HAC Hearing Aid Audiology & Hearing Assessment 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which audiometric test measures the softest sound a patient can detect 50% of the time?
- Speech recognition threshold
- Pure-tone average
- Pure-tone threshold (Correct answer)
- Uncomfortable loudness level
Correct answer: Pure-tone threshold
Pure-tone threshold is the minimum intensity level at which a patient detects a tone 50% of the time it is presented.
Question 2: A patient's audiogram shows a 'cookie-bite' pattern. Which frequencies are most affected?
- Low frequencies only
- High frequencies only
- Mid frequencies (1000–2000 Hz) (Correct answer)
- All frequencies equally
Correct answer: Mid frequencies (1000–2000 Hz)
A cookie-bite audiogram shows greatest hearing loss in the mid-frequency range, sparing lows and highs.
Question 3: What does a type B tympanogram indicate?
- Normal middle ear function
- Eustachian tube dysfunction or fluid in the middle ear (Correct answer)
- Ossicular discontinuity
- Sensorineural hearing loss
Correct answer: Eustachian tube dysfunction or fluid in the middle ear
A flat (Type B) tympanogram indicates reduced or absent tympanic membrane mobility, commonly caused by fluid or perforation.
Question 4: Which term describes the range of sounds between a patient's threshold and their uncomfortable loudness level?
- Dynamic range (Correct answer)
- Frequency resolution
- Temporal resolution
- Signal-to-noise ratio
Correct answer: Dynamic range
Dynamic range is the difference in decibels between the hearing threshold and the level at which sound becomes uncomfortably loud.
Question 5: During speech audiometry, what does a word recognition score (WRS) of 72% suggest?
- Normal speech understanding
- Excellent candidacy for hearing aids
- Poor speech discrimination ability (Correct answer)
- Complete speech intelligibility
Correct answer: Poor speech discrimination ability
A WRS below 80% is generally considered poor and suggests difficulty understanding speech even when it is audible.
Question 6: The ANSI S3.6 standard primarily governs which aspect of audiology practice?
- Hearing aid fitting protocols
- Audiometer calibration specifications (Correct answer)
- Noise exposure limits
- Otoacoustic emission testing
Correct answer: Audiometer calibration specifications
ANSI S3.6 establishes the specifications for audiometers, including calibration tolerances and test frequencies.
Question 7: A patient presents with normal hearing sensitivity but reports difficulty understanding speech in noise. Which test would best quantify this deficit?
- Pure-tone audiogram
- Tympanometry
- Speech-in-noise test (e.g., QuickSIN) (Correct answer)
- Acoustic reflex threshold
Correct answer: Speech-in-noise test (e.g., QuickSIN)
The QuickSIN and similar speech-in-noise tests measure how much signal-to-noise ratio a patient needs for adequate speech understanding.
HAC Hearing Aid Audiology & Hearing Assessment 2
Which audiometric test measures the softest sound a patient can detect 50% of the time?