NRCME Vision and Hearing Requirements 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A driver wears a hearing aid and can perceive a forced whispered voice at 8 feet with the aid. Without the aid, she cannot hear at 5 feet. What restriction applies?
- No restriction; hearing aids are not regulated by FMCSA
- Must wear hearing aid while driving (Correct answer)
- Disqualified; the driver must meet the standard without aids
- Exempt if driving intrastate routes only
Correct answer: Must wear hearing aid while driving
Drivers who need hearing aids to meet the standard must wear them while driving, similar to the corrective lens restriction for vision.
Question 2: Which condition would most likely require a vision specialist's evaluation before a medical examiner can certify a commercial driver?
- 20/30 uncorrected vision correctable to 20/20
- Mild myopia requiring reading glasses
- Recent cataract surgery with implanted intraocular lens (Correct answer)
- Mild astigmatism corrected to 20/40
Correct answer: Recent cataract surgery with implanted intraocular lens
Recent eye surgery may affect stability of vision and the examiner should consider specialist consultation to ensure the driver's vision has stabilized at or above the required standard.
Question 3: A driver has a horizontal field of vision of 65 degrees in the right eye and 75 degrees in the left eye. What certification decision should be made?
- Certify; the combined field exceeds 70 degrees
- Disqualify; the right eye fails the 70-degree minimum (Correct answer)
- Certify with annual monitoring of the right eye
- Refer for vision exemption program
Correct answer: Disqualify; the right eye fails the 70-degree minimum
FMCSA requires at least 70 degrees of horizontal field in each eye; the right eye at 65 degrees does not meet this standard.
Question 4: Which federal form is used by the medical examiner to document the results of the physical examination including vision and hearing findings for CMV drivers?
- MCSA-5875 (Correct answer)
- MCSA-5876
- MCSA-5870
- DOT-1776
Correct answer: MCSA-5875
The MCSA-5875 is the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration Medical Examination Report form used to document all examination findings.
Question 5: A driver with diabetic retinopathy has undergone laser treatment and now has corrected acuity of 20/40 in each eye but reduced peripheral vision of 55 degrees in each eye. What is the appropriate action?
- Certify; visual acuity meets the standard
- Disqualify; peripheral vision fails to meet the 70-degree requirement (Correct answer)
- Issue a 1-year certificate with ophthalmic follow-up
- Certify if the driver demonstrates safe driving history
Correct answer: Disqualify; peripheral vision fails to meet the 70-degree requirement
Despite meeting acuity standards, peripheral vision of 55 degrees per eye fails the FMCSA minimum of 70 degrees, resulting in disqualification.
Question 6: Under FMCSA guidelines, what is the purpose of the forced whispered voice test during a commercial driver medical examination?
- To evaluate high-frequency hearing loss specifically
- To screen for the ability to hear auditory warnings and communication at close range (Correct answer)
- To replace audiometry in all commercial driver examinations
- To detect conductive versus sensorineural hearing loss
Correct answer: To screen for the ability to hear auditory warnings and communication at close range
The whisper test is a practical functional screen to ensure the driver can hear critical auditory signals such as horns and verbal warnings at a minimum safe distance.
Question 7: A commercial driver has a unilateral hearing loss and wears a hearing aid. Audiometry shows the better ear (with aid) has a hearing threshold of 40 dB at 500 Hz. Does this meet FMCSA standards?
- Yes, if he can perceive a whispered voice at 5 feet with the aid (Correct answer)
- No, audiometry must show better than 25 dB in both ears
- No, only the whisper test without aids is accepted
- Yes, audiometry results are not used by FMCSA
Correct answer: Yes, if he can perceive a whispered voice at 5 feet with the aid
FMCSA uses the forced whispered voice test at 5 feet as its hearing standard; audiometry findings alone are not the determining factor for qualification.
NRCME Vision and Hearing Requirements 3
A driver wears a hearing aid and can perceive a forced whispered voice at 8 feet with the aid.
Without the aid, she cannot hear at 5 feet.
What restriction applies?