Macular degeneration
A blurred or dark patch in the centre of vision, more common after 50.
Amsler Grid Test
A tool for monitoring changes in your central vision, safe to use at home. Look at the dot, one eye at a time, and notice whether the lines stay straight.
- Senior Consultant Eye Surgeons
- 50+ combined years in ophthalmology
- Seven clinics in six locations islandwide
Camden (Orchard)Joo ChiatClementiBedokToa PayohJurong
Found this helpful?
A printable Amsler grid chart
Twenty squares by twenty, with a dot in the middle. Printed at actual size, the grid is 10 cm square, the size it is meant to be read at.
Print the PDF at 100% or actual size, not fit to page, and use the same printed copy each time.
How to do the Amsler grid test
One eye at a time, in about a minute.
- Wear your usual reading glasses, and check in good, even light.
- Hold the grid at your normal reading distance, about 30–35 cm from your eyes.
- Cover one eye with your hand.
- With the other eye, look straight at the centre dot and keep looking at it.
- While you look at the dot, notice whether any lines look wavy, bent, blurred, dark or missing, or whether the squares differ in size.
- Mark any such area on the grid with a pen, then repeat with the other eye.
If you notice a new change, such as lines that look wavy, blurred, dark or missing, or anything different since your last check, arrange an assessment with an eye specialist soon, and bring the marked grid with you.
The Amsler grid is not a substitute for an eye examination. It cannot diagnose or rule out an eye condition, so keep to your scheduled eye examinations even when the grid looks normal, particularly if you have known risk factors for age-related macular degeneration (AMD).
The Straits Eye Centre · WhatsApp or call +65 9295 2595 · eyespecialist.sg/eye-tests/amsler-grid/
What to look for on the grid
Anything that is not a straight, even line.
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A normal grid
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Simulated: a distorted grid
- Wavy or bent lines. Straight lines that ripple, bow or kink near the dot.
- A blurred or grey patch. An area where the lines look faint or smudged.
- Missing lines. A gap, or a dark spot, where part of the grid seems to disappear.
- Uneven squares. Some squares looking larger or smaller than the rest.
A change may show in one eye only. The other eye can fill in the gap without you noticing, which is why each eye is checked on its own.
Noticed a change on the grid? Tell our friendly staff what you have seen and they will arrange the right appointment.
What can change your central vision
Each of these affects the macula, the small centre of the retina. The grid cannot tell them apart or confirm any of them.
Macular hole or membrane
Straight lines look wavy or bent, or text blurs in the middle.
Swelling at the macula
Fluid at the centre of the retina.
Only an eye examination can find the cause. The eye specialist looks at the macula directly, often with an OCT scan of the retina.
Eye Screening Packages That Include an Amsler Grid Test
A baseline comprehensive eye examination is recommended at the age of 40, even when nothing feels wrong. Two of our screening packages include an Amsler test.
| Screening package | Price |
|---|---|
| Diabetic retinal screening | $99 |
| Comprehensive eye screening | $249 |
Prices shown are for our community clinics at Bedok, Clementi, Toa Payoh and Jurong. All fees shown are nett, and each figure is the price of the whole screening package.
The screening packages are senior optometrist-led and every report is reviewed by an ophthalmologist.
Where can I get an eye screening in Singapore?
Seven clinics, at six addresses. The screening package prices above are for our four community clinics.
The Straits Eye Centre @ Camden
Camden Medical Centre
1 Orchard Boulevard, #06-07/08 & #12-04
Singapore 248649
- Nearest MRT
- Orchard Boulevard (TE13)
- Directions
- Open in Maps
The Straits Eye and Myopia Clinic @ Camden
Camden Medical Centre
1 Orchard Boulevard, #12-04
Singapore 248649
- Nearest MRT
- Orchard Boulevard (TE13)
- Directions
- Open in Maps
The Straits Eye Centre for Kids & Adults @ Parkway East
Parkway East Medical Centre
319 Joo Chiat Place, #03-03
Singapore 427989
- Nearest MRT
- Eunos (EW7)
- Directions
- Open in Maps
The Straits Eye Community Clinic @ Clementi
Blk 443 Clementi Avenue 3, #01-69
Singapore 120443
In Clementi New Town Centre
- Nearest MRT
- Clementi (EW23)
- Directions
- Open in Maps
The Straits Eye Community Clinic @ Bedok
211 New Upper Changi Rd, #01-743
Singapore 460211
In Bedok New Town Centre
- Nearest MRT
- Bedok (EW5)
- Directions
- Open in Maps
The Straits Eye Community Clinic @ Toa Payoh
Blk 185 Toa Payoh Central, #01-320
Singapore 310185
- Nearest MRT
- Toa Payoh (NS19)
- Directions
- Open in Maps
The Straits Eye Community Clinic @ Jurong
21 Jurong Gateway Rd, #02-07
Singapore 608546
In CPF Jurong Office Building
- Nearest MRT
- Jurong East (EW24/NS1)
- Directions
- Open in Maps
Noticed a change on the grid?
Send us a message with what you have seen and a time that suits, and our staff will arrange the appointment.
Common questions
What is an Amsler grid?
A square grid of straight lines with a dot at the centre. You look at the dot with one eye at a time and notice whether the lines around it stay straight and complete. It is a tool for monitoring changes in your central vision, the part you read and recognise faces with.
How do you use an Amsler grid?
Wear your reading glasses, hold the grid at your normal reading distance and cover one eye. Look at the centre dot and keep looking at it. Without moving your eye, notice whether any lines look wavy, blurred, dark or missing. Mark anything you see, then do the same with the other eye.
What does an abnormal Amsler grid look like?
Lines that bend or ripple, a blurred or grey patch, an area where the lines disappear, or squares that look larger or smaller than the rest. It may affect one eye only, which is why each eye is checked on its own. Any new change is a reason to have your eyes assessed.
What size should an Amsler grid be?
The standard grid is 10 cm square, twenty squares by twenty, each 5 mm across, held about 30 to 35 cm from the eyes. Our PDF prints at that size when your printer is set to 100% or actual size rather than fit to page.
Can I do the Amsler grid test on my phone or screen?
You can, but the grid changes size with the device, so one check is harder to compare with the next. Printing the grid at actual size and using the same copy each time makes a change easier to notice.
Is the Amsler grid safe to use at home?
Yes. You only look at a printed chart, one eye at a time, so it is safe to use at home as often as your eye doctor advises.
How often should I check with the Amsler grid?
As often as your eye doctor advises. Check in the same light, at the same distance and with the same glasses each time, so that a change stands out.
Does a normal Amsler grid mean my eyes are healthy?
No. The Amsler grid is a tool for monitoring changes in your central vision, and it is not a substitute for an eye examination. It cannot diagnose or rule out an eye condition, so keep to your scheduled eye examinations even when the grid looks normal, particularly if you have known risk factors for age-related macular degeneration.
Is an Amsler test part of an eye screening?
Yes, in the $99 diabetic retinal screening and the $249 comprehensive eye screening at our community clinics in Bedok, Clementi, Toa Payoh and Jurong. All fees shown are nett.