10/200 is equivalent to 20/100
D) 20/200 is equivalent to 10/100 - ✔✔D) 20/200 is equivalent to 10/100
, VISUAL ASSESSMENT (6%)
Which of the following is a measure of distance of visual acuity?
A) 20/20
B) 40 arc seconds
C) D-15
D) Jaeger 2 - ✔✔A) 20/20
VISUAL ASSESSMENT (6%)
20/60 visual acuity means the patient sees a test object at:
A) 6 meters that someone with 20/20 vision would see at 20 feet
B) 20 feet that someone with 20/20 vision would see at 60 feet
C) 20 feet that someone with 20/20 vision would see at 60 meters
D) 60 feet that someone with 20/20 vision would see at 20 feet - ✔✔B) 20 feet that someone
with 20/20 vision would see at 60 feet
VISUAL ASSESSMENT (6%)
An effective means of estimating visual acuity in infants would be to use:
A) an amblyoscope
B) preferential looking
C) prism bars
D) a Snellen chart - ✔✔B) preferential looking
VISUAL ASSESSMENT (6%)
In an industrial injury, in which the patient complains of a foreign body sensation, a 20/60 vision
is recorded by the assistant. What is the next step the assistant should take?
A) Instill a fluorescein dye
B) Patch the eye
Questions for Exam Preparation
HISTORY TAKING (5%)
A patient's history of pain and low vision could be attributed to:
A) acute glaucoma
B) strabismus
C) stroke
D) subconjunctival hemorrhage - ✔✔A) acute glaucoma
HISTORY TAKING (5%)
Which of the following is a symptom?
A) flakes on the lashes
B) flashes of light
C) red eye
D) swollen lid - ✔✔B) flashes of light
HISTORY TAKING (5%)
Under what heading should the onset of current symptoms be recorded?
A) Current medications
B) Past history
C) Physical signs
D) Present illness - ✔✔D) Present illness
HISTORY TAKING (5%)
What is a contraindication to contact lens wear?
,A) Seizure disorders
B) Strabismus as a child
C) High blood pressure
D) Cataracts - ✔✔A) Seizure disorders
HISTORY TAKING (5%)
Which is the main reason for the patient's visit to the ophthalmologist recorded?
A) Chief complaint
B) Family History
C) Past medical history
D) Past ocular history - ✔✔A) Chief complaint
VISUAL ASSESSMENT (6%)
What is a probable cause of blurred distance vision that is improved by squinting?
A) Esotropia
B) Glaucoma
C) Uncorrected myopia
D) Uncorrected presbyopia - ✔✔C) Uncorrected myopia
VISUAL ASSESSMENT (6%)
Which of the following equivalencies is correct?
A) 5/200 is equivalent to 20/400
B) 6/60 is equivalent to 3/120
C) 10/200 is equivalent to 20/100
D) 20/200 is equivalent to 10/100 - ✔✔D) 20/200 is equivalent to 10/100
, VISUAL ASSESSMENT (6%)
Which of the following is a measure of distance of visual acuity?
A) 20/20
B) 40 arc seconds
C) D-15
D) Jaeger 2 - ✔✔A) 20/20
VISUAL ASSESSMENT (6%)
20/60 visual acuity means the patient sees a test object at:
A) 6 meters that someone with 20/20 vision would see at 20 feet
B) 20 feet that someone with 20/20 vision would see at 60 feet
C) 20 feet that someone with 20/20 vision would see at 60 meters
D) 60 feet that someone with 20/20 vision would see at 20 feet - ✔✔B) 20 feet that someone
with 20/20 vision would see at 60 feet
VISUAL ASSESSMENT (6%)
An effective means of estimating visual acuity in infants would be to use:
A) an amblyoscope
B) preferential looking
C) prism bars
D) a Snellen chart - ✔✔B) preferential looking
VISUAL ASSESSMENT (6%)
In an industrial injury, in which the patient complains of a foreign body sensation, a 20/60 vision
is recorded by the assistant. What is the next step the assistant should take?
A) Instill a fluorescein dye
B) Patch the eye
