A client has a Snellen eye test result of 20/30. Which statement correctly describes this finding?

A client has a Snellen eye test result of 20/30. Which statement correctly describes this finding?

• A. Your eyes see at 20 feet what visually unimpaired eyes see at 30 feet.
• B. Your right eye can see the chart clearly at 20 feet, and your left eye can see the chart clearly at 30 feet.
• C. Your eyes see at 30 feet what visually unimpaired eyes see at 20 feet.
• D. Your left eye can see the chart clearly at 20 feet, and your right eye can see the chart clearly at 30 feet.

Answer: (A)

Interpreting a Snellen result hinges on understanding what the fractions mean. The top number is how far the person stood from the chart during testing, and the bottom number is the distance at which a person with normal visual acuity could read the same line. So a result of 20/30 means you can read that line from 20 feet, while someone with normal vision could read it from 30 feet. This indicates reduced visual acuity, since the second number is larger than 20. If the bottom number were smaller than 20, your acuity would be better than average; larger than 20 means worse. Sometimes results are reported for one eye or for both together, but the description above captures the meaning of 20/30.

Interpreting a Snellen result hinges on understanding what the fractions mean. The top number is how far the person stood from the chart during testing, and the bottom number is the distance at which a person with normal visual acuity could read the same line. So a result of 20/30 means you can read that line from 20 feet, while someone with normal vision could read it from 30 feet. This indicates reduced visual acuity, since the second number is larger than 20. If the bottom number were smaller than 20, your acuity would be better than average; larger than 20 means worse. Sometimes results are reported for one eye or for both together, but the description above captures the meaning of 20/30.