The gold standard in testing
The Kay Picture Test is the only fully researched and validated picture visual acuity test.
Kay Pictures was founded in 1984 by orthoptist Hazel Kay after she researched and developed the Kay Picture Test vision testing system to enable earlier visual acuity measurements of very young children and those with learning disabilities with optotype pictures.
Both the original and new pictures conform to the scientifically accepted principals of optotype construction based on the visual angle of one minute of arc.
The Kay Picture Test was shown to be valid and repeatable, with high testability and sensitivity in a comprehensive research study carried out by Liverpool University Directorate of Orthoptics and Vision. Age-related normative data is provided in a separate study.
Testing children is easier with our picture tests!
The Kay Picture Test was developed by Hazel Kay, an orthoptist and an expert in testing young children’s eyes. Hazel understood from the very beginning that keeping children happy and engaged was half of the challenge.
The Kay Pictures Test uses recognisable, child-friendly pictures that make testing young children’s eyes so much easier. A boot, a duck, a house – our test is based on words and ideas that children know, rather than abstract shapes.
Test with our app
The Kay Picture Test is available in several physical formats, and now you can use the Kay iSight Test app too.
It is simple and intuitive to use, making your testing quick and easy.
FREE resources for eye professionals
Click here to access a collection of free tools, charts and guides to help make it easier for eye specialists to get the most out of Kay Picture Test.
If you have any other suggestions or requests, feel free to contact us.
How-to videos
We have video guides for several of our Kay Picture Test formats. Watch the videos here on our website or on YouTube.
Kay Pictures Demo Video
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The Kay Say & Match app for parents
A fun way to help very young children to practise and learn the Kay Picture optotypes.
Learning the picture names and the concept of matching improves a child’s confidence to perform the picture vision test at the earliest possible age.
Practioners can also order a pack of 50 patient leaflets for free. The leaflets explain what the app is and how to download it.
