Farnsworth-Munsell 100 Hue Test

The Ishihara test is a pass/fail screening for red-green deficiency using pseudoisochromatic plates. The FM 100 Hue test measures the precision of your hue discrimination across the full spectrum, producing a continuous score rather than a binary result. It can detect subtler deficits and acquired conditions.

The full 85-cap clinical test requires physical pigmented samples under controlled lighting. Our 40-color adaptation preserves the four-tray structure and scoring method while being practical for screen-based assessment.

Yes. Research shows peak performance occurs around age 19, with scores forming a U-shaped curve. Both younger children and older adults tend to score higher (worse). Blue-yellow discrimination declines more noticeably after age 40.

Yes. The test supports both drag-and-drop and tap-to-swap interactions. On touch devices, tap one chip to select it, then tap another to swap their positions. For best results, use a tablet or desktop with an accurately calibrated display.

The circular diagram maps your error score for each chip around the Munsell color circle. Spikes radiating outward indicate regions where you misplaced chips. A cluster of errors in one zone suggests reduced discrimination in that specific hue region.

First retests often show improvement due to familiarity with the task, but subsequent attempts yield stable scores. If you scored poorly, ensure your screen brightness and ambient lighting are appropriate before retesting.

Yes — "Farnsworth color vision test" almost always refers to the Farnsworth-Munsell 100 Hue Test (this one) or its shorter sibling, the Farnsworth D-15. Dean Farnsworth developed both at the U.S. Navy in the 1940s. The 100 Hue Test is the longer, more sensitive version designed to quantify how precisely you can discriminate hue across the full color wheel; the D-15 is a faster pass/fail screener using only 15 caps. When clinicians or job applications mention the "Farnsworth test" without specifying which one, they most often mean the 100 Hue Test for detailed color vision assessment, or the D-15 for occupational screening.

The "Munsell test" usually refers to the Farnsworth-Munsell 100 Hue Test, named after the Munsell color system it uses to arrange its caps. Unlike Ishihara plates (which test only red-green discrimination with a yes/no answer) or simple color naming tasks, the Munsell-based 100 Hue Test measures your ability to perceive subtle differences across the full hue circle — red-yellow, yellow-green, green-blue, and blue-purple. It produces a numeric Total Error Score (TES) that reflects how finely you can discriminate hue, making it useful for detecting acquired color vision changes from glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy, or optic nerve disease, in addition to congenital deficiencies.

A clinical Farnsworth-Munsell 100 Hue Test takes 15–20 minutes per eye when administered with the standard 85-cap kit. Our online 40-color version takes most people 5–10 minutes. What it measures is your hue discrimination — how precisely you can tell adjacent colors apart along the color wheel. Unlike pass/fail tests (Ishihara, D-15) which classify you as colorblind or not, a hue test produces a continuous score that reflects the quality of your color vision: low scores (under ~20) indicate excellent discrimination, while higher scores (100+) suggest a color vision deficiency or fatigue-related discrimination loss.