Why Hearing Tests Matter

A hearing test — formally called an audiological evaluation — is the essential starting point for understanding your hearing health. Whether you've noticed changes in your hearing, have been referred by a GP, or simply want a baseline check, knowing what to expect can make the process much less daunting.

Audiological evaluations are painless, non-invasive, and typically take between 45 minutes and an hour for a comprehensive assessment.

Before the Test: What to Bring and Prepare

  • A list of any medications you are currently taking (some can affect hearing)
  • Details of any noise exposure history — work environments, hobbies, concerts
  • Information about any family history of hearing loss
  • A description of any symptoms: when they started, whether one or both ears are affected, any tinnitus or dizziness
  • Ideally, a trusted friend or family member — they can provide useful perspective on your hearing difficulties

Step-by-Step: What Happens During a Hearing Test

1. Case History and Consultation

The audiologist begins with a structured conversation. They'll ask about your hearing concerns, medical history, noise exposure, and how any hearing difficulties are affecting your daily life. This context shapes the tests they'll perform.

2. Otoscopy (Visual Ear Examination)

The audiologist uses an otoscope — a small handheld instrument with a light — to look inside your ear canal. They check for earwax blockages, signs of infection, fluid behind the eardrum, or any visible abnormalities. This step takes only a minute or two per ear.

3. Pure Tone Audiometry

This is the core hearing test. You'll sit in a sound-treated booth and wear headphones. Tones of varying frequencies (pitches) and volumes are played, and you're asked to press a button or raise your hand each time you hear one — even if very faint. The quietest sound you can detect at each frequency is recorded as your hearing threshold.

The same process is then repeated using a bone conductor placed behind the ear, which bypasses the outer and middle ear and tests the inner ear directly. Comparing air conduction and bone conduction results helps identify the type of hearing loss.

4. Speech Audiometry

This tests how well you can hear and understand speech. You may be asked to repeat back words or sentences at various volume levels, sometimes with background noise added. This reflects real-world hearing ability better than tones alone.

5. Tympanometry

A small probe is placed gently in the ear canal and air pressure is varied. This measures how well your eardrum moves in response to pressure changes — helping to detect fluid in the middle ear, eardrum perforations, or problems with the ossicles (the tiny bones of the middle ear).

6. (Optional) Other Tests

Depending on your specific situation, additional tests may be performed, such as:

  • Otoacoustic Emissions (OAEs): Measures the response of hair cells in the cochlea — often used in newborn screening and diagnosis
  • Auditory Brainstem Response (ABR): Evaluates the auditory nerve and brainstem pathways
  • Loudness Discomfort Levels (LDL): Identifies at what volume sounds become uncomfortably loud

Reading Your Audiogram

After the tests, the audiologist presents your results on an audiogram — a graph with frequency (pitch) on the horizontal axis and hearing level (volume) on the vertical axis. Each ear is plotted separately.

  • Frequencies tested typically range from 250 Hz (low pitch) to 8000 Hz (high pitch)
  • The further down the graph your results fall, the greater the hearing loss at that frequency
  • The audiologist will explain what the pattern means for your type and degree of hearing loss

After the Test: Next Steps

If hearing loss is identified, your audiologist will explain the results clearly and discuss options. These may include monitoring, hearing aids, medical referral to an ENT specialist, or further specialist testing. If your hearing is normal, you'll have a useful baseline to compare against future tests.

Hearing tests are recommended every few years for adults — and more frequently if you work in noisy environments, already have hearing loss, or are over the age of 60.