Free self-check · 2 minutes

Amsler test: check your central vision

The classic grid card for noticing distortion in your central vision — with honest explanation of what this test can and cannot do.

⚠ Acute symptoms?Sudden vision loss, an eye injury, chemicals in the eye, severe pain, or new blind spots in your visual field? Don't wait for an online explanation — call your GP (huisarts), the out-of-hours GP service, or 112 immediately.

How to do the test

  1. 1Wear your reading glasses if you normally use them.
  2. 2Hold the screen at about 30–40 cm.
  3. 3Cover one eye with your hand (don't squeeze it shut).
  4. 4Look at the dot in the centre with your other eye — and keep looking at it.
  5. 5Pay attention to the surrounding lines without moving your gaze.
  6. 6Then repeat with your other eye.

What do you see while looking at the dot?

Honest about this test

  • This is a coarse self-check, not a diagnostic instrument. A normal image does not rule out eye conditions.
  • The size on your screen differs from the standard paper card; for regular monitoring (e.g. with known AMD) the paper card and your ophthalmologist's schedule are leading.
  • Test one eye at a time — with both eyes open, your good eye masks what the other one misses.

Frequently asked questions

How often should I do the Amsler test?

Without an eye condition: not on a fixed schedule — it's mainly useful to check a change you noticed. With (dry) macular degeneration, follow your ophthalmologist's schedule, usually weekly with the paper card.

The lines look slightly distorted — is that always serious?

Not necessarily: the wrong reading glasses, a dirty lens or viewing at an angle can distort too. But new, persistent distortion in one eye should always be assessed — better checked once too often than once too late.

Does this test replace an eye exam?

No. The Amsler test coarsely checks central vision only. Conditions like glaucoma start at the edges and stay invisible on this grid. Periodic check-ups remain the foundation.

Further reading in the knowledge base

Ocular migraine: the shimmer that scares you once

Shimmering zigzag lines expanding over 20 minutes and vanishing by themselves: usually a migraine aura, headache or not. How to recognise it and when to get checked anyway.

An 'eye stroke': vessel occlusion in the retina

Suddenly seeing less or nothing with one eye can be a retinal vessel occlusion — a stroke of the eye. Why that is urgent, what treatment looks like, and what it says about your vessels.

Want real certainty?

A registered optometrist reviews your complete file — measurements, scans and your question — and signs a report. Within 48 hours.

See the review options