Colour Vision Test
Read numbers hidden in coloured dot plates to screen for red-green and blue-yellow colour deficiency.
Most people with a colour vision deficiency are not truly colour blind: they see colours, but some shades look more alike than they do to others. The most common type is inherited red-green deficiency, which affects roughly 1 in 12 men and about 1 in 200 women of Northern European descent. Blue-yellow (tritan) deficiency is much rarer and is more often acquired, for example from eye disease or certain medicines.
This test uses pseudo-isochromatic plates: circles filled with dots of varying colour and size, where a number is drawn in dots that differ only in hue from the background. A person with typical colour vision sees the number easily; a person with a particular deficiency may see a different number or none at all. The plates are generated by our site and are original designs, not copies of the Ishihara test, and they include plates aimed at both red-green and blue-yellow confusion. You pick the number you see, and at the end the tool gives a screening result.
Screen colours are the biggest limitation. Night-shift modes, blue-light filters, colour profiles, low brightness and cheap panels can all change the hues and make a plate easier or harder. A formal diagnosis, and any test required for a job or licence, must be done in person with standardised plates or an anomaloscope under controlled lighting.
How to use
- Turn off night mode, blue-light filters, dark-reader extensions and any colour-adjusting display settings.
- Set screen brightness to a medium-high level and avoid strong coloured light or sunlight falling on the screen.
- Sit at a normal viewing distance of about 50-70 cm and wear your usual glasses (but not tinted lenses).
- Look at each plate for no more than a few seconds and choose the number you see, or 'nothing' if you see none.
- Answer honestly and do not tilt the screen or zoom in to find the number.
- Complete all plates, then read your screening summary.
Reading your result
If you identified all or nearly all plates correctly, your colour vision appears typical on this screen. One mistake is common and is often caused by display settings or haste.
Several missed plates in the red-green group suggest a possible protan or deutan deficiency; misses in the blue-yellow group suggest a possible tritan deficiency. The result cannot tell you reliably how strong the deficiency is. An inherited deficiency is present from birth, is stable and is not harmful in itself, but it is useful to know about for school, work and driving. See an eye-care professional to confirm the result, and seek a prompt examination if your colour vision seems to have changed recently, differs between the eyes, or comes with blurred vision, because acquired colour changes can signal optic nerve or retinal disease.
Caution: Screening only, not a diagnosis. Results depend heavily on your screen. A recent change in colour vision, especially in one eye or with pain on eye movement, should be checked by a doctor soon.
Frequently asked questions
Is this the Ishihara test?
No. The plates are original designs generated by our site using the same pseudo-isochromatic principle. Official Ishihara plates are copyrighted and must be used in print under standard light.
Can colour blindness be cured?
Inherited colour vision deficiency cannot currently be cured. Tinted lenses marketed for colour blindness can change contrast between some colours for some people but do not restore normal colour vision.
Why might my result differ on another device?
Each screen reproduces colour differently, and settings like night mode shift hues. That is why online results are only a screening indication.
Can women be colour blind?
Yes, although inherited red-green deficiency is much less common in women because the genes involved sit on the X chromosome. Women can also be carriers.