Audiology Praxis Test UPDATED Exam
Questions and CORRECT Answers
A patient comes to a clinic complaining of short, intense dizzy spells. An audiologist suspects
that the patient may have benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV). Which of the following
tests is most appropriate to use to confirm the diagnosis? - CORRECT ANSWER - Dix-
Hallpike test
0 dB0 decibels HL is best described by which of the following? - CORRECT ANSWER -
0 dB0 decibels HL on an audiometer represents the minimum audible pressure needed at each
frequency for an individual with normal hearing to detect a pure tone. This value varies with
frequency due to the anatomic and physiologic properties of the auditory system.
An audiologist fit a patient with binaural, digital, behind-the-ear hearing aids three weeks ago.
The patient reports that the devices have provided suitable amplification in most environments
but also complains that soft background noise is distracting.
To reduce the adverse noise effect, which of the following is the best adjustment for the
audiologist to make to the hearing aids? - CORRECT ANSWER - Enable expansion.
Expansion reduces the gain of low-level ambient sounds.
Individuals with normal hearing sensitivity in one ear and a severe hearing loss in the other ear
experience which of the following? - CORRECT ANSWER - For individuals with
unilateral hearing loss, speech intelligibility improves when the ear with better hearing is closer
to the noise source. When this occurs, the signal-to-noise ratio improves in the better ear.
A patient is seen for a vestibular evaluation with the primary complaint of persistent imbalance
for the past six months. The patient reports one severe attack of true rotary vertigo six months
ago and since then fears that another will occur. The patient has limited many activities because
quick head movements increase symptoms.
Videonystagmography (VNG) results indicate normal saccade, optokinetic, and smooth pursuit
testing. A left-beating nystagmus is observed during gaze testing without fixation. Post-
headshake nystagmus reveals a left-beating nystagmus. No positioning or positional nystagmus
is observed. Bilateral bithermal caloric test results indicate a 50 percent right weakness with no
significant directional preponderance.
,Based on the preceding information, the patient most likely has which of the following? -
CORRECT ANSWER - Videonystagmography (VNG) results normally provide site-of-
lesion specific information to determine the probable side of weakness. In this example, the
patient had a 50 percent right peripheral vestibular weakness, suggesting a peripheral pathology
affecting the right side. The post-headshake left-beating nystagmus suggests that the lesion is
dynamically uncompensated.
Research shows that people wait as long as seven years before they seek hearing health care
services due to the negative stigma associated with hearing loss. Which of the following is most
likely to occur with untreated hearing loss? - CORRECT ANSWER - The consequences of
untreated hearing loss include lower signal quality in the brain (leading to a higher cognitive
load), a change in the structure of the brain, social disengagement, behavior changes, and health
issues like dementia, depression, fatigue, and anxiety.
A 65-year-old woman is fitted with her first pair of hearing aids. She and her husband are
attending their first audiologic rehabilitation session about communication strategies. She states
that she struggles to understand what her husband says "because he uses too many words."
Which of the following facilitative strategies would be the most appropriate to improve the
situation? - CORRECT ANSWER - Ask the partner to talk in short phrases and take
pauses. She should use a message-tailoring strategy that teaches her communication partner to
use simple syntax and multiple shorter phrases rather than one longer one.
A patient with new hearing aids complains of difficulty understanding speech in noisy
environments such as restaurants. The audiologist verifies that the cardioid polar plots with fixed
directionality are working appropriately. Which of the following is the most appropriate action
for the audiologist to take when counseling the patient? - CORRECT ANSWER -
Counseling patients about where to sit in noisy environments will maximize the capability of the
directionality feature of the hearing aids. Cardioid microphones in hearing aids pick up sounds
with sensitivity from the front and sides but poorly from the rear. It is therefore best to sit or
stand with the back to the noise that is interfering with hearing and let the sound come from the
front or sides.
A 5-year-old child was recently diagnosed with a bilateral, moderately severe sensorineural
hearing loss after a bout of meningitis. She had typically developing speech and language before
her illness but now has significant difficulty communicating because of her hearing loss. She
also has other comorbidities as a result of the meningitis. Knowledge of which of the following
would assist other professionals who are working with this child? - CORRECT
, ANSWER - Use of communication strategies. Knowledge and application of repair and
facilitative strategies would assist interprofessional practice
Which TWO of the following are accurate statements concerning assessment measures of
speechreading ability? - CORRECT ANSWER - Speechreading tests are difficult to
administer and assess because of intertalker differences and lack of naturalness.
The most realistic measures of speechreading ability are administered in a combined auditory-
visual mode.
Option (B) is correct because intertalker differences are difficult to control for consistency in
speechreading assessments. Option (D) is correct because speechreading in actual use depends
on both auditory and visual input for most clients. The measure of speechreading ability that best
reflects a client's real ability is one that is administered in a combined auditory-visual mode.
Creating a video assessment is often unnatural and lacks validity in assessing speechreading
skills.
A 54-year-old patient who will start cisplatin treatment in two days has been referred to
audiology. Which of the following is consistent with guidelines for audiological management of
the patient? - CORRECT ANSWER - If the patient is able, serial hearing assessment using
ultrahigh frequency thresholds should be conducted up to 20 kHz20 kilohertz or the highest
frequency with a threshold at or below 100 dB100 decibels SPL.
Which type of hearing protection device provides the greatest amount of noise reduction
(attenuation) ? - CORRECT ANSWER - A custom solid full-shell silicone earplug
A 42-year-old male is being seen for vestibular testing. He reports that his primary symptoms are
feeling off balance and some triggered symptoms of slight dizziness with head movements.
Vestibular evoked myogenic potentials (VEMPs) were performed as part of a comprehensive
vestibular evaluation. The results of the cervical (cVEMP) and ocular (oVEMP) responses for
each ear are summarized in the following table. Testing was performed at 125125 decibels dB
SPL at 500 Hz500 hertz for air conduction stimuli. Otoscopy and tympanometry were performed
prior to VEMP testing and verified normal outer and middle ear status. Appropriate
electromyography (EMG) levels were maintained throughout testing. Which of the following
statements best describes the VEMP test results? - CORRECT ANSWER - The ocular
VEMP afferent pathway consists of the utricle and superior vestibular nerve branch and is
recorded contralateral to the ear of stimulation. In this example, when the stimulus (125125
decibels dB SPL) is applied to the left ear, there is no recordable response from the right inferior
oblique. The ear in question is the left ear as no repeatable waveforms were obtained.
Questions and CORRECT Answers
A patient comes to a clinic complaining of short, intense dizzy spells. An audiologist suspects
that the patient may have benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV). Which of the following
tests is most appropriate to use to confirm the diagnosis? - CORRECT ANSWER - Dix-
Hallpike test
0 dB0 decibels HL is best described by which of the following? - CORRECT ANSWER -
0 dB0 decibels HL on an audiometer represents the minimum audible pressure needed at each
frequency for an individual with normal hearing to detect a pure tone. This value varies with
frequency due to the anatomic and physiologic properties of the auditory system.
An audiologist fit a patient with binaural, digital, behind-the-ear hearing aids three weeks ago.
The patient reports that the devices have provided suitable amplification in most environments
but also complains that soft background noise is distracting.
To reduce the adverse noise effect, which of the following is the best adjustment for the
audiologist to make to the hearing aids? - CORRECT ANSWER - Enable expansion.
Expansion reduces the gain of low-level ambient sounds.
Individuals with normal hearing sensitivity in one ear and a severe hearing loss in the other ear
experience which of the following? - CORRECT ANSWER - For individuals with
unilateral hearing loss, speech intelligibility improves when the ear with better hearing is closer
to the noise source. When this occurs, the signal-to-noise ratio improves in the better ear.
A patient is seen for a vestibular evaluation with the primary complaint of persistent imbalance
for the past six months. The patient reports one severe attack of true rotary vertigo six months
ago and since then fears that another will occur. The patient has limited many activities because
quick head movements increase symptoms.
Videonystagmography (VNG) results indicate normal saccade, optokinetic, and smooth pursuit
testing. A left-beating nystagmus is observed during gaze testing without fixation. Post-
headshake nystagmus reveals a left-beating nystagmus. No positioning or positional nystagmus
is observed. Bilateral bithermal caloric test results indicate a 50 percent right weakness with no
significant directional preponderance.
,Based on the preceding information, the patient most likely has which of the following? -
CORRECT ANSWER - Videonystagmography (VNG) results normally provide site-of-
lesion specific information to determine the probable side of weakness. In this example, the
patient had a 50 percent right peripheral vestibular weakness, suggesting a peripheral pathology
affecting the right side. The post-headshake left-beating nystagmus suggests that the lesion is
dynamically uncompensated.
Research shows that people wait as long as seven years before they seek hearing health care
services due to the negative stigma associated with hearing loss. Which of the following is most
likely to occur with untreated hearing loss? - CORRECT ANSWER - The consequences of
untreated hearing loss include lower signal quality in the brain (leading to a higher cognitive
load), a change in the structure of the brain, social disengagement, behavior changes, and health
issues like dementia, depression, fatigue, and anxiety.
A 65-year-old woman is fitted with her first pair of hearing aids. She and her husband are
attending their first audiologic rehabilitation session about communication strategies. She states
that she struggles to understand what her husband says "because he uses too many words."
Which of the following facilitative strategies would be the most appropriate to improve the
situation? - CORRECT ANSWER - Ask the partner to talk in short phrases and take
pauses. She should use a message-tailoring strategy that teaches her communication partner to
use simple syntax and multiple shorter phrases rather than one longer one.
A patient with new hearing aids complains of difficulty understanding speech in noisy
environments such as restaurants. The audiologist verifies that the cardioid polar plots with fixed
directionality are working appropriately. Which of the following is the most appropriate action
for the audiologist to take when counseling the patient? - CORRECT ANSWER -
Counseling patients about where to sit in noisy environments will maximize the capability of the
directionality feature of the hearing aids. Cardioid microphones in hearing aids pick up sounds
with sensitivity from the front and sides but poorly from the rear. It is therefore best to sit or
stand with the back to the noise that is interfering with hearing and let the sound come from the
front or sides.
A 5-year-old child was recently diagnosed with a bilateral, moderately severe sensorineural
hearing loss after a bout of meningitis. She had typically developing speech and language before
her illness but now has significant difficulty communicating because of her hearing loss. She
also has other comorbidities as a result of the meningitis. Knowledge of which of the following
would assist other professionals who are working with this child? - CORRECT
, ANSWER - Use of communication strategies. Knowledge and application of repair and
facilitative strategies would assist interprofessional practice
Which TWO of the following are accurate statements concerning assessment measures of
speechreading ability? - CORRECT ANSWER - Speechreading tests are difficult to
administer and assess because of intertalker differences and lack of naturalness.
The most realistic measures of speechreading ability are administered in a combined auditory-
visual mode.
Option (B) is correct because intertalker differences are difficult to control for consistency in
speechreading assessments. Option (D) is correct because speechreading in actual use depends
on both auditory and visual input for most clients. The measure of speechreading ability that best
reflects a client's real ability is one that is administered in a combined auditory-visual mode.
Creating a video assessment is often unnatural and lacks validity in assessing speechreading
skills.
A 54-year-old patient who will start cisplatin treatment in two days has been referred to
audiology. Which of the following is consistent with guidelines for audiological management of
the patient? - CORRECT ANSWER - If the patient is able, serial hearing assessment using
ultrahigh frequency thresholds should be conducted up to 20 kHz20 kilohertz or the highest
frequency with a threshold at or below 100 dB100 decibels SPL.
Which type of hearing protection device provides the greatest amount of noise reduction
(attenuation) ? - CORRECT ANSWER - A custom solid full-shell silicone earplug
A 42-year-old male is being seen for vestibular testing. He reports that his primary symptoms are
feeling off balance and some triggered symptoms of slight dizziness with head movements.
Vestibular evoked myogenic potentials (VEMPs) were performed as part of a comprehensive
vestibular evaluation. The results of the cervical (cVEMP) and ocular (oVEMP) responses for
each ear are summarized in the following table. Testing was performed at 125125 decibels dB
SPL at 500 Hz500 hertz for air conduction stimuli. Otoscopy and tympanometry were performed
prior to VEMP testing and verified normal outer and middle ear status. Appropriate
electromyography (EMG) levels were maintained throughout testing. Which of the following
statements best describes the VEMP test results? - CORRECT ANSWER - The ocular
VEMP afferent pathway consists of the utricle and superior vestibular nerve branch and is
recorded contralateral to the ear of stimulation. In this example, when the stimulus (125125
decibels dB SPL) is applied to the left ear, there is no recordable response from the right inferior
oblique. The ear in question is the left ear as no repeatable waveforms were obtained.
