ILE Hearing Aid Dispenser Practice Test
2024–2025 – Study Guide & Review
Section 1: Hearing Science and Auditory System
1. The anatomical structure responsible for converting sound vibrations into neural signals is
the:
A. Tympanic Membrane
B. Malleus, Incus, and Stapes
C. Cochlea ✓
D. Eustachian Tube
2. The unit used to measure the intensity of sound is:
A. Hertz (Hz)
B. Decibel (dB) ✓
C. Ohm (Ω)
D. Pascal (Pa)
3. Sensorineural hearing loss is most commonly caused by damage to:
A. The ossicles
B. The tympanic membrane
C. The hair cells in the cochlea ✓
D. The ear canal
4. The frequency range of human hearing is generally considered to be:
A. 20 Hz to 20,000 Hz ✓
B. 250 Hz to 8000 Hz
C. 50 Hz to 10,000 Hz
D. 100 Hz to 15,000 Hz
5. The acoustic reflex involves the contraction of the:
A. Tensor Tympani and Stapedius muscles ✓
B. Lateral and Medial rectus muscles
C. Ciliary muscles
D. Muscles of the pinna
6. A patient with a significant air-bone gap on an audiogram most likely has:
A. Sensorineural hearing loss
B. Mixed hearing loss
,C. Conductive hearing loss ✓
D. Central auditory processing disorder
7. The pinna (auricle) helps with sound localization primarily for:
A. Low-frequency sounds
B. Mid-frequency sounds
C. High-frequency sounds ✓
D. Sounds directly in front of the listener
8. Presbycusis is age-related hearing loss that typically affects:
A. Low frequencies first
B. All frequencies equally
C. High frequencies first ✓
D. Mid frequencies first
Section 2: Patient Assessment and Audiometric Interpretation
9. During pure-tone audiometry, the signal is presented to the patient through headphones.
This measures:
A. Bone conduction thresholds
B. Air conduction thresholds ✓
C. Speech Recognition Threshold
D. Tympanometry
10. The purpose of speech audiometry is to assess:
A. The physical integrity of the eardrum
B. The patient's ability to understand speech ✓
C. The presence of the acoustic reflex
D. The degree of tinnitus
11. The Speech Recognition Threshold (SRT) should correlate closely with:
A. The high-frequency pure-tone average (2000, 4000, 8000 Hz)
B. The low-frequency pure-tone average (250, 500, 1000 Hz)
C. The pure-tone average (500, 1000, 2000 Hz) ✓
D. The tympanometric peak pressure
12. Tympanometry is used to assess the function of the:
A. Cochlea
B. Middle ear ✓
,C. Auditory nerve
D. Central auditory pathways
13. A "Type A" tympanogram indicates:
A. Normal middle ear function ✓
B. Fluid in the middle ear
C. A perforated eardrum
D. Hypermobile eardrum
14. The level at which a patient reports the sound is "uncomfortably loud" is the:
A. Most Comfortable Level (MCL)
B. Threshold of Hearing
C. Uncomfortable Loudness Level (UCL) ✓
D. Speech Recognition Threshold
15. Otoscopy should be performed before any audiometric test to:
A. Determine the degree of hearing loss
B. Rule out contraindications like cerumen impaction or infection ✓
C. Calibrate the audiometer
D. Measure the resonant frequency of the ear canal
16. A patient with a normal tympanogram and absent acoustic reflexes may have:
A. Conductive hearing loss
B. A cochlear pathology ✓
C. A perfectly normal auditory system
D. A perforated eardrum
Section 3: Hearing Aid Technology and Components
17. The component of a hearing aid that converts the acoustic input signal into an electrical
signal is the:
A. Receiver
B. Amplifier
C. Microphone ✓
D. Battery
18. The component that delivers the amplified sound into the ear canal is the:
A. Microphone
B. Receiver ✓
, C. Vent
D. Amplifier
19. Directional microphones in hearing aids are designed to:
A. Amplify low-frequency sounds
B. Improve signal-to-noise ratio by focusing on sounds from the front ✓
C. Increase the overall gain of the hearing aid
D. Reduce internal hearing aid noise
20. The purpose of a vent in a hearing aid earmold or shell is to:
A. Reduce low-frequency amplification and relieve occlusion effect ✓
B. Increase high-frequency gain
C. Prevent feedback
D. Make the hearing aid more durable
21. Digital hearing aids differ from analog aids primarily in their ability to:
A. Be more powerful
B. Be smaller
C. Process sound using complex algorithms for noise reduction and compression ✓
D. Use disposable batteries
22. Acoustic feedback (whistling) is primarily caused by:
A. A dead battery
B. Amplified sound leaking from the ear and being re-amplified by the microphone ✓
C. A faulty microphone
D. Excessive venting
23. A hearing aid with multiple programs allows the user to:
A. Switch between different listening environments (e.g., quiet, noise, music) ✓
B. Increase the battery life
C. Change the physical fit of the hearing aid
D. Repair the hearing aid remotely
24. The technology that allows hearing aids to wirelessly connect to smartphones, TVs, and
other devices is typically:
A. FM
B. Bluetooth ✓
C. Wi-Fi
D. Infrared
2024–2025 – Study Guide & Review
Section 1: Hearing Science and Auditory System
1. The anatomical structure responsible for converting sound vibrations into neural signals is
the:
A. Tympanic Membrane
B. Malleus, Incus, and Stapes
C. Cochlea ✓
D. Eustachian Tube
2. The unit used to measure the intensity of sound is:
A. Hertz (Hz)
B. Decibel (dB) ✓
C. Ohm (Ω)
D. Pascal (Pa)
3. Sensorineural hearing loss is most commonly caused by damage to:
A. The ossicles
B. The tympanic membrane
C. The hair cells in the cochlea ✓
D. The ear canal
4. The frequency range of human hearing is generally considered to be:
A. 20 Hz to 20,000 Hz ✓
B. 250 Hz to 8000 Hz
C. 50 Hz to 10,000 Hz
D. 100 Hz to 15,000 Hz
5. The acoustic reflex involves the contraction of the:
A. Tensor Tympani and Stapedius muscles ✓
B. Lateral and Medial rectus muscles
C. Ciliary muscles
D. Muscles of the pinna
6. A patient with a significant air-bone gap on an audiogram most likely has:
A. Sensorineural hearing loss
B. Mixed hearing loss
,C. Conductive hearing loss ✓
D. Central auditory processing disorder
7. The pinna (auricle) helps with sound localization primarily for:
A. Low-frequency sounds
B. Mid-frequency sounds
C. High-frequency sounds ✓
D. Sounds directly in front of the listener
8. Presbycusis is age-related hearing loss that typically affects:
A. Low frequencies first
B. All frequencies equally
C. High frequencies first ✓
D. Mid frequencies first
Section 2: Patient Assessment and Audiometric Interpretation
9. During pure-tone audiometry, the signal is presented to the patient through headphones.
This measures:
A. Bone conduction thresholds
B. Air conduction thresholds ✓
C. Speech Recognition Threshold
D. Tympanometry
10. The purpose of speech audiometry is to assess:
A. The physical integrity of the eardrum
B. The patient's ability to understand speech ✓
C. The presence of the acoustic reflex
D. The degree of tinnitus
11. The Speech Recognition Threshold (SRT) should correlate closely with:
A. The high-frequency pure-tone average (2000, 4000, 8000 Hz)
B. The low-frequency pure-tone average (250, 500, 1000 Hz)
C. The pure-tone average (500, 1000, 2000 Hz) ✓
D. The tympanometric peak pressure
12. Tympanometry is used to assess the function of the:
A. Cochlea
B. Middle ear ✓
,C. Auditory nerve
D. Central auditory pathways
13. A "Type A" tympanogram indicates:
A. Normal middle ear function ✓
B. Fluid in the middle ear
C. A perforated eardrum
D. Hypermobile eardrum
14. The level at which a patient reports the sound is "uncomfortably loud" is the:
A. Most Comfortable Level (MCL)
B. Threshold of Hearing
C. Uncomfortable Loudness Level (UCL) ✓
D. Speech Recognition Threshold
15. Otoscopy should be performed before any audiometric test to:
A. Determine the degree of hearing loss
B. Rule out contraindications like cerumen impaction or infection ✓
C. Calibrate the audiometer
D. Measure the resonant frequency of the ear canal
16. A patient with a normal tympanogram and absent acoustic reflexes may have:
A. Conductive hearing loss
B. A cochlear pathology ✓
C. A perfectly normal auditory system
D. A perforated eardrum
Section 3: Hearing Aid Technology and Components
17. The component of a hearing aid that converts the acoustic input signal into an electrical
signal is the:
A. Receiver
B. Amplifier
C. Microphone ✓
D. Battery
18. The component that delivers the amplified sound into the ear canal is the:
A. Microphone
B. Receiver ✓
, C. Vent
D. Amplifier
19. Directional microphones in hearing aids are designed to:
A. Amplify low-frequency sounds
B. Improve signal-to-noise ratio by focusing on sounds from the front ✓
C. Increase the overall gain of the hearing aid
D. Reduce internal hearing aid noise
20. The purpose of a vent in a hearing aid earmold or shell is to:
A. Reduce low-frequency amplification and relieve occlusion effect ✓
B. Increase high-frequency gain
C. Prevent feedback
D. Make the hearing aid more durable
21. Digital hearing aids differ from analog aids primarily in their ability to:
A. Be more powerful
B. Be smaller
C. Process sound using complex algorithms for noise reduction and compression ✓
D. Use disposable batteries
22. Acoustic feedback (whistling) is primarily caused by:
A. A dead battery
B. Amplified sound leaking from the ear and being re-amplified by the microphone ✓
C. A faulty microphone
D. Excessive venting
23. A hearing aid with multiple programs allows the user to:
A. Switch between different listening environments (e.g., quiet, noise, music) ✓
B. Increase the battery life
C. Change the physical fit of the hearing aid
D. Repair the hearing aid remotely
24. The technology that allows hearing aids to wirelessly connect to smartphones, TVs, and
other devices is typically:
A. FM
B. Bluetooth ✓
C. Wi-Fi
D. Infrared
