Certified Ophthalmic Technician (COT) Test 2025 – 400 Free Practice Questions to Pass the Exam

The swinging flashlight test primarily compares the direct response in the stimulated eye and the consensual response in the other eye. This test is designed to assess the function of the optic nerve and the pathways responsible for pupillary light reflex.

When a light is swung back and forth between both eyes, the technician observes how each pupil reacts to the light stimulus. In a healthy system, exposure to light in one eye will cause that eye's pupil to constrict directly, while the other eye will constrict consensually. If there is a defect in the optic nerve of one eye, the affected eye will not constrict as strongly, demonstrating a relative afferent pupillary defect (RAPD). This indicates an issue with the sensory input of the optic nerve, allowing for assessment of potential underlying conditions.

The other choices do not capture the primary function of the swinging flashlight test:

- While the direct response in both eyes is observed, the critical aspect involves both direct and consensual responses.

- Static visual acuity pertains to the sharpness or clarity of vision, whereas the swinging flashlight test focuses specifically on pupillary responses, not visual sharpness.

- Pupil size at rest offers information about baseline conditions but does not provide insight into the dynamic responses affected by