100 Important Audiologist Interview Questions

Q – 1 What is Audiogram?

Ans- An audiogram is a graphic demonstration of audiometric data. It represents a picture of your hearing ability. It is a graph that represents the softest sound a person can hear at different pitches or frequencies.

Q – 2 Tell me what is your favorite environment to work in?

Ans- An environment of staff that work together as a team.

Q – 3 Tell me what do you like about what you do?

Ans- I enjoy helping people stay connected to their friends and family through better hearing. I also like learning about the latest technologies available to assist those with hearing loss.

Q – 4 Tell me do you prefer working with children or senior citizens?

Ans- Children, however, I do enjoy working with adults.

Q – 5 Tell me what form of aural rehabilitation do you use in your current position?

Ans- Provision of amplification to meet their hearing needs, and auditory training.

Q – 6 Tell me if you could be in another career, what would you pick?

Ans- If I had to pick another career I would be a nurse. I enjoy helping people and improving others lives which I feel both fields do.

Q – 7 Tell me other than your audiogram, how do you assess a patients needs?

Ans- Questionnaires (such as the HHIE), Speech in Noise testing,

Q – 8 Tell me how do you make money/or how are you compensated?

Ans- I have a mix of private pay and insurance patients.

Q – 9 Explain what are the types of tinnitus?

Ans- Tinnitus are classified in two:

☛ Pulsatile: It is caused due to muscle movement near the ear, blood flow problem in neck or face, changes in the ear canal.

☛ Non-pulsatile: It is caused due to the nerves involved with hearing, you may hear the sound in both ears.

Q – 10 Explain how much money did/do you make starting out as an Audiologist?

Ans- Starting salaries are in the range of $42,000 per year and up. I made around $20 per hour when I started back in the 1980′s.

Q – 11 Explain what is your greatest benefit to helping others hear better?

Ans- My greatest benefit is knowing that I have improved their quality of life. It makes me feel good knowing that I have given them something back which they had lost.

Q – 12 What is “Otoacoustic emissions” (OAE)?

Ans- “Otoacoustic” emissions are low level, inaudible sounds produced by the outer hair cells of the inner ear. This sound occurs spontaneously or in response to clicks or tones. OAE is normally observed in the normal person but may be absent if the person has mild conductive or cochlear hearing loss.

Q – 13 Explain what is most challenging about what you do?

Ans- It’s really important to stay up-to-date on the latest research and technology, since the field changes so fast. Also, with hearing aids I’m working against many erroneous beliefs that patients come in with (“hearing aids don’t work”, etc.) that I have to overcome before I can help them.

Q – 14 Explain what brand do you prefer working with?

Ans- I have worked with a variety of hearing aids including Siemens, Oticon, Starkey and phonack aids. I have most experience with siemens hearing aids but I prefer the software and the quality of Oticon aids.

Q – 15 Explain some of the use of OAE (Otoacoustic Emissions) testing?

Ans- ☛ Screening tool for hearing loss in infants, children and newborns
☛ Determines non-organic or functional hearing loss
☛ Differential diagnosis between retro-cochlear and cochlear hearing loss
☛ Identifying cochlear function in patients with tinnitus
☛ Can give an early indication about cochlear dysfunction
☛ Can use to evaluate the toxicity of the medication used for ear

Q – 16 Tell me what education, schooling, or skills are needed to do this?

Ans- Audiology requires a bachelors degree and four-year doctoral program. One important necessary skill is communicating well with others, since it’s a people-centered profession. You do need lots of patience as well since you often have to reinstruct patients several times on the same issue (how to put in batteries, etc.).

Q – 17 What is sensorineural hearing losses?

Ans- Hearing losses that are caused by a problem in the inner ear or along the auditory nerve are called sensorineural hearing losses. It happens due to the inability of the nerve to carry the signal to the brain.

Q – 18 Tell me what is most rewarding?

Ans- I love the look on the patient’s face and their family’s reaction when they realize what they can hear with properly fitted hearing aids. Most people tell me they wish they had gotten hearing aids sooner.

Q – 19 Tell me how did you get started?

Ans- I wanted to be in a profession where I could help people, and my undergraduate degree is in communicative disorders (speech pathology). I really enjoyed my audiology classes (audiology and speech pathology are related fields and we cross-train to some extent), so I changed to audiology for my graduate degree.

Q – 20 Tell me have you ever had a patient want to return a hearing aid?

Ans- Yes I have had a patient return a hearing aid through the lions club foundation. It was a pair of donated in the ear hearing aid. I was actually picking up this case after another audiologist and responsible for fitting the hearing aid. She was so unahppy with the aid that I knew it woulndt work.

I want to be able to provide the patient with amplication he or she wil use not dispise. I tried to have her try it on and she was just not happy. I talked to her son and made some phone calls and had lions club donate a BTE hearinga id witha slim tube.

Q – 21 What is ASSR (Auditory Steady State Response)?

Ans- It is a testing method used to check the ability of hearing in children, who are too young for traditional audiometric testing.

Q – 22 Tell me what advice would you offer someone considering this career?

Ans- I recommend shadowing an audiologist to see if you will enjoy this field. There are many specialties in audiology now: pediatrics, hearing aids, cochlear implants, intraoperative monitoring, vestibular testing/rehabilitation, and diagnostics to name a few.

Q – 23 Explain what do you dislike?

Ans- I don’t like dealing with insurance companies. It’s difficult to get clear answers regarding how much they will cover for a specific patient or procedure, and they often take quite a while to pay us.

Q – 24 Tell me what was the most difficult patient you’ve had to test and outfit with a hearing device?

Ans- Sudden hearing loss, 40-year-old.

Q – 25 Tell me can we cure sensorineural hearing impairment? What causes such hearing impairment?

Ans- Such type of hearing impairment are incurable and can be remediated to a certain extent. Although new technology has shown immense potential to improve hearing ability, is still far to eliminate hearing impairment completely.

☛ Damage to the cochlear hair cells
☛ Tumor on the auditory nerve

Q – 26 Tell me what is a common misconception people have about what you do?

Ans- It’s getting better now, but when I used to tell people I was an audiologist they didn’t even know what that was.

One thing I hear is that many people think that all hearing aids are the same so they just select their hearing aid provider based on price, but in reality there is an art to fitting hearing aids. Experience matters!

Q – 27 Situational Audiology interview questions:

Ans- ☛ How would you weigh a plane without scales?
☛ Tell me about your proudest achievement.
☛ What would make you happy in a job?
☛ Which subjects did you enjoy during your qualifying degree?
☛ What is the difference between a good position and an excellent one?

Q – 28 Video Based Audiology interview questions:

Ans- ☛ Have you ever had difficulty working with a manager?
☛ How do you think you can make a contribution to this company?
☛ What was the most difficult period in your life, and how did you deal with it?
☛ Describe a situation in which you had to collect information.
☛ What would you say are your strong points?

Q – 29 Phone Based Audiology interview questions:

Ans- ☛ What was the most complex assignment you have had?
☛ How would you describe the experience of working here?
☛ How well did your college experience prepare you for this job?
☛ What do you feel is the best educational preparation for this career?
☛ What are three positive character traits you don’t have?

Q – 30 Phone Based Audiologist Interview Questions:

Ans- ☛ Why did you get in to the field of audiology?
☛ What do you think is the most interesting aspect of audiology?
☛ What personality traits do you possess that make you feel well suited for a private practice audiology clinic?
☛ Our practice sells hearing aids. On a scale of 1 to 10 rate yourself as a sales person.
☛ Why did you give your self that rating?
☛ With regard to the profession of audiology what do you think is your weakest attribute?
☛ If you could improve one aspect of your professional skills what would you improve?
☛ How do you feel about participating in marketing activities that create awareness about hearing loss and the practice?

Q – 31 Competency Based Audiology interview questions:

Ans- ☛ Tell me about an important issue you encountered recently.
☛ Can you describe a time when your work was criticized?
☛ Tell me about an important goal that you set in the past.
☛ When given an important assignment, how do you approach it?
☛ Did you feel you progressed satisfactorily in your last job?

You may receive very helpful advice from an outsider who, like the interviewers, may tell if you answer properly or not.
Connect your ability to the company’s requirements.

Answer as sincerely as possible. Don’t lie as if you are discovered, it shall be very bad situation.

Q – 32 Basic Audiology interview questions:

Ans- ☛ What steps do you follow to study a problem before making a decision?
☛ Describe a situation where you had to plan or organise something.
☛ How did you prepare for this work?
☛ Do you work well under pressure?
☛ Do you prefer to work independently or on a team?

Q – 33 Communication skills Based Audiology interview questions:

Ans- ☛ Time when you made a suggestion to improve the work.
☛ What has been your most successful experience in speech making?
☛ What do you see yourself doing within the first days of this job?
☛ What major challenges and problems did you face?
☛ What’s most important to you in a new position?

Never use any adjectives for these sort of Audiology interview questions. Make sure your eye contact with the interviewers during the interview. The best strategy for effectively answering these tough Audiology interview questions is to prepare for it.

Q – 34 Experience Based Audiologist Interview Questions:

Ans- ☛ Tell me a little bit about yourself.
☛ Tell me about your current work setting.
☛ What social skills resources do you use for children with autism spectrum disorders?
☛ Tell me about the most difficult client you’ve ever had and how you worked through it.
☛ Tell me about the hardest therapy session you’ve ever had and how you made it work.
☛ What experience do you have with children with __(whatever disorder the site specializes in serving)__?
☛ What AAC/Assistive Technology experience do you have?
☛ How do you involve parents and teachers in treatment?
☛ How would you deal with a parent who questions your therapy practices?

Q – 35 Behavioral Audiology interview questions:

Ans- ☛ What is more important to you: the money or the work?
☛ A team experience you found disappointing.
☛ What do you like and dislike about the job we are discussing?
☛ How do you keep track of things you need to do?
☛ How do you decide what gets top priority when scheduling your time?

Q – 36 Organizational Skills Based Audiologist Interview Questions:

Ans- ☛ What’s your philosophy for serving preschool students for speech/language?
☛ What model do you currently use to serve students? (pull out, push in, inclusion, collaborative, coteaching, coaching, consultation?)
☛ What model do you use to serve students with autism?
☛ What program/model do you use to serve students with articulation/phonology disorders?
☛ How would you approach serving children with multiple special needs in a self-contained classroom setting?
☛ Do you think you can make change in the learning trajectory for a child even without parent involvement?
☛ What are the most important things you think teachers and parents need to know about language to make a difference for children?
☛ What do you think causes the achievement gap for minority students we serve?

Q – 37 Strengths and Weaknesses Based Audiology interview questions:

Ans- ☛ What support training would you require to be able to do this job?
☛ Do you have the qualities and skills necessary to succeed in your career?
☛ List five words that describe your character.
☛ Tell us about the last time you had to negotiate with someone.
☛ What are your salary requirements.

Q – 38 Situational Audiologist Interview Questions:

Ans- ☛ How would you handle an irate parent/teacher/principal?
☛ How would you manage a combative adult patient?
☛ Walk me through your process of giving initial exams to patients.
☛ With what assistive devices are you most familiar with?
☛ What hearing aid brands do you recommend for children?
☛ What is a comfortable caseload size for you?
☛ What are some references you recommend to your patients to learn more about hearing aids, cochlear implants, or other hearing assistance technology?
☛ What is your philosophy about the various communication approaches used by children who are deaf or hard of hearing?
☛ What tools do you use to ensure the hearing instruments are appropriately working for your patient?

Q – 39 Explain when did you decide you wanted to be an audiologist?

Ans- I decided I wanted to be an audiologist very early on. Both my grandmother and mother have hearing loss and I made a promise to them to be able to help them with their communication and I know that becoming an audiologist will be one of the proudest moments in my life and I am hopeful that seal beach will be part of that.

Q – 40 Tell us who can receive Cochlear implant?

Ans- Adults who are having:

☛ Severe or profound bilateral hearing loss
☛ No help from a hearing aid
☛ Health enough to go under surgery
☛ Have realistic expectations

Q – 41 Tell me have you dealt with a patient that you could not provide hearing too?

Ans- Yes, instead we focused on other assistive devices. Referred to social services for support such as flashing doorbells etc.

Q – 42 Tell me what learning experiences, or events, would you like to attend that might improve your own education?

Ans- Conferences, local and national level, hearing aid manufacturer meetings to update me on latest technology, training sessions for testing as software always changes.

Q – 43 Explain different types of hearing aids that are popular among people?

Ans- The types of hearing aids that is popular are

☛ Completely in canal (CTC)
☛ In the canal (ITC)
☛ Half shell in the ear (ITE)
☛ Full shell in the ear (ITE)
☛ Traditional behind the ear (BTE)
☛ Open fit behind the ear (BTE)

Q – 44 Tell me how fluid pressure inside ear can be measured?

Ans- Two important components are used to measure the fluid pressure in the ear; one is summating potential (SP) and the action plan (AP). The audiologist collects several responses from the ear in the waveform with the help of electrochelograph, which contains these two components ( SP & AP). Both of these waveform components are direct results of providing sound stimulation to the cochlea. The calculation is made on the SP/AP ratio, and any increase in the value of this SP/AP ratio indicates an increase in fluid pressure in the ear.

Q – 45 Explain what’s a typical work week like?

Ans- I usually have a mix of new and returning patients throughout the week, so on any given day I can be doing hearing evaluations, hearing aid fittings, and follow-up hearing aid services. Over a one year period I will see a typical patient for their initial evaluation, their hearing aid fitting, two or three follow-up fitting visits, and a few clean and check visits.

Q – 46 Tell me have you ever outfitted a patient with a hearing aid, and it went wrong? Maybe the device did not work properlly?

Ans- Yes, either the hearing was faulty.

Q – 47 Tell me what tools do you use to ensure the hearing instruments are appropriately working for your patient?

Ans- You can carry out rems and subjective tests on the hearing aid. But most importantly talk to the patient and do a questionnaire to find out the benefit they are receiving.

Q – 48 What is cochlea in the ear?

Ans- Cochlea plays a major role in hearing phenomena; it contains fluid called perilymph and tiny hairlike projections called cilia. Together they do the function of converting sound waves into a nerve impulse interpreted by the brain as sound.

Q – 49 Explain what are your goals/dreams for the future?

Ans- I would like to expand my practice and open up more locations so that I can help more people.

Q – 50 Tell me what does your work entail?

Ans- First I consult with my patient about their lifestyle and what specific situations they’re having difficulty communicating in. Next I examine their ears and ear canals to rule out any medical conditions, and then I perform a comprehensive audiological evaluation to map their hearing and measure their ability to understand speech under various listening conditions. Finally, I review the test results with the patient and settle upon a treatment option.

Q – 51 Explain a hearing conservation program you have implemented?

Ans- Well, During my bachelors at college, we arranged a hearing screening camp and counselled a group of workers working at some industries about the hazardous effect of noise on their hearing and lifestyle.

Q – 52 Suppose if a patient arrived at your office for an initial visit but had no appointment and you were really busy, how would you make time for the potential patient?

Ans- I would ask them what their concern is and will give them an overview of the procedure that they need. Will then schedule them for another appointment so as not to hasten the trial or test.

Q – 53 Tell me what CAPD is and what are the tests used to check CAPD?

Ans- CAPD stands for central auditory processing order, and it is a set of problems that occur in different types of listening tasks, especially observed among children’s.

To check CAPD various test are performed like

☛ Auditory brainstem response
☛ Middle Latencies
☛ Late latency
☛ Event-related response
☛ fMRI

Q – 54 Tell me what are the parameters or levels on which hearing disability is measured?

Ans- ☛ 0-25 dB – Hearing with normal limits
☛ 26-40 dB – Mild hearing loss
☛ 41-55 dB – Moderate hearing loss
☛ 56-70 dB – Moderately severe hearing loss
☛ 71-90 dB – Severe hearing loss
☛ 91+ dB – Profound hearing loss

Q – 55 List out important part of ears in Audiology?

Ans- Auditory canal

• Cochlea
• Malleous
• Incus
• Stapes
• Semicircular canal
• Auditory nerve
• Estachian tube
• Oval window
• Eardrum

Q – 56 Explain how much time off do you get/take?

Ans- I own my own practice, so I set my own hours and vacations. I generally work 35 hours per week, and take several weeks vacation per year.

Q – 57 Explain how would you describe what you do?

Ans- I diagnose hearing loss and prescribe solutions that will help my patients to hear better.

Q – 58 Tell me do you enjoy visiting clinics, hospitals, schools, while working?

Ans- Yes, ofcourse.

Q – 59 Tell us what type of rehabilitation training do you enjoy the most and consider yourself the best at?

Ans- Adult rehabilitation and tinnitus retraining therapy.

Q – 60 Tell me when giving initial exams to patients in the past, walk me through your process?

Ans- Taking ahistory and finding out the Pts concernsPerforming otoscopy to make sure ears are free of wax/annomaliesPTA with masking if necessaryConsider ENT referral at this stage if any complicationsDiscuss hearing aids with clientTake Imps/Fit open aids

Q – 61 Tell us how do you currently follow up with your patients to monitor the status of their hearing aid?

Ans- My patients are fit with hearing aids and scheduled a two week follow up at the initial fitting. After that I schedule a four week check during their trial period to make sure they are comfortable. Patients are seen every six months for check ups and cleanings and once a year for a hearing test.

Q – 62 Tell me what all sectors an audiologist can work?

Ans- An audiologist is a health professional, and he can work in sectors like

☛ Hospitals
☛ Clinics
☛ Private practices
☛ ENT offices
☛ Universities
☛ Government Institute
☛ Military Hospitals

Q – 63 Tell me why sometimes we feel a ringing or hizzing sound in the ear?

Ans- Hizzing or ringing sound is very normal, and it’s not a serious condition. It is referred as tinnitus, which is not a condition itself but a symptom of an underlying condition due to age-related hearing loss, ear injury or a circulatory system disorder.

Q – 64 Tell me what is conductive hearing losses? What causes such hearing impairment?

Ans- Hearing loss that is caused by a problem in the middle or external ear are called conductive hearing losses. Such difficulty in hearing occurs when problem lies in the conduction of sound to the cochlea.

The cause of such impairment is

☛ Excessive wax in the ear canal
☛ Fluid accumulated in the ear due to infection
☛ Discontinuity between the ossicles

Q – 65 Do you know what tools does Audiology use?

Ans- Audiologist use tools like

• Otoscope
• Typanometer
• Audiometer
• Auditory brainstem response
• Electronystagmography
• Otoacoustic emission, etc.

Q – 66 Explain what else would you like people to know about your job/career?

Ans- I really enjoy audiology, and find it to be a rewarding profession. It’s a nice blend of technology and people.

Q – 67 Explain how much money do Audiologists make?

Ans- The salary for audiologists varies by practice type, as well as geographic location. The average salary is around $73,000 per year, and private practice owners generally make more than non-owner audiologists. Audiologists can make over $100,000 depending on their experience and compensation package.

Q – 68 Tell me what do you do for a living?

Ans- I am an audiologist.

Q – 69 Explain how do you market yourself? To reach new patients?

Ans- I will tell my patient that I will do my best for their improvement and I will do my best for them. I believe in mouth publicity.

Q – 70 Explain how well did you work with the front office staff at your previous job?

Ans- Very well. I feel it is important to build a good relationship with the front staff because you really rely on each other to see as many patients as possible and give patients the best experience in your office.

Q – 71 Explain what procedures do you recommend using when giving a patient their initial exam?

Ans- Case history, otoscopy, tympanometry, air-conduction testing, bone-conduction testing, word-recognition testing, speech reception thresholds, counseling, and (if appropriate) rehabilitation options (hearing instruments, hearing assistive technology, etc.)

Q – 72 What are triggers tinnitus?

Ans- ☛ A buildup of earwax
☛ Taking too much of antibiotics
☛ Intake of too much of alcohol
☛ Eardrum rupture
☛ Dental or Temporomandibular problems
☛ Direct injuries to ear or head
☛ Injury to the ear due to radiation therapy
☛ Excessive dieting and weight loss
☛ Repeated exercise with the neck
☛ High blood pressure, Migraine, Multiple Sclerosis, Neurological disorder, etc.

Q – 73 What is electrochleography test?

Ans- Electrochleography is an inner ear test that uses sound stimulation and the resulting electrical measurements. In this technique, fluid pressure inside inner ear is measured, excessive fluid pressure may cause hearing loss.