Please follow the steps below.

 

For more information, go to the bottom of this page.

 

1. Click here to answer quick questions about your hearing and to pay a fee of $5.  Why?

 

2. Write down your Access Code, which will appear immediately after you pay.

 

3. Find a quiet place to take the test.  Why?

 

4. Use a telephone that plugs into a wall-mounted jack. Please do not use a cell phone.  Why?

 

5. Dial our toll-free number:  1-866-223-7575

 

6. Listen to the recorded instructions and enter your Access Code when asked.

 

7. At the end of the test, write down your test results for each ear and the date.  The categories are:

     - Within the Normal Range

     - Slightly Below the Normal Range

     - Poor

 

8. After taking the telephone test, go to our web page After Taking the Test for more information.

    There are links to professional organizations that list qualified hearing professionals in your area.

    There are also links to information about hearing loss and treatments.

 

 

To take the test, CLICK HERE to go to step 1 now.

 

 

 

If you have questions about the steps above, please read on.

 

Why is there an $5.00 fee for the National Hearing Test?

The National Hearing Test is provided on a nonprofit basis.  It has no financial connections with any hearing products or services.  (Free tests are typically offered by organizations selling hearing aids or providing services for a fee.)  The $5 fee helps defray the costs of making it widely available to the public and processing test data; any remaining money goes to support further research on hearing loss.

 

Why do you ask about my hearing?

We ask about your age, sex, and degree of exposure to loud noise for research purposes.  We request your email address for sending a very brief follow-up survey.  The survey and research associated with this test are required by the National Institutes of Health, whose funding supported the development of this test.  All information is kept confidential and will not be shared.

 

Why should I take the test in a quiet location?

Even though a room may seem quiet enough for a phone conversation, background noises can interfere with your ability to hear the sounds and concentrate on the test.  Even an occasional noise can be distracting enough to affect the results.  So please find a very quiet room where noise and other distractions are minimized.  This will reduce the chances of getting invalid test results.

 

Why shouldn’t I use a cell phone?

Cell phones often have poor or unreliable connections that introduce unpredictable amounts of distortion. A telephone that plugs into a wall-mounted jack generally offers a better and more consistent sound quality than cell phones. The ideal setup is a telephone with a corded receiver and a keypad on the telephone base. If you do not have access to a telephone with a corded receiver, be sure your telephone is providing clearly audible sound that is free of noise or distortion. Note that the National Hearing Test was standardized for use with wired landline telephones. The sound quality of other types of phones may adversely affect test scores.

 

More questions?  Go to our Frequently Asked Questions page.

 

 

 

To take the test, CLICK HERE to go to step 1 now.