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Accurate colour vision is critical to aviation safety — and from January 2025, the FAA has raised the standard for colour vision tests.
From January 2025, the Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) in the USA has updated its colour vision requirements for pilots, shifting from traditional plate colour vision tests such as Ishihara toward modern, computer-based assessments. These new standards ensure pilots can accurately identify aviation critical colours under real operational conditions. As part of this shift, digital, highly sensitive testing methods are now not only preferred, but required. Our clinic is fully equipped with Waggoner Colour Vision Testing, a reliable and FAA-recognised system.
The Waggoner test is a sophisticated digital assessment that evaluates all major forms of colour-vision deficiency, including red-green and blue-yellow defects. It meets the FAA’s updated performance-based criteria with excellent sensitivity and specificity, and produces objective, quantifiable results that can be electronically recorded, reviewed, and submitted.
Unlike older tools such as Ishihara plates, which offer limited detection, cannot assess severity, and do not reflect real-world aviation demands, the Waggoner system of colour visoin testing provides an in-depth analysis of colour-discrimination ability. It identifies the type, severity, and functional significance of any deficiency and uses a controlled digital environment that better simulates true cockpit conditions. This makes the results far more representative of real aviation performance.
One of the greatest advantages of the Waggoner system is its speed and convenience. The full assessment typically takes under 5 minutes, after which we review your results and submit the required documentation immediately, minimising delays in your certification process.
At The Eye Practice we regularly tests pilots and aviation professionals and remains fully aligned with the FAA’s 2025 standards. By offering the Waggoner system, we provide one of the most advanced, accurate, and streamlined pathways to achieving compliant colour vision certification.
If you need to update your colour vision test under the new FAA requirements, we’re here to help. Contact our clinic to book your Waggoner Colour Vision Test and stay fully cleared for flight.