Visual Acuity Test

A Visual Acuity Test is a routine part of an eye examination performed to determine the smallest letters a patient can read on a standardized chart that is 20 feet away. You will be asked to remove your contact lenses or glasses and gently cover one eye with the palm of your hand while reading aloud the smallest line of letters you can read on the chart. The test is performed on each eye, one at a time.

Your visual acuity will be expressed in a fraction. The top number represents the distance you stand from the chart, while the bottom number represents the distance at which a person with normal eyesight could read the same line you read correctly. For example, normal vision is considered 20/20. If your visual acuity is 20/40, then this indicates that the line that you correctly read at 20 feet can be read by a person with normal vision from 40 feet away.