Hi, sorry to be a pain as I know the dreaded VFT have been on here a lot lately and I have really learnt a lot from reading them.
However, I just have a quick question please? So for the DVLA one I have read I need to wear my glasses, but which ones? I have glasses for reading and for distance. My consultant said they would just add lenses but they don’t do that. Is it like being in a video game lol? I’m assuming as it’s close I won’t need distance glasses?
Sorry if I’m being confusing 😄
If you're having the test at an optician's it might be worth ringing them to ask, but to be on the safe side take both pairs, good luck
Thank you. That’s my problem, I couldn’t get an optician appointment until recently after cataract surgery so my prescription has changed and my glasses for distance may not arrive until after the DVLA test 🤦♀️ . The DVLA only give you a short window to book the appointment and I left it til the end of that time, but it’s impossible to get through to them on the phone. I’m sure as it’s quite close up it will be okay, my sight is so much better after the cataracts 🤞but that’s why I was wondering if I would need the distance ones. I hope all is well with you.
I came home from rehab 2 weeks ago, I'm really frustrated because before I left I started walking using a stick, I'm fine with it indoors, but outside I've only had 20 minutes and I've been told not to go out until I've learnt, from a, physio or OT, how to use it outdoors but otherwise I'm fine thank you x
That’s annoying as I’m sure it takes time to get the physios or OTs to show you, but best to be safe. I hope they help soon and I’m glad you’re home x
Usually I have been asked to wear my distance glasses for the DVLA field test, but this year , a few weeks ago I was advised to try without wearing glasses . I was told that if I found it difficult then I could have another go using the glasses.
For me it seemed so much easier without glasses, and as you say the screen is so near that distance glasses does seem odd. Do make sure you are comfortable with the correct height for the seat and chin rest before beginning .
As Jennymary says just take all your glasses anyway... and do tell Specsavers that you are awaiting your new lenses. They normally also do the usual eye chart test , so you would need distance glasses for that.
My last test was a very positive experience and I am hoping the DVLA will be happy too!
Hope things go well.
Thank you muddledme. I think probably my eyes will be better without the glasses as my new glasses are mainly to add a prism for slight double vision.
I've never had the DVLA test but at the hospital and at the optician they check your reading glasses and put the correct lens into the eyepiece in the machine.
You need to wear the glasses you would use to drive in. This field test just tests your ability to see with two eyes, at the same time, in the same situation that you would be to drive. You can have up to three attemts so if you feel you’ve fluffed it just do it again. If I remember correctly, they tested me with my glasses on I think and then once without. They also do a visual acuity test with and without glasses I think. 👍🏻 Apparently I’ve been told you can request copies of your field test results. They can’t tell you how you’ve done though that’s left for DVLA to judge.
Thank you. I’ve just phoned my opticians who have put urgent on my glasses at the lab so I’m just hoping they turn up before Monday. The problem we have is that we can’t ever get through to the DVLA to speak to someone. My glasses are mainly to correct slight double vision so my optician seems to think I will be okay without them 🤞
Yes DVLA never answer these days. Hopefully your new glasses will arrive in time! 🤞🏻
😊🤞
You DON'T need to worry about any of this.
FORGET trying to get through to Swansea. Complete waste of time.
Yes take your glasses, if you have them, to the test.
You can try both with and without. And as has been mentioned you can have three goes and Specsavers will send your best result [ the most light flashes spotted correctly ] to DVLA.
I did mine a few weeks ago, first with my specs [ multifocal, post cataract surgery a few years ago, so I can actually see ok without them ] . On that, first, one I missed, I think I was told, nineteen of the flashes.
But the specs do have thick black frames and the person conducting suggested have another go without specs..
On this one I apparently got ALL the light flashes [ 119 in total ? ].
So obviously I preferred them to send that result to Swansea.
I was very surprised to learn I had not missed any of the light flashes, as I do have glaucoma ( worse in one eye than the other ).
But maybe the difference is that the Specsavers tests you do with both eyes open at the same time, so one compensates for the other, plus maybe a bit of brain how's your father ? Lol. [ Forgive use of technical vocab.]
So..........don't worry............be happy.........Think of all that life extending exercise you'll get if your DL is cancelled !
Thank you 😊. I think I’ve just gotta go for it and stop worrying. If I get my specs in time I’ll bring them, but like you post cataract ops my sight is pretty good. I know once I’ve done the first I’ll be fine as I’ll know what to expect next time …. Assuming there will be a next time 😄
I agree - it's nothing to worry about. My experiences with Specsavers have been excellent. They take time to make sure you're happy with the tests. I did one test with my usual driving glasses on and another one without glasses (in case the frames were obstructing my view on the first test). I also found Specsavers very good because they conducted the tests in a very dark and quiet room - which I'm sure is better than the hospital tests I've had where the room was fairly light and there were lots of distractions (people wandering around and talking).
Thank you that’s good to know.
Interesting to hear of people being offered several attempts at the fields test. I can’t remember that happening although it is now 5 months since I took the test and I’ve still not heard from the DVLA.As everyone says contacting the DVLA is impossible. However I found the Specsavers specialist DVLA team extremely helpful. They got me two extensions when I wasn’t ready to take the test within the DVLA time scale. This is a dedicated team central team whose details are on the information sent out by the DVLA.
Thank you for letting me know about the specialist team as I hadn’t realised that and the branch were unable to help. I will look at the information they sent me.
Good luck with that. As far as I can remember they were able to give me a three week extension because my eyes hadn’t settled down from surgery and my old glasses were no longer the right prescription. Then I got another three week extension until I could get up to date glasses made. They informed the DVLA of what they’d done. In fact my prescription changed again after I’d taken the test so who knows what the outcome will be!
Thank you so much for telling me this. I tried to contact the DVLA and phoned the Specsavers branch who apparently should have helped and didn’t, but I didn’t even think to contact the number on the Specsavers letter 🤦♀️. Now I’ve spoken to the DVLA Specsavers team and they’ve given me a 2 week extension. Just need to get through to the branch again now to reschedule the appointment 😊. As much as I might not need the glasses I’m going to feel a lot better if I have them with me just in case. I hope you get a positive outcome from your test soon.
I’m so pleased this has worked for you like it did for me. Good luck to you also.
This is really good news, and hopefully it will make you feel more in control and give you confidence when you take the test. Good luck x
I think it is exactly that, I just need to know I’ve got the glasses just in case. Thank you x
I took the DVLA field and acuity tests 3 weeks ago. I took my reading glasses along (I don't need driving glasses). I did the field test with and without reading glasses and the one WITHOUT was BETTER than the one with (the glass frames are a real problem).
To keep my concentration, I blinked multiple times every second and looked (very briefly) around in between light flashes. I did this to stop my eyes watering up.
They gave me the acuity test after the field test, and said I should wait around 15 minutes for my eyes to recover. That made me think why they didn't do the reading test first - when my eyes were not strained by 20 minutes of hell.
During the reading (acuity) test, instead of starting with large letters and working down, they went straight for small letters. This wrecked my confidence even more. So they then worked backwards showing me larger letters until I could read them.
At the end I asked if I could see the results, and they showed me them (that's how I could see the field test without glasses was better than the one with). I've had a number of reading tests and have passed them all without problem (not 20/20 vision, but way higher than required for a snellen test pass).
I'm still waiting to hear the results, but the one bit of hope I have is that my tester (when I pleaded with him) did say that as far as he was concerned, my eyes were fine, but that DVLA may interpret the results differently.
I was diagnosed with advanced glaucoma in both eyes 2 months ago. The ophthalmologist said I had tunnel vision (I don't - not in my opinion, my sight has been much the same for the last 25 years).
I think the machine the hospital tested me on was faulty (there were many problems at the hospital that day, and the person who gave me the test was a trainee who had to ask for help 3 times during the test itself - this at my diagnosis, not the DVLA test I hasten to add - the DVLA test was far easier).
My biggest question so far of this whole scary experience is this: why is everyone so cagey? it's so so hard to get anyone to tell me anything (what are they so afraid of?). The level of trust is close to zero. It's no wonder so many people have such a hard time with this test.
PS. I wish you the very best of luck.
Thank you. Your experience doesn’t sound good, but at least it seems that the tests were fine. If the optician has said that then hopefully there shouldn’t be a reason for the DVLA to read it differently. I hope you get a positive result back soon.
Everyone on here has been so helpful once again and I know that I might not need my glasses but for peace of mind I’ve been able to get an extension so that when I do go I’m covering all angles 😊.
Hi there, I don’t have any experience about visual field tests for DVLA so I can’t inform you about the glasses situation just about my experience the other day on one of my checkups.I had a Preser flow shut fitted two weeks ago and had my third checkup and I told him I would be going back to work soon and can I drive . He said he was reluctant to say yes just in case of a problem but then he said why don’t we do the DVLA driving field test now, we’ll I gulped and said ok .
Now I had been reading on here and some of you nice people had said that you use two eyes at once and that the lights are much brighter, so I asked the nurse to make sure and yes it was so .
To say it was lengthy is an understatement but I was quietly confident because it seemed much easier to do than the basic one .
He called me back in and showed me it and said it was so precise so no problem but that I must inform the DVLA of my glaucoma,I presume they send for you each year for a test ?
My next question was can I put my makeup back on my eye and he said yes so I said that’s the right answer and I could see him smiling behind his mask 😁 so off I went a very happy patient . I’m just praying my pressure stays at 8 and the shunt carry’s on doing its job back in four weeks .
That’s great that the shunts are working so well and you’ve already had the experience of a DVLA type field test 😊. You sound similar to be about the make up, I’ve just had SLT and that was the first question I asked too 😂.
When I informed the DVLA about my glaucoma they came back really quickly, but I understand it takes a lot longer to hear from them about the results of the Visual Field Test. I think the tests are every three years but not sure.
Ps I was told the DVLA are about a year behind!
Thanks for your reply ,oh that’s good every three years I can live with that . And yes I don’t even like opening my front door the the postman without a full face of slap on ha ha 😂
😂
Spaniel dog lover (I am too), I’m interested in your view about wearing glasses for the test.
Having moved house I foolishly notified the DVLA that I had ocular hypertension, when changing my address on my driving licence. Why foolishly? It’s because both the hospital and optician say that my sight is really good. However, I’ve now had two tests, followed by a re-call test and none have satisfied the DVLA. I’m about to have a third set of tests in two weeks time, but am now really stressed because I can’t understand what the problem is and am confident that my field of vision is really good.
I’ve chosen a different Specsavers for the next test, who have the Henson machine, as I’ve read people find it easier, but I’m not sure whether I should or should not wear my glasses, especially as they’re varifocals, but wonder whether not wearing them has been the problem. I actually prefer driving without them and feel that I have a wide angle of sight into the far distance.
Any advice would be welcome. I’m obviously concerned about the risk of losing my licence, even though I no longer do motorway driving, as I’m really fit and active, but have a husband who’s on a drugs trial for Alzheimer’s, so would be adversely affected if I couldn’t do local driving. Very obviously, I wouldn’t drive if I felt my vision was impaired, but that’s not the view of my consultant. I do not yet have glaucoma and my ocular hypertension is well managed with monopost eye drops.
Hi JustAmanda, where did you have your tests was that at Specsavers for the DVLA? My optician, Vision Express, have said I can do some practice runs on their VFT machine before my next DVLA test so if you could do that perhaps you could practice with and without glasses.
When I have a VFT for my consultant appointment they put lenses in the machine for me and these are my reading glasses prescription as they say the test is close up. It’s really hard as I’ve read conflicting experiences. I wear verifocals now and I’m not sure how comfortable I would be wearing them for the test.
Sorry I know that’s not really helpful but if you have the opportunity I would really advise the practice runs.
Thank you.
Yes, it’s the DVLA Specsavers test. Initially I had two, and was then recalled and they did a further test, which came back as inconclusive. I now have to have another, but have lost confidence in the Humphrey machine, so have arranged the next appointment at a Specsavers with a Henson machine,
As yet, I only have ocular hypertension and from reading think I need not have declared it when changing my address, because it’s only glaucoma that is questionable. However, being super honest, I declared it and am now caught up in this cycle of stressful tests. I genuinely feel that my vision is excellent, which is why the thought of failing is freaking me out.
If I don’t pass the next one I shall not only be appealing but asking for a longer appointment at my annual hospital checkup, hopefully to get the view of my consultant, who actually monitors my optic nerve. Just maybe, the test on the Henson machine will be ok. It’s just such a worrying time.
It is always so pressurised having these tests. I hope all goes well for you next time.
Thank you!
Thank you to all who kindly commented on my repeated field vision tests. Today, my driving licence dropped through the letterbox! I hadn’t appreciated the extent to which I’d developed a fear or brown envelopes, until I felt that small piece of plastic inside.
For others who find themselves being recalled, do ensure the chin rest is in the right position. My hypothesis for being recalled so often was that the two eye test was being performed from a left, unadjusted chin rest. It may just be my hypothesis. It may not be the reason, but I still have no other idea why I kept being recalled.
I think it’s important that one makes SpecSavers aware just how stressful these tests can be, especially with so much at stake. On the test I’ve just passed, I made them aware that I’d completely lost confidence to see the spots. They could not have been kinder or more helpful. The important thing is to make sure they’re being performed to the right requirements, because there’s too much to lose. People’s experiences seem to vary considerably so the only way one can protect one’s own interests is to make sure the chin rest is right, and let them know if you feel anxious.
I’ve pondered that very point, and asked about it.
I was not required to wear my varifocals, and can see why: You simply put your head on a chin rest (insist it’s centralised - the tests I did which were not satisfactory, were both conducted from the left chin rest. Obviously a central position is better when you’re testing two eyes together) and then click a button each time you see a tiny spot of light appearing. At the dome is quite small (probably 18 inches) I’m not sure that reading or distance glasses are designed for that distance. In my working days I had office lens, which weren’t distance but enabled me to read a computer screen and a file in front if me, but I think my glasses then were totally different to my varifocals.
As you’re allowed 3 attempts, you could try one with your specs., but they do suggest not wearing them, because the frames could obscure your vision at the furthest perimeters. I have heard of people being offered a clear lens but would question how accurate that could be, if it wasn’t your prescription.
Having grown quite anxious by being recalled twice, I explained to the lady testing this time that I’d completely lost my confidence to press the button. She was most understanding and was the first one to ever alter the chin rest. So do ask questions and do share any concerns because I’m sure this is why I finally passed round 3.
Visual field test results
The dreaded Visual Fields Test.
DVLA field test backlog
DVLA vision field test 
Visual Field Driving test result
