COT Cheat Sheet 2026

The 30 highest-yield COT facts, distilled from real exam questions. Print it, save it as a PDF, or study it here — free, no sign-up.

1. Normal intraocular pressure (IOP) in adults typically ranges from: → 10–21 mmHg
2. Which one of the following is NOT a technique for nucleus removal in phacoemulsification? → Cut and paste technique
3. Proper hand hygiene in the ophthalmic clinic should occur: → Before and after every patient contact
4. Which photoreceptor type is primarily responsible for color vision and functions best in photopic (bright light) conditions? → Cones
5. A basic telescopic system used for distance low vision consists of which optical components? → An objective lens and an ocular (eyepiece) lens
6. When obtaining a patient's ocular history, asking about prior LASIK or refractive surgery is important primarily because it affects: → IOP measurements and IOL power calculations
7. Which technique involves training a patient with a central scotoma to use a peripheral retinal area for fixation? → Eccentric viewing
8. During confrontation visual field testing, the examiner's visual field serves as the: → Control for comparison with the patient's field
9. Which slit-lamp illumination technique is best for detecting corneal edema and stromal haze? → Sclerotic scatter
10. When performing Goldmann applanation tonometry, what is the correct visual endpoint that indicates an accurate measurement? → The inner edges of the two fluorescein semi-circles just touch.
11. A language barrier is identified with a patient. The BEST approach is to: → Use a qualified medical interpreter service
12. Which of the following is an example of a non-optical low vision aid? → Large-print books and bold-line writing paper
13. The cover-uncover test primarily detects which type of ocular deviation? → Tropia (manifest deviation)
14. Anyone whose skin is penetrated by a used surgical instrument must report the incident within → immediately.
15. Which optical device can be mounted on spectacles to redirect images from a blind visual field area into the patient's seeing field? → Fresnel prism
16. The fovea centralis, responsible for the sharpest central vision, is located in which retinal structure? → Macula lutea
17. Which of the following tests is designed to differentiate between a heterophoria and a heterotropia by observing the uncovered eye? → Cover-Uncover Test
18. Which of the following are steps surgical team members can take to avoid spreading infection to the patient? → All of the above
19. The anterior chamber angle structures visible on gonioscopy, from posterior to anterior, are in which order? → Ciliary body band, scleral spur, trabecular meshwork, Schwalbe's line
20. A Goldmann applanation tonometry reading can be falsely lowered by which of the following factors? → A central cornea that is thinner than average
21. The lens of the eye is held in position by which structure? → Zonules of Zinn
22. The corneal epithelium is replaced approximately every how many days under normal conditions? → 5–7 days
23. Which layer of the retina contains the cell bodies of photoreceptors? → Outer nuclear layer
24. Which type of magnification is achieved simply by moving an object closer to the patient's eye, without using any optical device? → Relative distance magnification
25. A patient presents with an inability to abduct their left eye (turn it outward). A lesion of which cranial nerve is the most likely cause of this deficit? → Cranial Nerve VI (Abducens)
26. Disease which is indicated by the presence of microaneurysms, dot/blot hemes, and lipid exudates from a leakage of the retinal vessels → Diabetic Retinopathy
27. The near point of accommodation (NPA) test measures: → The closest point at which a patient can maintain clear focus
28. Which class of ophthalmic drugs works by primarily decreasing the production of aqueous humor to lower intraocular pressure? → Beta-blockers
29. Longest-acting mydriatic → Atropine
30. During ocular motility testing, you ask a patient to follow your target with both eyes to the right. This binocular, conjugate movement is referred to as: → Dextroversion