The purpose of audiological evaluation is to quantify and qualify hearing in terms of the degree and the type of hearing loss. The loss may be conductive (a temporary or permanent hearing loss typically due to abnormal conditions of the outer and/or middle ear), mixed (a combination of conductive and sensorineural components), or a central auditory processing disorder (a condition where the brain has difficulty processing auditory signals that are heard).

Audiological evaluation is also carried out for purposes of monitoring an already identified hearing loss. Once a particular hearing loss has been identified, a treatment and management plan is put into place. The plan may include medical or surgical intervention, prescription of personal hearing aids, prescription of assistive listening devices, skills development through audiological rehabilitation, or simply monitoring of the condition through periodic assessment.

An audiologic evaluation is sometimes thought of as “just a hearing test,” but more than “just” the ability to hear sounds is involved. The audiologic evaluation consists of a battery of tests each providing specific standalone information. Yet, the tests complement one another. The audiologic evaluation consists of several different
components. The entire test takes anywhere between 15 to 30 minutes.