Audiology Praxis Practice 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
The test used to diagnose BPPV is the Dix-Hallpike, which is a positioning test that assesses the
presence of otoconia in the semicircular canal.
0 dB0 decibels HL is best described by which of the following? - CORRECT ANSWER -
The different sound pressure levels that occur at different frequencies
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 - Enabling 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 - An improvement in speech
understanding when the noise source is closer to the ear that has normal hearing
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.
,Which of the following describes the relationship between the solid wave and the broken wave in
the figure? - CORRECT ANSWER - The solid line lags the broken line by 90° 90 degrees.
The starting phase of the solid line is 0°, and the starting phase of the broken line is 90°90
degrees. Therefore, the solid line lags the broken line by 90°90 degrees.
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 - A dynamically uncompensated peripheral pathology affecting the
right ear
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 - Cognitive decline
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 - She should ask him to use shorter phrases and pause
often.
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 the patient to sit with the back toward the noise to maximize the directional function
of the hearing aids
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.
Cisplatin treatment is ototoxic, impacting ultrahigh frequencies.
Which type of hearing protection device provides the greatest amount of noise reduction
(attenuation) ? - CORRECT ANSWER - A custom solid full-shell silicone earplug
Solid custom plugs provide the greatest attenuation since adding a filter reduces the maximum
attenuation.
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?
cVEMP right ear: Present response at appropriate amplitude
cVEMP left ear: Present response at appropriate amplitude
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
The test used to diagnose BPPV is the Dix-Hallpike, which is a positioning test that assesses the
presence of otoconia in the semicircular canal.
0 dB0 decibels HL is best described by which of the following? - CORRECT ANSWER -
The different sound pressure levels that occur at different frequencies
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 - Enabling 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 - An improvement in speech
understanding when the noise source is closer to the ear that has normal hearing
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.
,Which of the following describes the relationship between the solid wave and the broken wave in
the figure? - CORRECT ANSWER - The solid line lags the broken line by 90° 90 degrees.
The starting phase of the solid line is 0°, and the starting phase of the broken line is 90°90
degrees. Therefore, the solid line lags the broken line by 90°90 degrees.
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 - A dynamically uncompensated peripheral pathology affecting the
right ear
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 - Cognitive decline
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 - She should ask him to use shorter phrases and pause
often.
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 the patient to sit with the back toward the noise to maximize the directional function
of the hearing aids
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.
Cisplatin treatment is ototoxic, impacting ultrahigh frequencies.
Which type of hearing protection device provides the greatest amount of noise reduction
(attenuation) ? - CORRECT ANSWER - A custom solid full-shell silicone earplug
Solid custom plugs provide the greatest attenuation since adding a filter reduces the maximum
attenuation.
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?
cVEMP right ear: Present response at appropriate amplitude
cVEMP left ear: Present response at appropriate amplitude
