Certified Paraoptometric (CPO) Practice Exam 2025

The retinoscope indicates the patient's refractive error when all motion in every direction is stopped. The exam process with a retinoscope involves shining a light into the patient's eye and observing the reflection off the retina. The movement of the light indicates whether the patient is hyperopic, myopic, or emmetropic.

When the illuminated area shows no noticeable movement—meaning the light is stationary—this indicates that the patient's refractive error has been neutralized. In this scenario, the refractive error is accurately detected, and the measurement can be taken to help determine the appropriate prescription.

The dilation of the pupil and the covering of one eye do not directly relate to the determination of refractive error in the context described; rather, these factors aid in the examination process but do not influence the stability of the light seen through the retinoscope. Therefore, stability of motion in the observed reflection is the critical indicator for assessing refractive error.