• Be able to do a biologic check of your audiometer.

  • Be able to set up and use EVERY function on your audiometer you are taking to the state test; including sound field speakers, microphone, tape and masking (narrow band and white noise, if the machine has them).

  • Know and be comfortable with the process of finding a threshold in pure tone by going down in 10 dB increments and up in 5 dB increments.

  • Have a word list printed out that matches the tape or CD tracks you will use at the test. Both Spondee and Word Discrimination lists (50 words).

  • Be able to roughly explain how sound is created and heard; as it relates to the human voice and hearing.

  • Know and be able to locate the four sections of the human hearing mechanism; outer ear, middle ear, inner ear and central hearing.

  • Know and be able to use the following terms as they relate to hearing and audiometry: dB, threshold, Hz, CPS, audiogram, anterior, posterior, inferior, superior, MCL, UCL, LDL, SPL, HTL, tympanogram, tympanometer, sound level meter, audiometer and headphone.

  • Know how to turn on your sound level meter and how to read it.

  • Know that ALL equipment and supplies that you are taking to the test, are with you when you come to class; is in good repair, calibrated and you know how to use the basic functions.

  • Know the difference between Gain, Input and Output; as it relates to a hearing aid.

  • Know what an Air/Bone gap looks like on an audiogram.

  • Know what the following symbols mean and how to place them on an audiogram:


  • Forget every horror story you have ever heard about the state test being difficult, unfair or rigged against you.

  • Wear comfortable clothes to the class.

  • Be prepared to read (have your glasses), listen (cell phone has a mute button), write (have one pen and five blank sheets of paper) and sit. We will be in class from 8 to 5 every day. We will take about 45 minutes for lunch (provided).

  • Come prepared to spend the day at the class location.

Water, coffee, iced and hot tea, limited sodas and snacks are provided all day.

There is a small convenience store about a ¼ mile from the class location; every other service is over three miles away.

The Comfort Inn and Hampton Inn located in Buda (four or five miles from the class location) has special rates for our students. There are fast food and mid-level restaurants, HEB, Wal-Mart, Cabelas, pharmacies and other services nearby.