What To Expect
What happens during a home eye test?
Short answer: A home eye test takes around 45 minutes and is carried out by a GOC-registered optometrist who brings all the portable equipment to your front room. The visit includes a discussion of your vision and general health, distance and near vision checks, a prescription test, eye-pressure and eye-health checks using portable instruments, and — if needed — help choosing new glasses from a frame case. You stay seated in your own chair throughout.
Before the visit
We'll confirm the appointment by phone the day before and again about 30 minutes before arrival. The optometrist will show photo ID and a GOC registration card at the door. You don't need to prepare anything — just be in your usual seat, with your current glasses to hand if you have any.
The visit, step by step
- Conversation (5 minutes). The optometrist asks about your vision, any changes since the last test, your general health, medications and family history of eye conditions.
- Vision check (10 minutes). A portable reading chart is set at the correct distance. You read what you can — there are no wrong answers.
- Prescription test (10 minutes). Different lenses are tried in a trial frame so the optometrist can find the prescription that gives you the clearest, most comfortable vision.
- Eye-health checks (10 minutes). A portable ophthalmoscope is used to look at the back of each eye. A handheld tonometer measures eye pressure (a gentle puff or contact reading). These checks screen for cataracts, glaucoma, age-related macular degeneration and diabetic eye changes.
- Discussion and recommendations (5–10 minutes). The optometrist explains the results in plain language, writes up the prescription, and — if needed — shows you frames from a portable case so you can choose new glasses without leaving your chair.
Will it hurt?
No. Nothing in a routine home eye test is painful. Eye-pressure checks can feel a little odd for a second, and the bright light used to view the back of the eye can be momentarily dazzling — that's it.
Can a family member or carer stay?
Yes, and we encourage it — especially for patients with dementia, anxiety or hearing difficulties. A familiar face usually makes the visit calmer.
Source: General Optical Council standards of practice; College of Optometrists domiciliary care guidance.
Need to speak to someone?
Our team will check your eligibility over the phone in under two minutes — no obligation.