Farnsworth–Munsell 100 Hue Test Online
FM-100 style screen · free · no signup · not a clinic exam
Arrange four trays of hues
Sort ~85 caps into the smoothest hue order across four trays. Takes about 8–12 minutes. Use a bright, calibrated-feeling screen and turn off Night Shift. This is a browser screening aid—not a clinical FM-100.
What the Farnsworth–Munsell 100 Hue test measures
The FM-100 is a fine hue-discrimination test, not a hidden-number plate test. You arrange roughly 85 caps so each neighbour looks as close in colour as possible. The Total Error Score (TES) adds up how far your order sits from the standard Munsell sequence. High TES means many nearby hues were swapped; low TES means a smooth run.
It is the longer cousin of the Farnsworth D-15. D-15 asks whether you jump across the hue circle (type / significant deficiency). FM-100 asks how finely you can order the hues that remain.
How to take this online FM-100
- Work tray by tray. The two end colours on each tray stay fixed.
- Bright screen, Night Shift off, no tinted glasses unless you always wear them.
- Sort by hue, not brightness. Adjacent caps are deliberately close.
- Expect 8–12 minutes. Scoring waits until all four trays are done.
Caps here are HSL approximations, not calibrated Munsell papers. Compare TES only to yourself (retry, lighting change)—not to a published clinical norm table.
Reading a Total Error Score
Clinically, each misplaced cap contributes to TES based on how many steps it sits from its true neighbours. Broad bands:
- Very low TES — superior / normal discrimination on that instrument and illuminant.
- Moderate TES — more neighbouring swaps; can appear with mild CVD, fatigue, or a bad display.
- High TES — large ordering errors; follow up in clinic rather than treating the number as a diagnosis.
Age, lighting, and training all move TES. An online number is a rehearsal, not a certificate. For work or licensing, see what online tests cannot pass.
FM-100 vs D-15 vs Ishihara
- Ishihara-style plates — 2 minutes, best first screen for red-green CVD.
- D-15 — 2–3 minutes, crossing plot, type hint, misses many mild cases.
- FM-100 — longer, TES, discrimination practice; still not a substitute for Munsell under C.
FAQ
What is the Farnsworth–Munsell 100 Hue test?
The FM-100 is a clinical hue-discrimination test: you arrange about 85 Munsell caps across four trays between fixed end colours. The Total Error Score (TES) measures how far your order departs from the standard hue sequence. Clinics use calibrated caps under controlled lighting.
Is this online FM-100 the same as a clinic test?
No. Browser screens use approximate HSL hues on an uncalibrated display. Treat the TES as a practice / screening hint only. Occupational or licensing decisions need a clinical FM-100.
FM-100 vs Farnsworth D-15 — which should I take?
D-15 is shorter and answers a coarser question: normal, or broken along an axis. FM-100 is longer and scores fine discrimination. Many people start with Ishihara or D-15, then try FM-100 if they want a Total Error Score exercise.
What is a good Total Error Score?
On calibrated clinical gear, very low TES values (often under about 16–20 depending on age norms) suggest superior discrimination; higher scores mean more neighbouring-hue mistakes. Online TES values are not interchangeable with published clinic norms.
How long does the FM-100 take?
Clinics often allow several minutes per tray. This browser screen is about 8–12 minutes if you work carefully. There is no prize for rushing—adjacent caps are close in hue on purpose.
Why four trays instead of one circle?
The physical FM-100 splits the hue circuit into four boxes with two fixed end caps each so the task stays manageable. Each tray is scored, then errors are summed into one TES.