Certified Ophthalmic Assistant Exam
Review with Complete Solutions
A 52-year-old patient hands you his single-vision glasses, the only glasses he has.
Which of the following is the most important question in determining the patient's
refractive status?
a. "How long have you had these?"
b. "Do these help you see better?"
c. "Do you wear these for driving or for reading?"
d. "Do the frames hurt your ears?" - ANSWER-C. "Do you wear these for driving or for
reading?"
A 56-year-old patient complains of a sudden onset of double vision. It is most important
to ask:
a. "Does the doubling go away if you cover one eye?"
b. "Are the eyes also red?"
c. "Do the eyes ache?"
d. "Does anyone in your family have a lazy eye?" - ANSWER-A. "Does the doubling go
away if you cover one eye?"
A 76-year old new patient tells you that he caught astigmatism from his brother when
they were both children. you should:
a. tell him he is wrong because astigmatism is not a disease
b. agree with him because astigmatism can rum in families
c. ask him what he means by "astigmatism"
d. explain that astigmatism is a refractive error - ANSWER-C. ask him what he means
by "astigmatism"
A good rule of thumb when instructing patients regarding contact lenses is to:
a. provide a training session offering oral and written instruction
b. provide written instruction and tell the patient to call with questions
c. provide a training session and oral instruction
d. develop a support group where successful lens wearers teach others - ANSWER-A.
provide a training session offering oral and written instruction
A history is obtained by:
a. asking a series of organized & specitic questions
b. observing the patient's actions in the exam room
c. allowing the patient to discuss anything he or she wishes
d. asking the same question of each patient during every exam - ANSWER-A. asking a
series of organized & specific questions
,A male patient is going to be scheduled for cataract surgery. Which of the following
medications is of most concern?
a. sildenafil citrate
b. hydroxychloroquine
c. amiodarone
d. testosterone patch - ANSWER-A. sildenafil citrate (Viagra)
A mother brings in a 2-year-old child with esotropia. Which of the following is significant
for the history?
a. Does anyone in the family have crossed eyes?
b. Is anyone in the family blind?
c. Does anyone in the family have Down syndrome?
d. Has anyone in the family been born prematurely? - ANSWER-A. Does anyone in the
family have crossed eyes?
A mother brings in her 4-year old son. The mother says he has a lazy eye. What do you
need to find out?
a. Was the birth premature?
b. Who else in the family has a lazy eye?
c. Does the child rub one eye frequently?
d. What does she mean by "lazy eye?" - ANSWER-D. What does she mean by "lazy
eye?"
A patient presents with a corneal foreign body, and your supervisor asks how the
foreign body got into the eye. This is an important question because:
a. if the patient was not wearing safety glasses, Workers' compensation will not pay
b. if the particle was under high speed, there might be internal ocular damage
c. this determines whether or not you should check the patient's vision
d. this determines whether or not you should irrigate the eye - ANSWER-B. if the
particle was under high speed, there might be internal ocular damage
A patient reports that he sleeps in his contact lenses. An important question would be:
a. "What type of lenses are they?"
b. "Do you have astigmatism?"
c. "Why haven't you had LASIK?"
d. "Are you legally blind without the contacts?" - ANSWER-A. "What type of lenses are
they?"
A patient taking a diuretic probably has which health problem?
a. asthma
b. Heart trouble
c. emphysema
d. diabetes - ANSWER-B. Heart trouble
A patient who has been taking oral steroids for long periods should be evaluated for
possible development of:
, a. dry eye
b. cataracts
c. iris cysts
d. macular degeneration - ANSWER-B. cataracts
A patient with heart problems:
a. may need to eat something during an eye exam
b. cannot be dilated
c. may have hardening of the arteries in the eye
d. always has high cholesterol - ANSWER-C. may have hardening of the arteries in the
eye
A patient's social history would include all of the following except:
a. tobacco use
b. living arrangements
c. hobbies
d. therapeutic drug use - ANSWER-D. therapeutic drug use
A relative afferent pupillary defect (RAPD) is identified by using the:
a. cross cover test
b. pupillometer
c. swinging flashlight test
d. direct flashlight test - ANSWER-C. swinging flashlight test
A symptom is:
a. something you notice when you look at the patient
b. something that can always be tested & proven
c. a change noticed by the patient
d. any change that results from injury - ANSWER-C. a change noticed by the patient
Adie's tonic pupil (or tonic pupil) is caused by:
a. systemic rubella
b. sympathetic ophthalmia
c. gonorrhea
d. nerve damage - ANSWER-D. nerve damage
All of the following are helpful/proper techniques for using a plunger to remove a rigid
lens except:
a. locate the lens on the eye before applying the plunger
b. wet the plunger with wetting solution first
c. run the plunger over the cornea and sclera to locate a "lost" lens
d. carry an extra plunger in your pocket or purse for emergency removal - ANSWER-C.
run the plunger over the cornea and sclera to locate a "lost" lens
An example of a question relating to onset would be:
a. "Can you still function at work?"
Review with Complete Solutions
A 52-year-old patient hands you his single-vision glasses, the only glasses he has.
Which of the following is the most important question in determining the patient's
refractive status?
a. "How long have you had these?"
b. "Do these help you see better?"
c. "Do you wear these for driving or for reading?"
d. "Do the frames hurt your ears?" - ANSWER-C. "Do you wear these for driving or for
reading?"
A 56-year-old patient complains of a sudden onset of double vision. It is most important
to ask:
a. "Does the doubling go away if you cover one eye?"
b. "Are the eyes also red?"
c. "Do the eyes ache?"
d. "Does anyone in your family have a lazy eye?" - ANSWER-A. "Does the doubling go
away if you cover one eye?"
A 76-year old new patient tells you that he caught astigmatism from his brother when
they were both children. you should:
a. tell him he is wrong because astigmatism is not a disease
b. agree with him because astigmatism can rum in families
c. ask him what he means by "astigmatism"
d. explain that astigmatism is a refractive error - ANSWER-C. ask him what he means
by "astigmatism"
A good rule of thumb when instructing patients regarding contact lenses is to:
a. provide a training session offering oral and written instruction
b. provide written instruction and tell the patient to call with questions
c. provide a training session and oral instruction
d. develop a support group where successful lens wearers teach others - ANSWER-A.
provide a training session offering oral and written instruction
A history is obtained by:
a. asking a series of organized & specitic questions
b. observing the patient's actions in the exam room
c. allowing the patient to discuss anything he or she wishes
d. asking the same question of each patient during every exam - ANSWER-A. asking a
series of organized & specific questions
,A male patient is going to be scheduled for cataract surgery. Which of the following
medications is of most concern?
a. sildenafil citrate
b. hydroxychloroquine
c. amiodarone
d. testosterone patch - ANSWER-A. sildenafil citrate (Viagra)
A mother brings in a 2-year-old child with esotropia. Which of the following is significant
for the history?
a. Does anyone in the family have crossed eyes?
b. Is anyone in the family blind?
c. Does anyone in the family have Down syndrome?
d. Has anyone in the family been born prematurely? - ANSWER-A. Does anyone in the
family have crossed eyes?
A mother brings in her 4-year old son. The mother says he has a lazy eye. What do you
need to find out?
a. Was the birth premature?
b. Who else in the family has a lazy eye?
c. Does the child rub one eye frequently?
d. What does she mean by "lazy eye?" - ANSWER-D. What does she mean by "lazy
eye?"
A patient presents with a corneal foreign body, and your supervisor asks how the
foreign body got into the eye. This is an important question because:
a. if the patient was not wearing safety glasses, Workers' compensation will not pay
b. if the particle was under high speed, there might be internal ocular damage
c. this determines whether or not you should check the patient's vision
d. this determines whether or not you should irrigate the eye - ANSWER-B. if the
particle was under high speed, there might be internal ocular damage
A patient reports that he sleeps in his contact lenses. An important question would be:
a. "What type of lenses are they?"
b. "Do you have astigmatism?"
c. "Why haven't you had LASIK?"
d. "Are you legally blind without the contacts?" - ANSWER-A. "What type of lenses are
they?"
A patient taking a diuretic probably has which health problem?
a. asthma
b. Heart trouble
c. emphysema
d. diabetes - ANSWER-B. Heart trouble
A patient who has been taking oral steroids for long periods should be evaluated for
possible development of:
, a. dry eye
b. cataracts
c. iris cysts
d. macular degeneration - ANSWER-B. cataracts
A patient with heart problems:
a. may need to eat something during an eye exam
b. cannot be dilated
c. may have hardening of the arteries in the eye
d. always has high cholesterol - ANSWER-C. may have hardening of the arteries in the
eye
A patient's social history would include all of the following except:
a. tobacco use
b. living arrangements
c. hobbies
d. therapeutic drug use - ANSWER-D. therapeutic drug use
A relative afferent pupillary defect (RAPD) is identified by using the:
a. cross cover test
b. pupillometer
c. swinging flashlight test
d. direct flashlight test - ANSWER-C. swinging flashlight test
A symptom is:
a. something you notice when you look at the patient
b. something that can always be tested & proven
c. a change noticed by the patient
d. any change that results from injury - ANSWER-C. a change noticed by the patient
Adie's tonic pupil (or tonic pupil) is caused by:
a. systemic rubella
b. sympathetic ophthalmia
c. gonorrhea
d. nerve damage - ANSWER-D. nerve damage
All of the following are helpful/proper techniques for using a plunger to remove a rigid
lens except:
a. locate the lens on the eye before applying the plunger
b. wet the plunger with wetting solution first
c. run the plunger over the cornea and sclera to locate a "lost" lens
d. carry an extra plunger in your pocket or purse for emergency removal - ANSWER-C.
run the plunger over the cornea and sclera to locate a "lost" lens
An example of a question relating to onset would be:
a. "Can you still function at work?"
