T K Group Test Your Knowledge
Hearing Testing

Welcome to our Hearing Quiz, where you can test your knowledge of hearing conservation.

See where you rank: as an Audiologist, Hearing Conservation Expert, Hearing Conservation Professional, CAOHC Refresher Candidate, or CAOHC Candidate.

1. What does OSHA stand for?

Office of Sound, Hearing, and Audiology
Organization for a Secure and Healthy America
Operational Safety and Hazard Agency
Occupational Safety and Health Administration
OSHA doesn't stand for any nonsense

2. At or above what average noise exposure level must you test an employee annually?

80 dB
85 dB
90 dB
93 dB
I've never been exposed to that

3. What does STS stand for?

Suboptimal Test Score
Smythe's Tachyotonesis Syndrome
Standard Threshold Shift
Substandard Test Score
Shouldn't This Stop?

4. What characterizes an STS?

A change of 10dB in each of the 3K, 4K, and 6K thresholds
A change of 25dB in the speech thresholds of either ear
An average degradation of 10dB or more across the 2K, 3K, and 4K thresholds
Ringing in either ear (tinnitus)
A loss of 10 dB or more on average in the 1K, 2K, and 3K thresholds

5. How many days do you have to notify an employee after an STS?

7
21
30
45
No notification is required

6. What STS follow-up does OSHA require for employees wearing hearing protectors?

Provide protectors with a higher attenuation and/or use 'dual protection'
Check the fit of current hearing protectors
Refit hearing protectors and retrain the employees in their use and care
Remove employees from noisy areas for 30 days, then retest
I don't follow

7. What satisfies the OSHA Recordable Shift criteria?

A hearing loss of 25 dB or more in the 3K, 4K, and 6K thresholds of an ear
An STS that has been found to be persistent on a succeeding test not less than 6 months afterward
An STS and average at 2K, 3K, and 4K of at least 25 dB in either ear
Two STSs in the same ear without an intervening improvement in hearing
I hope you're not recording this

8. When may you opt not to log a test with an OSHA Recordable Shift?

If the employee is known to have noisy hobbies, such as motorcycling or pistolry
If you plan to perform a retest within 30 days
If a retest indicates the shift is persistent
If an audiologist or other licensed healthcare professional deems the test invalid

9. Upon which of the following conditions may a baseline be revised?

Persistent STS
Non-persistent Recordable
Bipolar ablation
Acute perspicacity
A baseline may only be revised if authorized by an OSHA inspector

10. What is the standard method of hearing testing?

Bone conduction
Spirometry
Abduction
Air conduction
Huh?

11. What do you call hearing loss due to aging?

Paleotesis
Cerumen
Otitis Media
Presbycusis
A gray matter

12. How does OSHA define a 'problem audiogram'?

As one with an STS
As one with a change of 15 dB in any threshold
As one with a difference of 40dB or more between ears at any frequency
As one where the subject has experienced tinnitus, or sudden or fluctuating loss in hearing in the last year
It doesn't

13. How long does OSHA require you keep audiometric test records?

5 years
7 years
30 years
For the duration of employment
Forever

14. Can you remove an entry from the Recordable Log?

Under no conditions
You may line out an entry if a later test shows the recordable shift is not persistent
You may remove an entry if the employee leaves the company
You may remove an entry 7 days after you've notified the employee in writing

15. What is the name of the organization that certifies hearing technicians?

US Council on Hearing
NIOSH
CAOHC
KAOS
Nobody knows that!

16. How often must audiometers be acoustically calibrated?

Daily
Annually
Every 2 years
Never
Calibration schmalibration

17. Is there any sound at zero dB?

Yes
No
If a tree falls in the forest...

18. What items does OSHA require on an audiogram?

Name, department, hire date, and examiner's name
Name, job classification, hire date, and examiner's name
Name, department, audiometer calibration date
Name, job classification, and audiometer calibration date
Name, department, and date of test

19. What is the acronym used to indicate the attenuation rating for hearing protectors?

ATA
QOX
NRR
USTA
WTH

20. How does OSHA define 'persistence'?

The presence of a condition on 3 consecutive tests
The presence of a condition on two tests at least 6 months apart
The presence of a condition on a 30-day retest
The presence of a condition on any two tests no matter the intervening elapsed time
It doesn't