Q.1 Which part of the ear is primarily responsible for converting sound waves into electrical signals for the brain?
Outer ear
Middle ear
Cochlea
Eustachian tube
Explanation - The cochlea, located in the inner ear, contains hair cells that transduce sound vibrations into electrical impulses sent to the auditory nerve.
Correct answer is: Cochlea
Q.2 Pure-tone audiometry is mainly used to assess:
Balance function
Hearing thresholds
Middle ear pressure
Speech comprehension
Explanation - Pure-tone audiometry measures the quietest sound a person can hear at different frequencies, establishing hearing thresholds.
Correct answer is: Hearing thresholds
Q.3 Which test evaluates the function of the cochlea using sound-evoked electrical potentials?
Tympanometry
Otoacoustic emissions (OAE)
Rinne test
Weber test
Explanation - OAE tests measure sounds generated by the cochlea's outer hair cells in response to stimuli, indicating cochlear function.
Correct answer is: Otoacoustic emissions (OAE)
Q.4 A Weber test lateralizes to the affected ear. This suggests:
Sensorineural hearing loss in the affected ear
Conductive hearing loss in the affected ear
Normal hearing
Mixed hearing loss
Explanation - In the Weber test, sound lateralizes to the ear with conductive loss due to better perception through bone conduction.
Correct answer is: Conductive hearing loss in the affected ear
Q.5 Which frequency range is typically tested in standard audiometry?
20–20,000 Hz
125–8000 Hz
50–500 Hz
10–10,000 Hz
Explanation - Standard audiometry evaluates frequencies between 125 Hz and 8 kHz, which are important for speech perception.
Correct answer is: 125–8000 Hz
Q.6 Tympanometry primarily assesses:
Inner ear hair cell function
Middle ear compliance and pressure
Auditory nerve function
Cochlear threshold
Explanation - Tympanometry measures eardrum movement and middle ear pressure, identifying fluid, perforation, or Eustachian tube dysfunction.
Correct answer is: Middle ear compliance and pressure
Q.7 An absent acoustic reflex may indicate a lesion in which cranial nerve?
Cranial nerve V
Cranial nerve VII
Cranial nerve VIII
Cranial nerve IX
Explanation - The acoustic reflex involves the auditory (VIII) and facial (VII) nerves; absence suggests pathology in these pathways, often VIII.
Correct answer is: Cranial nerve VIII
Q.8 Which test differentiates between sensorineural and conductive hearing loss?
Tuning fork tests (Rinne and Weber)
Otoacoustic emissions
Speech audiometry
Electrocochleography
Explanation - Rinne and Weber tests use bone and air conduction to identify whether hearing loss is sensorineural or conductive.
Correct answer is: Tuning fork tests (Rinne and Weber)
Q.9 In children, which hearing screening test is most commonly used?
Pure-tone audiometry
Otoacoustic emissions (OAE)
Tympanometry
Weber test
Explanation - OAEs are non-invasive, objective, and suitable for infants and young children to screen for hearing loss.
Correct answer is: Otoacoustic emissions (OAE)
Q.10 Which part of the ear amplifies sound vibrations from the tympanic membrane to the cochlea?
Auditory canal
Ossicles
Cochlear duct
Semicircular canals
Explanation - The malleus, incus, and stapes transmit and amplify vibrations from the eardrum to the oval window of the cochlea.
Correct answer is: Ossicles
Q.11 Speech audiometry evaluates:
Pure-tone thresholds
Speech recognition and discrimination
Middle ear pressure
Cochlear outer hair cell function
Explanation - Speech audiometry assesses how well a person can detect, recognize, and understand speech at different volumes.
Correct answer is: Speech recognition and discrimination
Q.12 Which condition is most likely associated with a flat tympanogram?
Normal middle ear
Otitis media with effusion
Ossicular chain fixation
Cochlear hair cell loss
Explanation - A flat tympanogram indicates reduced eardrum mobility, commonly seen in middle ear fluid accumulation.
Correct answer is: Otitis media with effusion
Q.13 The term 'air-bone gap' in audiology refers to:
Difference between left and right ear thresholds
Difference between air conduction and bone conduction thresholds
Difference between speech and pure-tone thresholds
Difference between tympanic pressures
Explanation - Air-bone gap indicates conductive hearing loss when air conduction thresholds are poorer than bone conduction thresholds.
Correct answer is: Difference between air conduction and bone conduction thresholds
Q.14 Which hearing test is least dependent on patient cooperation?
Pure-tone audiometry
Otoacoustic emissions (OAE)
Speech audiometry
Weber test
Explanation - OAEs are objective tests that measure cochlear responses automatically, unlike behavioral tests that require active responses.
Correct answer is: Otoacoustic emissions (OAE)
Q.15 The stapedius reflex protects the inner ear from:
Low-frequency sounds
High-intensity sounds
Background noise
Bone-conducted sounds
Explanation - The stapedius muscle contracts reflexively in response to loud sounds, reducing vibration transmission to the cochlea.
Correct answer is: High-intensity sounds
Q.16 A patient has normal bone conduction but abnormal air conduction thresholds. This is indicative of:
Sensorineural hearing loss
Conductive hearing loss
Mixed hearing loss
Central auditory processing disorder
Explanation - Conductive hearing loss affects sound transmission through the outer or middle ear, leaving bone conduction intact.
Correct answer is: Conductive hearing loss
Q.17 Which audiology test uses a tympanic membrane probe to measure sound emissions from the cochlea?
Pure-tone audiometry
Otoacoustic emissions (OAE)
Tympanometry
Electrocochleography
Explanation - OAE testing involves inserting a small probe in the ear canal to detect sounds emitted by the cochlea's outer hair cells.
Correct answer is: Otoacoustic emissions (OAE)
Q.18 Bone conduction bypasses which part of the ear?
Outer ear
Middle ear
Inner ear
Auditory nerve
Explanation - Bone conduction transmits sound directly to the cochlea, bypassing the outer and middle ear structures.
Correct answer is: Outer ear
Q.19 Which type of hearing loss is typically age-related and affects high-frequency hearing first?
Conductive hearing loss
Presbycusis
Noise-induced hearing loss
Ototoxicity
Explanation - Presbycusis is sensorineural hearing loss that occurs with aging, primarily affecting high-frequency sounds.
Correct answer is: Presbycusis
Q.20 Electrocochleography (ECochG) is mainly used to diagnose:
Meniere's disease
Otitis externa
Presbycusis
Noise-induced hearing loss
Explanation - ECochG measures cochlear potentials and can detect endolymphatic hydrops, a hallmark of Meniere's disease.
Correct answer is: Meniere's disease
Q.21 Which type of tympanogram indicates hypermobile eardrum often seen in ossicular chain discontinuity?
Type A
Type Ad
Type B
Type C
Explanation - Type Ad tympanogram shows excessive compliance, suggesting flaccid eardrum or ossicular discontinuity.
Correct answer is: Type Ad
Q.22 Which test would be most appropriate for newborn hearing screening?
Pure-tone audiometry
Speech audiometry
Otoacoustic emissions (OAE)
Tuning fork tests
Explanation - OAEs are quick, non-invasive, and do not require behavioral responses, making them ideal for newborn screening.
Correct answer is: Otoacoustic emissions (OAE)
Q.23 Which tuning fork test is performed by placing the fork on the mastoid bone?
Rinne test
Weber test
Schwabach test
Bing test
Explanation - In Rinne test, the tuning fork is first placed on the mastoid (bone conduction) and then near the ear canal (air conduction) to compare thresholds.
Correct answer is: Rinne test
Q.24 Mixed hearing loss involves impairment of:
Outer ear only
Inner ear only
Both conductive and sensorineural pathways
Auditory cortex only
Explanation - Mixed hearing loss is a combination of conductive and sensorineural components affecting both air and bone conduction thresholds.
Correct answer is: Both conductive and sensorineural pathways
Q.25 Which audiometry test measures the softest level of speech a person can recognize 50% of the time?
Speech recognition threshold (SRT)
Pure-tone average (PTA)
Otoacoustic emissions (OAE)
Tympanometry
Explanation - SRT is the lowest intensity at which a person can correctly identify 50% of spoken words, correlating with pure-tone thresholds.
Correct answer is: Speech recognition threshold (SRT)