Certified Ophthalmic Assistant (COA) Practice Test 2025 – Comprehensive Exam Questions and
Answers Study Guide
Which of the following conditions is not hereditary? - ANS ✔✔Conjunctivitis
Which statement is true regarding documenting the patient's complaints? - ANS ✔✔You should
attempt to use the patients exact words
What is an important questions to ask a patient that complains of a 'red eye'? - ANS ✔✔Do you
have blurred vision?
What is the term that describes an uncorrected refractive error? - ANS ✔✔Ametropia
IN what condition will the patient describe symptoms of a red and irritated eye? - ANS
✔✔Conjunctivitis
Which of the following most qualifies as a chief complaint? - ANS ✔✔Eye Fatigue
Which common familial ocular disorder should you record during a patient's history? - ANS
✔✔Keratoconus
Which of the symptoms requires prompt attention? - ANS ✔✔Sudden loss of vision
After introductions to the patient, what is one of the first items that should be obtained as part
of history taking? - ANS ✔✔Medications and dosages
In what condition is Potential Acuity Meter a useful test? - ANS ✔✔Cataracts
,Near vision charts should be held how many inches from the eye? - ANS ✔✔14-16
Which of the following tests would cause an increase in visual acuity of a patient with an
uncorrected refractive error? - ANS ✔✔Pinhole Occluder
What is the recommended distance used for assessing distance acuity? - ANS ✔✔20 feet
What would you record as visual acuity of a person who is able to clearly see an object at 20
feet that can be seen at 60 feet by a person with no refractive error? - ANS ✔✔20/60
What does the numerator stand for in the 20/20 notation? - ANS ✔✔The distance from the
patients eyes to the chart
Which statement is true regarding the Snellen Chart? - ANS ✔✔The normal eye can distinguish
two points separated by an angle of 5 minutes of arc.
What is the first step if your patient is unable to read the largest letter on the Snellen Chart? -
ANS ✔✔Ask the patient to count fingers
At what age would you expect an infant to start reaching for toys? - ANS ✔✔4-6 Months
What is the MOST common way to record visual acuity in infants and preverbal children? - ANS
✔✔CSM
The Amsler grid is designed to evaluate visual field deficiencies of central vision? - ANS ✔✔20
What is the term for an area of complete or partial blindness in an otherwise normal visual
field? - ANS ✔✔Scotoma
, Visual field loss due to optic nerve cupping is related to which condition? - ANS ✔✔Glaucoma
Which type of perimetry technique involves a moving target? - ANS ✔✔Kinetic
What is the term for a scotoma that is located immediately nasal or temporal to fixation? - ANS
✔✔Paracentral
What is the MOST widely used method of visual field screening that requires no special
equipment? - ANS ✔✔Confrontation Testing
What type of patients uniformly require a threshold 24-degree central field test? - ANS
✔✔Glaucoma
What consensual response normally occurs when shining a light in the right eye? - ANS ✔✔The
left pupil constricts
Which term describes pupillary constriction? - ANS ✔✔Miosis
What is the condition that describes if the amount of light information transmitted to the brain
from one eye differs from that of the other eye? - ANS ✔✔APD- Afferent pupillary defect
What is the term for pupils that are of unequal size? - ANS ✔✔Anisocoria
Which test compares the direct and consensual responses to the pupil? - ANS ✔✔Swinging
Flashlight
Which device is used to view a virus? - ANS ✔✔Electron Microscope
Answers Study Guide
Which of the following conditions is not hereditary? - ANS ✔✔Conjunctivitis
Which statement is true regarding documenting the patient's complaints? - ANS ✔✔You should
attempt to use the patients exact words
What is an important questions to ask a patient that complains of a 'red eye'? - ANS ✔✔Do you
have blurred vision?
What is the term that describes an uncorrected refractive error? - ANS ✔✔Ametropia
IN what condition will the patient describe symptoms of a red and irritated eye? - ANS
✔✔Conjunctivitis
Which of the following most qualifies as a chief complaint? - ANS ✔✔Eye Fatigue
Which common familial ocular disorder should you record during a patient's history? - ANS
✔✔Keratoconus
Which of the symptoms requires prompt attention? - ANS ✔✔Sudden loss of vision
After introductions to the patient, what is one of the first items that should be obtained as part
of history taking? - ANS ✔✔Medications and dosages
In what condition is Potential Acuity Meter a useful test? - ANS ✔✔Cataracts
,Near vision charts should be held how many inches from the eye? - ANS ✔✔14-16
Which of the following tests would cause an increase in visual acuity of a patient with an
uncorrected refractive error? - ANS ✔✔Pinhole Occluder
What is the recommended distance used for assessing distance acuity? - ANS ✔✔20 feet
What would you record as visual acuity of a person who is able to clearly see an object at 20
feet that can be seen at 60 feet by a person with no refractive error? - ANS ✔✔20/60
What does the numerator stand for in the 20/20 notation? - ANS ✔✔The distance from the
patients eyes to the chart
Which statement is true regarding the Snellen Chart? - ANS ✔✔The normal eye can distinguish
two points separated by an angle of 5 minutes of arc.
What is the first step if your patient is unable to read the largest letter on the Snellen Chart? -
ANS ✔✔Ask the patient to count fingers
At what age would you expect an infant to start reaching for toys? - ANS ✔✔4-6 Months
What is the MOST common way to record visual acuity in infants and preverbal children? - ANS
✔✔CSM
The Amsler grid is designed to evaluate visual field deficiencies of central vision? - ANS ✔✔20
What is the term for an area of complete or partial blindness in an otherwise normal visual
field? - ANS ✔✔Scotoma
, Visual field loss due to optic nerve cupping is related to which condition? - ANS ✔✔Glaucoma
Which type of perimetry technique involves a moving target? - ANS ✔✔Kinetic
What is the term for a scotoma that is located immediately nasal or temporal to fixation? - ANS
✔✔Paracentral
What is the MOST widely used method of visual field screening that requires no special
equipment? - ANS ✔✔Confrontation Testing
What type of patients uniformly require a threshold 24-degree central field test? - ANS
✔✔Glaucoma
What consensual response normally occurs when shining a light in the right eye? - ANS ✔✔The
left pupil constricts
Which term describes pupillary constriction? - ANS ✔✔Miosis
What is the condition that describes if the amount of light information transmitted to the brain
from one eye differs from that of the other eye? - ANS ✔✔APD- Afferent pupillary defect
What is the term for pupils that are of unequal size? - ANS ✔✔Anisocoria
Which test compares the direct and consensual responses to the pupil? - ANS ✔✔Swinging
Flashlight
Which device is used to view a virus? - ANS ✔✔Electron Microscope
