Audiology Praxis Study Guide ACTUAL
Exam Questions and CORRECT Answers
High threshold kneepoint (compression) - CORRECT ANSWER - Used to limit the output
of the hearing aid so that it does not exceed UCL and maximize listening comfort. Typically
higher than 60 dB.
Low threshold kneepoint (compression) - CORRECT ANSWER - Improve audibility of
softer sounds/speech. Typically lower than 60 dB.
Explain compression in general - CORRECT ANSWER - Basically - the gain of the
hearing aid is higher before the compression kneepoint. The sounds before this kneepoint have
more gain and are thus emphasized. After the kneepoint, you reduce the gain and the sounds
coming in become closer to their actual loudness level, or their input level.
High compression ratio - CORRECT ANSWER - Typically about 5.0 or higher, used to
limit the output of the hearing aid for UCL considerations.
The higher the CR, the more likely distortion is to occur.
Desirable for small dynamic ranges, recruitment, etc.
Low compression ratio - CORRECT ANSWER - Used to improve audibility of softer
sounds and speech. Typically 1.0 to 5.0.
Desirable attack times - CORRECT ANSWER - 5 ms
Desirable recovery time - CORRECT ANSWER - typically longer than attack time, 20 ms
is fast.
,ACG - CORRECT ANSWER - Automatic gain control - describes compression circuits
because amount of gain applied is automatically determined by signal level
ACG - I, activated once the input level reaches TK
ACG - O, activated once the output level reaches TK
Upward spread of masking - CORRECT ANSWER - higher growth rate of masking for
maskers lower in frequency than the signal, compared to maskers at the signal frequency
BKB-SIN - CORRECT ANSWER - Speech in Noise test. Estimate SNR children and
adults for whom the QuickSIN is too difficult.
"ready --- word"
key words indicated on scoresheet. 3 in each sentence
HINT - CORRECT ANSWER - No longer in production. Binaural hearing to repeat
sentences. Four conditions.
No competing noise, competing noise directly in front, 90 degrees to the left and right
QuickSIN - CORRECT ANSWER - Speech in Noise test. More difficult than BKB SIN.
Repeat sentences spoken by target talker. 5 key words in each sentence.
SPIN - CORRECT ANSWER - Speech Perception in Noise - assess word recognition
scores under two controlled levels of contextual information.
Listen to test sentence in background speech babble. High predictability sentences provide clues.
Low predictability sentences do not.
, WIN - CORRECT ANSWER - Richard Wilson, recognize single words in varying levels
of noise. Increasing difficulty.
CID W-22 - CORRECT ANSWER - Easier monosyllabic word list
NU-6 - CORRECT ANSWER - Northwestern University Auditory Test No. 6.
Monosyllabic word list.
NU-CHIPS - CORRECT ANSWER - Useful at a minimum vocabulary level of 3 years.
Uses picture pointing responses in a closed set.
WIPI - CORRECT ANSWER - Word intelligibility picture identification. 4.5 years,
picture pointing response in an closed set.
What condition is likely to showcase a cochlear microhphonic - CORRECT ANSWER -
auditory neuropathy
Weber Test - CORRECT ANSWER - Tuning fork test. A client judgest whether sound is
perceived in one or both ears when the fork is placed on the forehead.
A normal weber test has a patient reporting the sound heard equally in both sides. In an affected
patient, if the defective ear hears the Weber tuning fork louder, the finding indicates a conductive
hearing loss in the defective ear. In an affected patient, if the normal ear hears the tuning fork
sound better, there is sensorineural hearing loss on the other (defective) ear. However, the
aforegoing presumes one knows in advance which ear is defective and which is normal (such as
the patient telling the clinician that they cannot hear as well in one ear versus the other) and the
testing is being done to characterize the type, conductive or sensorineural, of hearing loss that is
occurring. In the case where the patient is unaware or has acclimated to their hearing loss, the
clinician has to use the Rinne test in conjunction with the Weber to characterize and localize any
deficits. That is, an abnormal Weber test is only able to tell the clinician that there is a
conductive loss in the ear which hears better or that there is a sensorineural loss in the ear which
does not hear as well.
Exam Questions and CORRECT Answers
High threshold kneepoint (compression) - CORRECT ANSWER - Used to limit the output
of the hearing aid so that it does not exceed UCL and maximize listening comfort. Typically
higher than 60 dB.
Low threshold kneepoint (compression) - CORRECT ANSWER - Improve audibility of
softer sounds/speech. Typically lower than 60 dB.
Explain compression in general - CORRECT ANSWER - Basically - the gain of the
hearing aid is higher before the compression kneepoint. The sounds before this kneepoint have
more gain and are thus emphasized. After the kneepoint, you reduce the gain and the sounds
coming in become closer to their actual loudness level, or their input level.
High compression ratio - CORRECT ANSWER - Typically about 5.0 or higher, used to
limit the output of the hearing aid for UCL considerations.
The higher the CR, the more likely distortion is to occur.
Desirable for small dynamic ranges, recruitment, etc.
Low compression ratio - CORRECT ANSWER - Used to improve audibility of softer
sounds and speech. Typically 1.0 to 5.0.
Desirable attack times - CORRECT ANSWER - 5 ms
Desirable recovery time - CORRECT ANSWER - typically longer than attack time, 20 ms
is fast.
,ACG - CORRECT ANSWER - Automatic gain control - describes compression circuits
because amount of gain applied is automatically determined by signal level
ACG - I, activated once the input level reaches TK
ACG - O, activated once the output level reaches TK
Upward spread of masking - CORRECT ANSWER - higher growth rate of masking for
maskers lower in frequency than the signal, compared to maskers at the signal frequency
BKB-SIN - CORRECT ANSWER - Speech in Noise test. Estimate SNR children and
adults for whom the QuickSIN is too difficult.
"ready --- word"
key words indicated on scoresheet. 3 in each sentence
HINT - CORRECT ANSWER - No longer in production. Binaural hearing to repeat
sentences. Four conditions.
No competing noise, competing noise directly in front, 90 degrees to the left and right
QuickSIN - CORRECT ANSWER - Speech in Noise test. More difficult than BKB SIN.
Repeat sentences spoken by target talker. 5 key words in each sentence.
SPIN - CORRECT ANSWER - Speech Perception in Noise - assess word recognition
scores under two controlled levels of contextual information.
Listen to test sentence in background speech babble. High predictability sentences provide clues.
Low predictability sentences do not.
, WIN - CORRECT ANSWER - Richard Wilson, recognize single words in varying levels
of noise. Increasing difficulty.
CID W-22 - CORRECT ANSWER - Easier monosyllabic word list
NU-6 - CORRECT ANSWER - Northwestern University Auditory Test No. 6.
Monosyllabic word list.
NU-CHIPS - CORRECT ANSWER - Useful at a minimum vocabulary level of 3 years.
Uses picture pointing responses in a closed set.
WIPI - CORRECT ANSWER - Word intelligibility picture identification. 4.5 years,
picture pointing response in an closed set.
What condition is likely to showcase a cochlear microhphonic - CORRECT ANSWER -
auditory neuropathy
Weber Test - CORRECT ANSWER - Tuning fork test. A client judgest whether sound is
perceived in one or both ears when the fork is placed on the forehead.
A normal weber test has a patient reporting the sound heard equally in both sides. In an affected
patient, if the defective ear hears the Weber tuning fork louder, the finding indicates a conductive
hearing loss in the defective ear. In an affected patient, if the normal ear hears the tuning fork
sound better, there is sensorineural hearing loss on the other (defective) ear. However, the
aforegoing presumes one knows in advance which ear is defective and which is normal (such as
the patient telling the clinician that they cannot hear as well in one ear versus the other) and the
testing is being done to characterize the type, conductive or sensorineural, of hearing loss that is
occurring. In the case where the patient is unaware or has acclimated to their hearing loss, the
clinician has to use the Rinne test in conjunction with the Weber to characterize and localize any
deficits. That is, an abnormal Weber test is only able to tell the clinician that there is a
conductive loss in the ear which hears better or that there is a sensorineural loss in the ear which
does not hear as well.
