The College of Optometrists

Just wondered what the fail limit is for doing retinoscopy - I failed by being 0.75DS out on ret and that was the only comment on the examiners report.

Any advice on getting through routine next time?! (I have been doing ret all year so don't understand how I was that much out!)

Thanks.

was going to answer this in a totaly different way but ...... that seems harsh. good luck next time.

Does seem harsh. I read in PQE advise book that can be 1DS/-1DC out in ret. Good luck in your resit

that's so annoying. I feel a bit cheated now! Still, I suppose there must have been something else that made them think I just wasn't ready this time.

Here's hoping I get through the resit...

if there was any other reason, the examiners should have noted it down. 0.75 D out seems very harsh.

Hey zinnia, from what u'v said it seems really harsh! there ma have been something else involved but the limits ate 1DS/1DC as lucic said, read through the fail comments they may be something else but thats really unfortunate.. good luck with ur next attempt :)

harsh,very harsh,could be another fail area for them,but considering they write lots down during your exam and only put in a few lines for the fail sheets,there could be something else-call it bad luck if you did finish your routine and get spot on rx

The fact that these particular examiners only mentioned the 0.75DS ret error proves that they were absolutely useless at examining at the PQEs.

I would say that its infact impossible to fail a routine exam by being a mere 0.75DS out on ret. Afterall, what is ret in real life - its only a guide before subjective. I am assuming your patient was not a 3 month old baby where ret can be considered the end all and be all.

So surely there MUST have been another area which was deemed pass/fail and was the real reason behind your failure. What a shame that the examiners can't be bothered to write it on what's supposed to be a report.

Zinnia

if that was all you failed on in the examiners comments, you have grounds for appeal, the limits are usually +/-1.00 and a sliding scale of axis accuracy depending on the cylindrical power.

If they have not written anything else on your comments sheet then it would be difficult to argue they had failed you for anything else.

Unimpressive if that is all they have written.

appeal it!

Whilst doing retinoscopy, my examiner asked me to assume the px was Chinese and my ret result would be the final Rx. He took 5 mins checking my ret and messing up my trial lens case, however my ret was beautiful, 6/5 both eyes!

well played nerius,most people would have cracked under that pressure

thank you sir, i owe it all to you.

Appeal - ask to see all the examiners comments - I would think that under the data protection act you are allowed to see anything written about you ?!?!? after all we are being screwed by the GOC with regard to CL's and OC's etc for specs (I bet that is to come!) so goto the college and ask them it cant hurt. Least of all the examiner may get a slapped wrist for being a naughty boy/girl!

iithink if you have the time and ability to recover ANY mistake made in the ret, you probaply pass. on my examis i was -2.00DC out (with the correct axis) ans pupils of 2mm. i corrected that on the subjective and i explained my actions to the examiner. i passed the routine.

so,i really think it depends on the case. eg for a young Px you must be really close.

Zinnia were did you sit your exams?