Audiometry Test in Singapore

Suitable for: Adults, children above 5 years old

PTA is usually conducted in a sound-treated room wearing headphones/insert earphones connected to an audiometer. Sounds of different frequencies will be presented and you will be asked to give a signal when you hear the tone to determine the softest level of sounds you can detect at each frequency.

Suitable for: Children (6 months to 3 years old)

VRA can be conducted with sounds playing through speakers positioned at the sides of the room or through headphones/insert earphones if well tolerated by the child.

The audiologist will guide the child to look in the direction of the visual reinforcer, such as a moving toy or screen, when a sound is presented. This action is repeated to help the child form an association between the sound and the visual reinforcer before the test officially commences. Sounds of different intensities and frequencies will be played to assess the child’s hearing levels.

It is important to note that the amount of results obtainable depends highly on the child’s attention and interest.

Suitable for: Children (2.5 to 5 years old)

Play Audiometry begins with the audiologist showing the child some of the toys which will be used, such as balls and pegs, for familiarisation and conditioning. The child will be asked to carry out a development-appropriate task each time a sound is heard, e.g. putting a toy into a basket.

Testing begins once the child understands the game. Different frequencies of sound will be tested to assess the child’s hearing capabilities, with a greater focus on the frequencies that are important for speech learning and development. Headphones/insert earphones will be used to determine ear-specific results if they are well-tolerated by the child. 

Like VRA, the amount of results obtainable depends highly on the child’s attention and interest.

Suitable for: Adults, school-aged children

The speech discrimination test assesses a person’s ability to differentiate speech sounds accurately by repeating what is heard. This performance can be monitored at different levels (e.g. soft, conversational and loud levels) and under different conditions (without hearing aids and with hearing aids). The speech discrimination score can also be compared to the pure tone audiometry test results to check for non-organic hearing loss and retrocochlear disorders. 

A more advanced speech discrimination test – Speech In Noise test – can be done if someone faces listening difficulties specifically in noise. Functional listening problems are mostly experienced by individuals with hearing loss but the same problems can happen in normal hearing individuals too.

An audiometry test is crucial for detecting signs of hearing loss and determining the appropriate steps for treatment. Undetected hearing loss can negatively affect a child’s language and communication skills. On the other hand, leaving hearing loss untreated in adults can result in the following:

• Communication difficulties
• Less social interaction and engagement
• Cognitive decline
• Dementia
• Poorer quality of life
• Increased risk of accidents (as they may fail to hear auditory cues such as a car horn)

You can take an audiometry test at any of our hearing centres in Singapore. Book an appointment today!

You may take an online hearing test from the comfort of your home. However, for a more comprehensive evaluation of your hearing capabilities, we recommend taking an in-clinic audiometry test. Based on the test results, our hearing care professionals can provide tailored recommendations to address your hearing concerns.