AUDIOLOGY PRAXIS UPDATED COMPREHENSIVE
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS SET A+
✔✔*The relationship of Hertz to sound waves to cycles per second equals:
a. 1:10:100
b. 1:2:3
c. 1:1:1
d. 1:100:10 - ✔✔1:1:1
One cycle generates one sound wave
Frequency (Hz) is determined by number of cycles per second
A frequency of one cycle per second equals 1 Hz
1 Hz equals 1 sound wave and 1 cycle per second 1:1:1
✔✔*The human voice has a frequency range of approx.
a. 50-500 Hz
b. 6000-11,000 Hz
c. 30-30,000 Hz
d. 80-6000 Hz - ✔✔80-6000 Hz
Most of the sound energy of human voices lies between 125-6000 Hz
The peak of sound energy of the human voice is from 1000-3000 Hz
✔✔*In general the frequency range of human hearing is roughly
a. 20-20,000 Hz
b. 10-30,000 Hz
c. 1-10,000 Hz
d. 200-5,000 Hz - ✔✔20-20,000 Hz
The human ear can hear frequencies below and above the typical range of the human
voice
NOTE: I'm not sure about humans hearing up to 20kHz but this is what the answer key
states
✔✔When using manual pure tone audiometry as part of a hearing loss prevention
program, the frequencies that should be tested are:
,a. 250, 500, 1000, 2000, 3000, 4000, 5000
b. 500, 1000, 2000, 3000, 4000, 6000, and 8000
c. 1000, 2000, 3000, 40000, 6000, 8000, and 10,000
d. 800, 1000, 1200, 1400, 1600, 1800, and 2000 - ✔✔500, 1000, 2000, 3000, 4000,
6000, and 8000
✔✔If an individual has a low frequency hearing loss which frequencies should be tested
in addition to the usual frequencies
a. 125 Hz
b. 250 Hz
c. Both
d. Neither - ✔✔Both 125 Hz and 250 Hz
✔✔Extended high frequency audiometry is performed at frequencies of:
a. 9000-16,000 Hz
b. 4000-8000 Hz
c. 15,000-25,000 Hz
d. 900-1600 Hz - ✔✔9,000-16,000 Hz
✔✔When testing at the usual audiometric frequencies the examiner should test inter-
octaves when there is a difference between two adjacent frequencies of
a. 10 dB or more
b. 20 dB or more
c. 30 dB or more
d. 40 dB or more - ✔✔20 dB or more according to ASHA
*although I typically test if it's 15 dB or greater
✔✔In routine AC testing the first frequency to be tested should be
a. 500 Hz
b. 8000 Hz
c. 125 Hz
d. 1000 Hz - ✔✔1000 Hz
According to ANSI and ASHA, testing should be performed in a uniform pattern, starting
at 1000 Hz then increasing to 8000Hz, then down to 125-750 Hz and then re-checking
1000 Hz
✔✔*Which is true about air conduction vs. bone conduction testing?
a. testing bone conduction only shows conductive loss
b. testing air conduction only shows sensorineural loss
c. testing bone conduction shows both types of hearing loss
d. testing air conduction shows both types of hearing loss - ✔✔Testing air conduction
will show both types of hearing loss BUT without bone conduction or immittance there is
no way to know the type definitively
, ✔✔Which of the following statements is correct regarding air-bone gaps when testing
hearing by air conduction and bone conduction
a. an air bone gap indicates a sensorineural hearing loss
b. matching BC and AC thresholds indicate sensorineural hearing loss
c. an air bone gap means there is only conductive hearing loss
d. matching BC and AC thresholds indicate there is mixed loss - ✔✔Matching BC and
AC thresholds indicate sensorineural hearing loss
✔✔Measurement of otoacoustic emissions will
a. indicate levels of ototoxic vehicle exhaust emissions in the air
b. diagnose a sensorineural hearing loss if emissions are detected
c. indicate sensorineural hearing loss if emissions are absent from the ear
d. diagnose the presence of otorrhea if emissions are coming from the ears -
✔✔Indicate sensorienural hearing loss if emissions are absent from the ear
BUT obviously that is only provided that there are normal tympanograms; poorly written
question
✔✔*Which of the following is NOT and acoustic immittance measure
a. OAEs
d. Tympanometry
c. Acoustic reflex testing
d. Static acoustic impedance - ✔✔OAEs
This is not technically an acoustic immittance measure because it is assessing the inner
ear primarily (but see q 23 for my thought process; we know OAEs can be used in
conjunction with tymps)
✔✔*The proportion of children with only minimal hearing loss who fail at least one
school grade compared to the proportion of normal-hearing children who similarly fail is
approximately
a. twice as many
b. five times as many
c. nine times as many
d. 18 times as many - ✔✔18 times as many!
37% of children with minimal hearing loss fail one school grade compared to 2% of
normal hearing children
✔✔*How much of a teacher's speech can a child who has a hearing loss of 20 dB hear?
a. 80%
b. half
c. one quarter
d. one third - ✔✔One quarter
reducing hearing by 10 dB reduces speech understanding to half
Therefore reducing by another 10 dB reduces speech understanding to a quarter (25%)
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS SET A+
✔✔*The relationship of Hertz to sound waves to cycles per second equals:
a. 1:10:100
b. 1:2:3
c. 1:1:1
d. 1:100:10 - ✔✔1:1:1
One cycle generates one sound wave
Frequency (Hz) is determined by number of cycles per second
A frequency of one cycle per second equals 1 Hz
1 Hz equals 1 sound wave and 1 cycle per second 1:1:1
✔✔*The human voice has a frequency range of approx.
a. 50-500 Hz
b. 6000-11,000 Hz
c. 30-30,000 Hz
d. 80-6000 Hz - ✔✔80-6000 Hz
Most of the sound energy of human voices lies between 125-6000 Hz
The peak of sound energy of the human voice is from 1000-3000 Hz
✔✔*In general the frequency range of human hearing is roughly
a. 20-20,000 Hz
b. 10-30,000 Hz
c. 1-10,000 Hz
d. 200-5,000 Hz - ✔✔20-20,000 Hz
The human ear can hear frequencies below and above the typical range of the human
voice
NOTE: I'm not sure about humans hearing up to 20kHz but this is what the answer key
states
✔✔When using manual pure tone audiometry as part of a hearing loss prevention
program, the frequencies that should be tested are:
,a. 250, 500, 1000, 2000, 3000, 4000, 5000
b. 500, 1000, 2000, 3000, 4000, 6000, and 8000
c. 1000, 2000, 3000, 40000, 6000, 8000, and 10,000
d. 800, 1000, 1200, 1400, 1600, 1800, and 2000 - ✔✔500, 1000, 2000, 3000, 4000,
6000, and 8000
✔✔If an individual has a low frequency hearing loss which frequencies should be tested
in addition to the usual frequencies
a. 125 Hz
b. 250 Hz
c. Both
d. Neither - ✔✔Both 125 Hz and 250 Hz
✔✔Extended high frequency audiometry is performed at frequencies of:
a. 9000-16,000 Hz
b. 4000-8000 Hz
c. 15,000-25,000 Hz
d. 900-1600 Hz - ✔✔9,000-16,000 Hz
✔✔When testing at the usual audiometric frequencies the examiner should test inter-
octaves when there is a difference between two adjacent frequencies of
a. 10 dB or more
b. 20 dB or more
c. 30 dB or more
d. 40 dB or more - ✔✔20 dB or more according to ASHA
*although I typically test if it's 15 dB or greater
✔✔In routine AC testing the first frequency to be tested should be
a. 500 Hz
b. 8000 Hz
c. 125 Hz
d. 1000 Hz - ✔✔1000 Hz
According to ANSI and ASHA, testing should be performed in a uniform pattern, starting
at 1000 Hz then increasing to 8000Hz, then down to 125-750 Hz and then re-checking
1000 Hz
✔✔*Which is true about air conduction vs. bone conduction testing?
a. testing bone conduction only shows conductive loss
b. testing air conduction only shows sensorineural loss
c. testing bone conduction shows both types of hearing loss
d. testing air conduction shows both types of hearing loss - ✔✔Testing air conduction
will show both types of hearing loss BUT without bone conduction or immittance there is
no way to know the type definitively
, ✔✔Which of the following statements is correct regarding air-bone gaps when testing
hearing by air conduction and bone conduction
a. an air bone gap indicates a sensorineural hearing loss
b. matching BC and AC thresholds indicate sensorineural hearing loss
c. an air bone gap means there is only conductive hearing loss
d. matching BC and AC thresholds indicate there is mixed loss - ✔✔Matching BC and
AC thresholds indicate sensorineural hearing loss
✔✔Measurement of otoacoustic emissions will
a. indicate levels of ototoxic vehicle exhaust emissions in the air
b. diagnose a sensorineural hearing loss if emissions are detected
c. indicate sensorineural hearing loss if emissions are absent from the ear
d. diagnose the presence of otorrhea if emissions are coming from the ears -
✔✔Indicate sensorienural hearing loss if emissions are absent from the ear
BUT obviously that is only provided that there are normal tympanograms; poorly written
question
✔✔*Which of the following is NOT and acoustic immittance measure
a. OAEs
d. Tympanometry
c. Acoustic reflex testing
d. Static acoustic impedance - ✔✔OAEs
This is not technically an acoustic immittance measure because it is assessing the inner
ear primarily (but see q 23 for my thought process; we know OAEs can be used in
conjunction with tymps)
✔✔*The proportion of children with only minimal hearing loss who fail at least one
school grade compared to the proportion of normal-hearing children who similarly fail is
approximately
a. twice as many
b. five times as many
c. nine times as many
d. 18 times as many - ✔✔18 times as many!
37% of children with minimal hearing loss fail one school grade compared to 2% of
normal hearing children
✔✔*How much of a teacher's speech can a child who has a hearing loss of 20 dB hear?
a. 80%
b. half
c. one quarter
d. one third - ✔✔One quarter
reducing hearing by 10 dB reduces speech understanding to half
Therefore reducing by another 10 dB reduces speech understanding to a quarter (25%)
