JCAHPO COA Certified Ophthalmic Assistant

A patient reports sudden onset of flashing lights and floaters in one eye. What is the most appropriate next step for the ophthalmic assistant?

• ASchedule a routine appointment for the following week
• BAlert the ophthalmologist immediately for urgent evaluation
• CInstruct the patient to rest and return if symptoms worsen
• DPerform automated perimetry before the physician sees the patient

When measuring visual acuity using a Snellen chart, the patient can read the 20/40 line with the right eye. What does this result indicate?

• AThe patient sees at 40 feet what a normal eye sees at 20 feet
• BThe patient sees at 20 feet what a normal eye sees at 40 feet
• CThe patient has 40% of normal vision
• DThe patient needs a +4.00 diopter correction

During Goldmann applanation tonometry, what is the target endpoint the examiner should observe?

• AThe mires should be completely overlapping as concentric circles
• BThe inner edges of the fluorescein semicircles should just touch
• CThe mires should be widely separated with a gap of one mire width
• DThe mires should pulse but never make contact

Which cranial nerve is primarily responsible for the pupillary light reflex?

• ACranial nerve IV (trochlear)
• BCranial nerve VI (abducens)
• CCranial nerve II (optic) and cranial nerve III (oculomotor)
• DCranial nerve V (trigeminal)

A relative afferent pupillary defect (RAPD) is best detected using which technique?

• ADirect pupil response to light in each eye independently
• BThe swinging flashlight test comparing both eyes
• CMeasurement of pupil size in dim illumination
• DInstillation of pilocarpine drops and observing constriction

When performing manual keratometry, what ocular structure is being measured?

• AThe axial length of the eye
• BThe curvature of the anterior corneal surface
• CThe thickness of the crystalline lens
• DThe depth of the anterior chamber

Which extraocular muscle is innervated by the abducens nerve (cranial nerve VI)?

• ASuperior oblique
• BMedial rectus
• CLateral rectus
• DInferior oblique

During the cover-uncover test, the examiner covers the right eye and observes the left eye move inward to fixate. What type of deviation does this indicate?

• ARight esotropia
• BLeft exotropia
• CLeft esotropia
• DRight exotropia

What is the standard working distance for performing streak retinoscopy?

• A25 cm (10 inches)
• B40 cm (16 inches)
• C67 cm (26 inches)
• D1 meter (39 inches)

When performing lensometry on a patient's spectacles, the instrument is focused on the lens and the examiner sees a sphere power of -3.00 with no cylinder. What does this indicate?

• AThe lens is a simple myopic correction with no astigmatism
• BThe lens is a hyperopic correction requiring further refinement
• CThe instrument is not properly calibrated
• DThe lens contains a prism component that masks the cylinder

Which automated visual field test pattern is most commonly used to screen for glaucomatous visual field loss?

• AFull-field 120-point screening
• BCentral 10-2 threshold test
• CCentral 24-2 threshold test
• DEsterman binocular visual field

A patient's visual field printout shows a cluster of depressed points in the superior nasal quadrant of one eye. This pattern is most consistent with which condition?

• AMacular degeneration
• BGlaucoma with inferior arcuate defect
• CChiasmal lesion
• DOptic neuritis

What is the primary purpose of A-scan ultrasound biometry in ophthalmology?

• ATo visualize the posterior segment for retinal detachment
• BTo measure the axial length of the eye for IOL power calculation
• CTo evaluate the optic nerve head cupping ratio
• DTo assess corneal endothelial cell density

Which mydriatic agent is most commonly used to dilate the pupil for a routine fundus examination?

• APilocarpine 2%
• BTropicamide 1%
• CTimolol 0.5%
• DFluorescein sodium 2%

Phenylephrine 2.5% dilates the pupil by acting on which receptor type?

• AMuscarinic cholinergic receptors (blocking them)
• BAlpha-1 adrenergic receptors (stimulating them)
• CBeta-2 adrenergic receptors (stimulating them)
• DNicotinic cholinergic receptors (stimulating them)