American Board of Opticianry (ABO) Practice Test

What type of visual condition does the following prescription correct: +2.00 -1.50 x 180 OU?

1. Simple myopic astigmatism

2. Compound myopic astigmatism

3. Simple hyperopic astigmatism

4. Compound hyperopic astigmatism

The correct answer is: Compound hyperopic astigmatism

A compound hyperopic astigmatism is when both the spherical and cylindrical powers are hyperopic, meaning the person can see objects far away but has difficulty seeing objects up close. In this prescription, the +2.00 indicates the spherical power and the -1.50 indicates the cylindrical power, meaning there is both hyperopia and astigmatism present. The x 180 indicates that the astigmatism is most significant on the horizontal axis. Therefore, this prescription corrects for both hyperopia and astigmatism, making it the correct answer. Option A is incorrect because simple myopic astigmatism would have a negative spherical power and a positive cylindrical power, meaning the person would have trouble seeing objects far away. Option B is incorrect because compound myopic astigmatism would have both negative spherical and cylindrical powers, making it difficult to see objects both far away and up close. Option C is incorrect because simple hyperopic astigmatism would have a positive spherical power and a negative cylindrical power, meaning the person would have trouble seeing objects up close.