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Key Facts: ACVREP COMS Exam

150

Certification exam questions

ACVREP handbook

$490

Certification examination fee

Up to two attempts

$755

Initial certification total

Eligibility + exam + certification

The ACVREP COMS certification handbook lists 150 questions. Its exam-time wording is internally inconsistent; confirm the appointment duration with ACVREP. Initial eligibility, examination, and certification fees total $755. OpenExamPrep’s independent practice bank contains 100 questions.

Sample ACVREP COMS Practice Questions

Try these sample questions to review concepts for the ACVREP COMS exam. Each question includes a detailed explanation. Start the interactive quiz above for the full 100+ question experience with AI tutoring.

1A COMS is teaching a novice adult cane traveler on a residential sidewalk with cracked, uneven concrete. Which cane technique provides the highest level of obstacle and drop-off detection?
A.Diagonal technique
B.Two-point touch
C.Constant-contact (touch-and-drag)
D.Three-point touch
Explanation: Constant-contact keeps the cane tip on the ground at all times, maximizing tactile information about cracks, level changes, and drop-offs. It is the standard initial technique for novice travelers, anyone on unfamiliar/uneven terrain, and travelers with balance or proprioceptive concerns. As skill develops, two-point touch is introduced for smoother surfaces.
2When using human guide technique with a consumer who has typical balance, where should the consumer's hand contact the guide?
A.Grasping the guide's wrist from behind
B.Just above the guide's elbow with thumb on the outside
C.On the guide's shoulder
D.Holding the guide's belt or waistband
Explanation: Standard human guide (sighted guide) technique places the consumer's hand just above the guide's elbow with the thumb on the outside, fingers on the inside. This grip position places the consumer about a half-step behind the guide, allowing them to read directional changes and elevation cues through the guide's arm without contact with the guide's body.
3A COMS is selecting a long cane length for a 9-year-old student. Which measurement guideline aligns with current best practice for pediatric cane prescription?
A.Cane tip touches the floor when the cane is held vertically at the chin
B.Cane reaches from the floor to the sternum (mid-chest), with longer lengths considered for active travelers
C.Cane reaches the iliac crest (top of the hip) for maximum control
D.Cane reaches from the floor to the shoulder for all school-age children
Explanation: Contemporary pediatric O&M practice recommends a cane that reaches at least the sternum/mid-chest, with many practitioners prescribing nose- or chin-height canes for active child travelers to provide adequate preview distance at walking speed. The older 'iliac crest' guideline is now considered too short for safety in dynamic environments.
4At a signalized intersection, a COMS and a consumer hear vehicles that were stopped on the street parallel to the intended crossing begin moving straight ahead. What can this parallel traffic surge indicate?
A.The consumer's pedestrian WALK interval has definitely just begun
B.The parallel vehicle movement has been released, but the pedestrian phase and crossing conditions still need to be assessed
C.All turning vehicles must remain stopped until every pedestrian finishes crossing
D.The same traffic-phase inference applies at an intersection with no traffic signals
Explanation: A parallel traffic surge can help identify release of the parallel vehicle movement at a signalized intersection. It does not by itself establish the start or remaining duration of the pedestrian WALK interval or guarantee a clear crossing. For example, a leading pedestrian interval can begin before parallel vehicles move, and turning conflicts can remain. An O&M crossing assessment considers the pedestrian indication, intersection geometry, traffic patterns, and the individual traveler; uncontrolled crossings require a different assessment.
5Under the U.S. Access Board’s PROWAG R307.9, how should the tactile arrow on a pedestrian push button be oriented?
A.Parallel to the direction of travel on its associated crosswalk
B.Toward the traffic signal controller cabinet
C.Perpendicular to the direction of travel on its associated crosswalk
D.Toward the nearest building entrance, regardless of the crossing direction
Explanation: PROWAG R307.9 specifies a high-contrast tactile arrow aligned parallel to travel on the associated crosswalk. The arrow helps identify which crossing the button serves. Arrow orientation is a separate issue from push-button placement distances and from the audible or vibrotactile WALK indication. Source: U.S. Access Board, PROWAG technical requirements, R307.9 (https://www.access-board.gov/prowag/technical.html#r3079-tactile-arrow).
6A 4-year-old with cortical/cerebral visual impairment (CVI) demonstrates Roman-Lantzy Phase II characteristics: visual latency, color preference for red, and difficulty with complex arrays. Which O&M instructional adaptation is MOST appropriate?
A.Use highly complex visual environments to build tolerance
B.Allow extended visual latency, reduce array complexity, and incorporate the child's preferred color into landmarks
C.Eliminate vision use and teach exclusively tactile strategies
D.Place the child in bright sunlight to maximize visual input
Explanation: Phase II CVI requires honoring visual latency (waiting for visual response without rushing), reducing environmental complexity (sensory and visual array), and leveraging the child's preferred color (commonly red or yellow) to support visual access. Complexity reduction and pacing are the cornerstones of CVI-informed O&M.
7A consumer with retinitis pigmentosa (RP) reports difficulty traveling at dusk and in dimly lit indoor environments. What functional implication best explains this complaint?
A.Loss of central acuity affecting reading
B.Rod photoreceptor degeneration causing night blindness (nyctalopia) and reduced low-light adaptation
C.Lens opacity reducing color perception
D.Macular edema producing fluctuating central vision
Explanation: RP is a progressive degeneration of the rod photoreceptors first, causing nyctalopia (night blindness) and difficulty with dim-light adaptation, followed by progressive peripheral field constriction (tunnel vision). Central acuity is often preserved until late stages.
8Which federal law guarantees a free appropriate public education (FAPE) in the least restrictive environment (LRE) to students with disabilities ages 3-21 and is the primary statutory basis for school-based O&M services on an IEP?
A.Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973
B.Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Title II
C.Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), Part B
D.Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA)
Explanation: IDEA Part B governs special education for ages 3-21 and lists orientation and mobility as a related service. School-based O&M services are documented on an IEP. Part C of IDEA covers early intervention birth-to-3 services documented on an IFSP.
9A COMS is shorelining a residential sidewalk that has grass strips on the left side. The consumer is using a two-point touch technique. To shoreline the grass edge, the consumer should:
A.Center the cane arc on the body midline and walk straight
B.Extend the arc slightly to the left so the cane tip taps the grass edge on each left arc
C.Hold the cane vertically and tap the ground
D.Use the diagonal technique angled to the right
Explanation: Shorelining maintains contact with an edge feature (grass-concrete junction, wall, fence). With two-point touch, the consumer slightly extends the left arc to tap the grass edge on each leftward swing, using the auditory and tactile difference between concrete and grass as a line of travel. This keeps the consumer parallel to the sidewalk without relying on visual cues.
10What is the primary safety concern when teaching a consumer to navigate a modern roundabout?
A.Vehicles do not yield to pedestrians at roundabouts
B.Continuous, low-speed traffic flow and lack of definitive stop cues for pedestrian crossings
C.Roundabouts always lack marked crosswalks
D.Roundabouts are too quiet for traffic analysis
Explanation: Roundabouts present unique challenges for pedestrians who are blind: traffic flows continuously at relatively low speeds without coming to a complete stop, eliminating the clear 'lull' cue used at signalized intersections. Newer designs incorporate pedestrian-activated signals (RRFB, PHB) and channelized splitter islands as accessibility countermeasures.

About the ACVREP COMS Exam

The Certified Orientation and Mobility Specialist (COMS) credential is offered by ACVREP for professionals who teach orientation and mobility to people with visual impairments. The certification handbook lists 150 questions. Eligibility and employment requirements depend on the applicable certification pathway and employer; consult the official sources below.

Exam sponsor: Academy for Certification of Vision Rehabilitation & Education Professionals (ACVREP). The requirements and fees below concern the certification or admission exam, separate from our free practice resources.

Assessment

150 questions (handbook total)

Time Limit

Confirm with ACVREP; handbook timing is inconsistent

Passing Score

Criterion-referenced scaled score (set by ACVREP psychometric panel)

Exam / Certification Fees

Approx. $755 total (Eligibility Application $140 + Exam $490 + Certification $125)

Exam sponsor website

Reported exam pass rate: Not published. No exam-wide pass-rate figure was identified in the sources linked below. Exam sponsor website

Fees, eligibility, and exam policies can change. Confirm them with the exam sponsor before applying or paying.

Official sources

Our practice resources: topics covered

We aim to reflect publicly available exam outlines and topic information in our study resources. Coverage, format, and difficulty may differ from the actual exam, and we cannot guarantee that every detail is accurate or current. Confirm exam requirements, fees, and policies with the official exam sponsor.

Foundational

Professional Information

ADA Title II/III, IDEA Part B/C, Rehabilitation Act Section 504, AER position statements (e.g., NIMAS, expanded core curriculum), code of ethics, and history of O&M from Hoover/Hines forward

Foundational

Relevant Medical Information

Eye anatomy and pathways, refractive error, ocular pathology (AMD, glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy, RP, ROP), pediatric CVI, albinism, optic atrophy, deafblind syndromes, diabetes, seizure precautions

Core

O&M Assessment

Functional vision assessment, learning media assessment, motor assessment, environmental assessment, progress monitoring, and IFSP/IEP/IPE goal writing

Core

Mobility Skills

Human guide (sighted guide) technique, upper/lower protective techniques, trailing, diagonal cane, constant-contact, two-point touch, three-point touch, shoreline, ascending/descending stairs, escalators, doors, narrow passages

Core

Street Crossings and Transportation

Stop-controlled, signalized, all-pedestrian (Barnes Dance), roundabouts, channelized turn lanes, complex intersections, APS, RRFB, LPI; fixed-route bus, light rail, paratransit, ride-share

Core

Sensory Skills and ETAs

Auditory training (sound localization, traffic analysis, drop-off detection), tactile/kinesthetic skills, low vision training, and integration of electronic travel aids (e.g., UltraCane, WeWALK, smartphone GPS apps)

Specialty

Additional Disabilities

CVI behaviors and intervention, deafblind communication (tactile sign, print-on-palm, haptics), motor adaptations, AAC integration, and complex medical needs

Specialty

Diverse Consumers and Psychosocial

Pediatric (0-3, school-age), transition-age, working-age adult, and older adult populations; adjustment to vision loss; cultural responsiveness; family-centered practice

Preparing for the ACVREP COMS Exam

What You Need to Know

  • Passing score: Criterion-referenced scaled score (set by ACVREP psychometric panel)
  • Assessment: 150 questions (handbook total)
  • Time limit: Confirm with ACVREP; handbook timing is inconsistent
  • Exam / certification fees: Approx. $755 total (Eligibility Application $140 + Exam $490 + Certification $125) Official sources

Using Our Practice Resources

  • Work through all 100 available questions
  • Review every answer and explanation
  • Track weak areas and revisit them
  • Use our AI tutor for tough concepts

ACVREP COMS: Suggested Study Strategy

1Memorize cane technique selection rules: constant-contact for novices/uneven surfaces, two-point touch for residential pace, diagonal for indoor familiar settings
2Distinguish gap assessment at uncontrolled crossings from traffic-phase interpretation at signalized intersections. Study accessible pedestrian signals, leading pedestrian intervals, turning conflicts, and individualized crossing decisions.
3Drill ADA and IDEA distinctions: Part C (0-3), Part B (3-21), Section 504 plans, FAPE/LRE, and how O&M services are documented on IFSPs vs IEPs vs IPEs
4Learn CVI characteristics (Roman-Lantzy 10) and how each affects O&M instruction - especially complexity, novelty, and visual latency
5Practice eye-condition functional implications: central vs peripheral loss, photophobia in albinism, night blindness in RP, color/contrast losses
6Review deafblind communication options (tactile ASL, print-on-palm, Tadoma, haptics) and pediatric considerations like CHARGE syndrome
7Study traffic engineering basics: APS button placement, RRFB phasing, LPI duration, roundabout yield rules, and channelized right-turn risks
8Understand age-band cane prescription: long cane vs adaptive mobility device (AMD) for toddlers, pediatric cane length (sternum to floor), older adult considerations

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the ACVREP COMS exam format?

The ACVREP certification handbook lists 150 multiple-choice / multiple-select questions. Its time-limit wording is inconsistent, so confirm your scheduled duration directly with ACVREP rather than relying on the former 4-hour description on this page.

How is the COMS exam scored?

Criterion-referenced. ACVREP's psychometric panel sets a scaled passing standard rather than a fixed percentage. Results are reported as pass/fail, and ACVREP does not publish per-cycle pass rates.

What are the COMS eligibility requirements?

Category 1: bachelor's or master's degree from an ACVREP-recognized O&M university program. Category 2: equivalent bachelor's plus a Core Domain Area Checklist verified by a supervising COMS. Both categories require 350+ hours of supervised O&M internship under an experienced COMS.

How much does the COMS credential cost?

Approximately $755 total: $140 Eligibility Application fee, $490 Certification Examination fee (covers up to two attempts), and $125 Certification fee. A practice exam from ACVREP costs an additional $65.

How long is COMS certification valid?

Five years. ACVREP lists a $395 recertification application fee. Recertification by examination also carries a $350 first-attempt exam fee in addition to the applicable recertification application fee; retakes and late submissions can cost extra. Confirm the current fee schedule before paying.

Is the COMS exam required for employment?

Some employers require COMS certification for orientation and mobility roles. Requirements vary by employer, role, and jurisdiction; check the specific job posting and applicable professional requirements.

Does the COMS exam test specific cane techniques?

Yes. Constant-contact, two-point touch, three-point touch, diagonal, shoreline, and touch-and-slide are all assessed alongside human guide technique, protective techniques, and trailing - including selection criteria by consumer, environment, and surface.