The Cardiff Acuity Test is designed especially for the hard-to-test age group 12 months to 3 years. It uses familiar pictures and a procedure in the form of a game to attract and retain the attention of young children. However, the test does not require the child to be able to name or even to recognise the pictures. Instead, it relies on the technique of ‘preferential looking’ – that is, the observer simply notes the child’s eye movements in order to determine whether he or she can see the picture. 

This means that the test can be used irrespective of a child’s developmental stage, making it ideal for testing children and adults with intellectual difficulties.  The Cardiff Acuity Test was developed by Dr. J. Margaret Woodhouse, at the School of Optometry and Vision Sciences, Cardiff University in the UK. It has been rigorously validated and is now recommended by leading paediatric vision consultants worldwide. 

The range of visual acuity levels covered is from 6/48 and 6/96 to 6/3.75 and 6/7.5 (at working distances of 1m and 50cm). Visual acuity is tested in steps of 1/3 octave, or 0.1 LogMar, thus offering good precision in measurement. 

The test is portable and is supplied with its own carry case and full instructions.