Visual Field Test
A map of your side vision. You press a button each time a small light appears, one eye at a time. No drops, and nothing touches the eye.
- Senior Consultant Eye Surgeons
- 50+ combined years in ophthalmology
- Seven clinics in six locations islandwide
Camden (Orchard)Joo ChiatClementiBedokToa PayohJurong
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What a visual field test is
Your visual field is everything you can see while looking straight ahead, including your side vision. A visual field test maps it, one eye at a time.
Ours is done on a Humphrey field analyser, which is why it is often called a Humphrey visual field test. You may also see it called perimetry, a VF test or a peripheral vision test.
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Simulated: keep looking at the centre, and press when a light appears
How a visual field test is done
One eye at a time, at a bowl-shaped screen.
- You sit at the machine and rest your chin against a frame. One eye is covered.
- You look at a light in the centre of the bowl and keep looking at it throughout.
- Small lights flash one at a time around it. Some are bright, some very faint.
- You press a button each time you see one. Then the other eye is done.
A lens may be placed in front of the eye so the lights are in focus. Blinking is fine.
How long it takes, and how to prepare
- A few minutes per eye, with a little time before for setting up.
- Bring your glasses or contact lenses, and come rested: the test asks for steady concentration.
- No drops are needed, so you can drive and read normally afterwards.
- You can ask to pause at any point if you need a rest.
Been asked to have a field test? Tell our friendly staff what you have been told and they will arrange the right appointment.
What the results show
A map, read as a pattern rather than a score.
- Where lights were seen and missed, across the field of each eye.
- Missing some is normal. Everyone has a natural blind spot, and the faintest lights are meant to be hard to see.
- A first test is sometimes repeated, because results often improve once you know what to expect.
Your eye doctor reads the map alongside the eye pressure and an OCT scan of the optic nerve.
Why side vision is checked in a glaucoma assessment
Glaucoma usually affects side vision first, and the other eye can fill in the gap, so a change often goes unnoticed.
Repeated over time, the field test shows whether side vision is changing. It is also used where a drooping eyelid, or a condition of the optic nerve, may affect side vision.
Visual Field Test Cost in Singapore
A visual field test is part of our comprehensive eye screening, and can be done as part of an eye consultation.
| Screening package | Price |
|---|---|
| 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.
Common questions
What is a visual field test?
A test that maps your side vision, one eye at a time. You look at a central point and press a button whenever a small light appears around it. The result is a map of where lights were seen and where they were missed.
What is a Humphrey visual field test?
A visual field test done on a Humphrey field analyser, the bowl-shaped machine used for it at The Straits Eye Centre. The name is the machine’s; the test is the same visual field test.
How long does a visual field test take?
A few minutes for each eye, with a little time before for setting up. You can ask to pause if you need a rest.
Does a visual field test hurt?
No. Nothing touches the eye and no drops are needed. It asks for concentration, so it can feel tiring rather than uncomfortable.
What do visual field test results mean?
The result is a map of your side vision, read as a pattern rather than a score. It is normal to miss some lights, and a first test is sometimes repeated because results often improve with practice. Your eye doctor reads it alongside the eye pressure and an OCT scan.
Can I drive after a visual field test?
Yes. The test uses no drops and does not change your vision.
How much does a visual field test cost?
No price is published for a visual field test on its own. It is part of the $249 comprehensive eye screening at our community clinics in Bedok, Clementi, Toa Payoh and Jurong, nett, and can be done as part of an eye consultation.
Book a visual field test
Send us a message with what you have been told and a time that suits, and our staff will arrange the appointment.
