What to Expect at a
Hearing Test Appointment
in Victoria BC
A hearing test is simple, painless, and usually takes about 30-45 minutes. We book these appointments for 60-90 minutes to allow time to review results and answer any questions you may have.
When to Book a Hearing Test?
Hearing health is important at every age. Even if you feel your hearing is normal, having a baseline hearing test allows us to document your current hearing levels so we can easily notice any changes in the future.
We recommend that all adults have at least one baseline test, and then continue to monitor their hearing every two years starting at age 50.
Regular check-ups help catch small changes early and make it easier to protect your long-term hearing health.
Before the Hearing Test
Before your appointment, we will email you a short intake form to complete at your convenience. This form helps us gather important information about your hearing concerns, medical history, noise exposure, medications, and any previous hearing tests. Completing it in advance allows us to spend more time focusing on you during your visit.
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If you are interested in learning more about hearing aids or discussing treatment options, we encourage you to bring a family member or friend. Having someone you trust present can be helpful for support, decision-making, and remembering the information we review together.
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During The Hearing Test
Ear Examination
We will begin by looking inside your ears using a small lighted instrument, called an otoscope. This allows us to check for:
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Earwax buildup
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Irritation or infection
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Any visible blockages
This step is quick and comfortable.
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Hearing Assessment
During the assessment, you will sit in a quiet sound booth and wear comfortable headphones or foam ear phones. We will guide you through a series of simple listening activities designed to measure how well you hear different sounds and understand speech. You will be asked to:
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Listen for beeps at different pitches and volumes and press a button when you hear them
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Repeat words and sentences to see how clearly you understand speech​
Depending on your needs and initial results, we may also perform a few additional checks to evaluate how your ears are functioning. These can include:
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Testing how your ear drum and middle ear respond to pressure
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Testing how your ears react to loud sounds
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Testing how your inner hair cells react to sounds
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All parts of the assessment are painless, non-invasive, and there are no right or wrong answers. We are simply measuring your natural hearing ability so we can gather accurate information about how well you hear.
After the Hearing Test​
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Reviewing Your Results
At the end of your appointment, we will:
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Explain your results in clear, easy-to-understand terms
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Answer any questions you have
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Discuss recommendations if hearing support is needed
You will leave with a better understanding of your hearing health and the options available to you.
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We are always happy to provide you, as well as anyone in your health care team (such as your family physician, nurse practitioner, ear nose and throat specialist, etc.) with a copy of your hearing test results.