Eye health resources

What to expect at your first contact lens exam

Visiting a doctor’s office can be intimidating, especially when you aren’t sure what you’re going to experience. Learn the most common steps to a contact lens exam so that you can walk in confidently (or at least less nervously) and get a pair of contacts that gives you freedom and flexibility you’re looking for.

Medically reviewed on January 21, 2026; Updated on February 17, 2026

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Published on August 21, 2024

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6 minute read 

Key takeaways:

A contact lens exam is an add-on to a typical comprehensive eye exam
Your eye doctor will perform a thorough examination of your eye health
You’ll learn to put your contacts on and take them off while at the doctor’s office
You’ll typically go home with trial lenses to make sure they’re the right fit, and come back for a follow-up exam in a few weeks

A contact lens exam: An add-on to a comprehensive eye exam

When you schedule a contact lens fitting, you’re essentially asking for a longer appointment than a typical routine eye exam. With a contact lens exam, you’ll not only get your overall eye health checked through a comprehensive eye exam, you’ll also get evaluated and measured for contact lenses and get some one-on-one instruction covering how to put them on and take them off. This is why contact lens fittings cost more than a routine eye exam and glasses prescription—you get a lot more time with eye care professionals. 

What to bring to your appointment

Your current contact lenses or glasses, if you have them
You vision and medical insurance cards, if you're insured
A photo ID
Questions. Your eye doctor is a great resource for all things eye-related, so don’t hold back. Here are some examples of things you could ask:

How’s the health of my eyes?
What are my vision correction options?
What’s going to provide the best vision and most flexibility for me given my lifestyle?
What do I need to do to wear contact lenses safely? Are there any long-term issues with wearing contacts?

What happens in a first contact lens exam: Step by step

Every doctor has their own routine or equipment that they use, but typically these exams follow a similar structure. In the next few sections, we’ll go over what could be included at every step.

Step 1: Check in—early, if you can

If your eye doctor’s office doesn’t have online paperwork that you can fill out before hand, be sure to get there a little early. Paperwork typically includes a medical and family history because many common diseases like diabetes and arthritis can have profound effects on eye health and vision, and some diseases are hereditary.

Step 2: The pre-test

When they call you back (this will likely be a technician, not the eye doctor yet), the first thing they’ll usually do is takes some initial measurements. This is called a pre-test and it can include:

Collecting your vitals like height, weight and blood pressure
A basic visual test to determine your how well you can see shapes and details. Think: The eye chart you see on walls at the doctor’s office.
Taking a picture of your retina
Measuring your prescription and the curvature of the front of the eye with what’s called an auto-refractor
A test for color blindness (typically only done at your first comprehensive exam)
A measurement of your internal eye pressure, which can screen for early signs of glaucoma

Step 3: The comprehensive exam

Did you know that a comprehensive eye exam is good for more than just your eyes? The tests your eye doctor performs can help detect over 270 systemic diseases. In this part of the appointment, your eye doctor will test your vision, assess how your eyes work together, and evaluate the health of your eyes and retina. Let’s go over some of the elements.

Determining your prescription

During this part of the exam, your eye doctor will find out how much correction each eye needs. To do that, they’ll most commonly use a phoropter. You’ll be asked: “Which is better? Number one or number two,” because they’re cycling through different lens powers and seeing which ones provides the sharpest vision. Your eye doctor may also opt to use other tools like a retinoscope. A retinoscope shines a light into your eye, and depending how the light reflects off the retina, the doctor can determine your prescription.

Are your eyes working as a team?

Another part of the exam will test for abnormalities in the way your eyes function and/or move together. This is called binocular vision, because your brain has to take information from both your eyes to create one image. Because of that, it’s not just a test of your eye’s muscular function but also your neurological function. Your eye doctor may test this by moving an object around in different directions and asking you to follow with your eyes.

Inspecting the outside of your eyes

In this part of the exam, your eye doctor will take a look at the external parts of your eyes like your eyelashes, your cornea (the front surface of your eyes) and your iris (the colored part of your eye) with a special microscope called a slit lamp.

Will they dilate your pupils?

Your doctor may want to dilate your pupils, especially if this is your first visit with them. This procedure allows them to better see through to the back of the eye and evaluate the health of your retina and optic nerve inside the eye. This is especially important if you are nearsighted as nearsighted people have a higher risk of developing retinal problems.

Step 4: The contact lens exam

The consultation

There are different contacts for different needs (daily disposables vs. reusables, lenses for astigmatism and for presbyopia, etc.) which your eye doctor will take into consideration depending on your lifestyle and prescription needs, so they’ll ask questions about how you want to use your contacts.

Additional testing

Glasses and contact lenses are different for more than just the obvious reasons. The prescription will be a little different because the contact lens actually has to sit on your eye, and the curvature of your eye is unique to you. So in addition to the testing from the comprehensive eye exam, your eye doctor may:

Take a few more measurements to know which lens to fit you with. This will include the curve of your cornea, and possibly the width of your cornea.
Test your tear film to see if you are predisposed to dry eye.

Step 5: Trying on contacts

Your doctor will have some recommendations and you’ll try them on to see how they feel, fit, and improve your vision. Your doctor will verify that the lenses fit well on your eye, that they move when you blink, and that they cover your cornea completely.

Step-by-step guide to putting on contacts

This is the time to ask questions

While you’re at the office, they’ll walk you through the process of putting on the lenses and taking them off. You’ll have time to practice with them while in the office so you are confident enough to do it on your own at home.

Free^* trial lenses

Contact lenses are often “try them before you buy them.” ACUVUE is no different—you can get free^* trial lenses at your contact lens exam, and we’re confident you’ll love them.

Get free^* trial certificate

The purpose of the follow up contact lens appointment

You’ll go back to the eye doctor in a few days or weeks to check in and make sure the lenses are right for you. It’s then that you’ll get your official prescription and can order your full supply of contacts. If the lenses aren’t right for you, your eye doctor will likely start over with a new lens and repeat the process. If at any point you experience pain, redness, or blurry vision in between your contact lens exam and your follow-up appointment, stop wearing them and contact your eye doctor.

Find an eye doctor

Enjoy life with contact lenses

Life with contact lenses can be a game changer for many. Hopefully, knowing what to expect at your eye exam helps take some of the nerves out of going to get your contact lenses. We hope you find some ACUVUE contact lenses that you love, and enjoy seeing the beauty of the world around you.  

Get guidance for new wearers

FAQs

Frequently asked questions

Is a contact lens exam painful?

You may feel fear or anxiety about having your eyes examined but there aren’t any invasive parts of a contact lens exam. At most, your eyes may be dilated and/or you may experience a puff of air blown at your eye.

How long does a contact lens exam take?

This entirely depends on what office you go to and how much time you spend with the eye care professionals learning to use contact lenses, but these exams typically last between 30 and 60 minutes.

Will my eyes be dilated at a contact lens exam?

Your eye doctor may want to dilate your pupils, especially if this is your first visit with them. This allows them to better determine the health of your retina and optic nerve inside the eye. This is especially important if you are nearsighted as nearsighted people have a higher risk of developing retinal problems.

What does it feel like to have an astigmatism?

Astigmatism isn’t something you’d feel, but it may cause blurry or distorted vision at all distances, which can lead to headaches as your eyes strain to put images into focus.

Learn about astigmatism

What disqualifies you from wearing contact lenses?

Your eye doctor may decline to prescribe contact lenses if you have severe dry eye, allergies, or other health issues that might make caring for contact lenses difficult.

Footnotes

The information provided on this page and across the entire Acuvue.com experience is designed to offer educational insights into eye health, referencing expert advice from reputable medical and government organizations, including the American Academy of Ophthalmology, the American Optometric Association and the National Eye Institute. While we research, report, and review the content on Acuvue.com and its extended social media to deliver accurate and up-to-date vision, vision care, and vision correction information, we do not make any assurances, and content accessed on or through Acuvue.com and its extended social media is not intended to replace professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment of any eye conditions or health issues. This brings us to our #1 eye health tip: Always consult a qualified healthcare professional for personalized medical guidance and care.

*Free trial contact lenses available only from participating eye care professionals. Exam and fitting fees not included.

Important Information for Contact Lens Wearers: ACUVUE Contact Lenses are available by prescription only for vision correction. An eye care professional will determine whether contact lenses are right for you. Although rare, serious eye problems can develop while wearing contact lenses. To help avoid these problems, follow the wear and replacement schedule and the lens care instructions provided by your eye doctor. Do not wear contact lenses if you have an eye infection, or experience eye discomfort, excessive tearing, vision changes, redness or other eye problems. If one of these conditions occurs, remove the lens and contact your eye doctor immediately. For more information on proper wear, care and safety, talk to your eye care professional and ask for a Patient Instruction Guide, call 1-800-843-2020, or download the Patient Instruction Guides.

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