HEARING AID DISPENSER PRACTICE
TEST
Actual Questions and Verified Answers
1. What BEST describes the effect on the patient if you continue to lower a
hearing instrument's knee-point and increase the compression ratio? (Choose
ALL that apply.)
A. A lot of gain for soft sounds
B. Very few speech cues in a crowded party
C. Little or no gain for moderately loud sounds
D. Too much amplification in a crowded party
Correct Answers: A, B, & C
Explanation: Lowering the kneepoint and increasing compression ratio results in
significant gain for soft sounds, reduces speech cues in noisy environments, and
can lead to little or no gain for louder sounds, affecting speech understanding in
noise.
2. Which frequencies would be MOST affected by a head cold?
A. Low frequencies (250, 500 Hz)
B. High frequencies (2000, 4000 Hz)
Correct Answer: A
,Explanation: Head colds often cause conductive hearing loss primarily affecting
low frequencies due to middle ear fluid or congestion.
3. What is found at the bottom of the ear canal?
A. The Vagus Nerve (Xth Cranial Nerve)
Correct Answer: A
Explanation: The bottom of the ear canal is near the tympanic membrane and the
cochlea, but the vagus nerve runs close to the ear and can be associated with the
ear's bottom structures.
4. What test would best predict the signal-to-noise ratio necessary for a hearing-
impaired person to understand speech normally in noise?
A. QuickSIN
Correct Answer: A
Explanation: QuickSIN assesses a person's ability to understand speech in noisy
environments, estimating the signal-to-noise ratio needed for comprehension.
5. What would be the BEST way to prevent intermittency in the hearing
instrument from showing up during the delivery process?
A. 2 cc coupler NAL target matching
B. Real ear testing
C. Biological check of the instrument
D. ANSI test of the instrument
Correct Answer: B
, Explanation: Real ear testing ensures the hearing aid is providing the prescribed
amplification in the patient's ear, reducing the chances of intermittency issues.
6. When both stapedius muscles contract even though only one ear is
stimulated, it is called:
A. Consensual reflex
Correct Answer: A
Explanation: The bilateral contraction of stapedius muscles in response to
unilateral sound stimulation is known as the consensual reflex.
7. When considering different digital hearing instruments, open platform
technology is generally considered:
A. More complicated to program
B. Software driven
C. Hardware based
D. Less flexible for programming
Correct Answer: B
Explanation: Open platform devices are primarily software driven, allowing for
flexible programming.
8. Which of the following does NOT apply to benefits of multi-channel digital
hearing instruments?
A. Increased capacity for the aid to change with hearing changes
B. Increased hearing benefit in noise
TEST
Actual Questions and Verified Answers
1. What BEST describes the effect on the patient if you continue to lower a
hearing instrument's knee-point and increase the compression ratio? (Choose
ALL that apply.)
A. A lot of gain for soft sounds
B. Very few speech cues in a crowded party
C. Little or no gain for moderately loud sounds
D. Too much amplification in a crowded party
Correct Answers: A, B, & C
Explanation: Lowering the kneepoint and increasing compression ratio results in
significant gain for soft sounds, reduces speech cues in noisy environments, and
can lead to little or no gain for louder sounds, affecting speech understanding in
noise.
2. Which frequencies would be MOST affected by a head cold?
A. Low frequencies (250, 500 Hz)
B. High frequencies (2000, 4000 Hz)
Correct Answer: A
,Explanation: Head colds often cause conductive hearing loss primarily affecting
low frequencies due to middle ear fluid or congestion.
3. What is found at the bottom of the ear canal?
A. The Vagus Nerve (Xth Cranial Nerve)
Correct Answer: A
Explanation: The bottom of the ear canal is near the tympanic membrane and the
cochlea, but the vagus nerve runs close to the ear and can be associated with the
ear's bottom structures.
4. What test would best predict the signal-to-noise ratio necessary for a hearing-
impaired person to understand speech normally in noise?
A. QuickSIN
Correct Answer: A
Explanation: QuickSIN assesses a person's ability to understand speech in noisy
environments, estimating the signal-to-noise ratio needed for comprehension.
5. What would be the BEST way to prevent intermittency in the hearing
instrument from showing up during the delivery process?
A. 2 cc coupler NAL target matching
B. Real ear testing
C. Biological check of the instrument
D. ANSI test of the instrument
Correct Answer: B
, Explanation: Real ear testing ensures the hearing aid is providing the prescribed
amplification in the patient's ear, reducing the chances of intermittency issues.
6. When both stapedius muscles contract even though only one ear is
stimulated, it is called:
A. Consensual reflex
Correct Answer: A
Explanation: The bilateral contraction of stapedius muscles in response to
unilateral sound stimulation is known as the consensual reflex.
7. When considering different digital hearing instruments, open platform
technology is generally considered:
A. More complicated to program
B. Software driven
C. Hardware based
D. Less flexible for programming
Correct Answer: B
Explanation: Open platform devices are primarily software driven, allowing for
flexible programming.
8. Which of the following does NOT apply to benefits of multi-channel digital
hearing instruments?
A. Increased capacity for the aid to change with hearing changes
B. Increased hearing benefit in noise
