The PRAXIS II Audiology Exam (0340)

If you’re planning to practice audiology in a professional setting, such as a clinic, hospital, public school system, or private practice, you’ll have to pass the PRAXIS II Audiology exam (0340) for licensure. The PRAXIS II Audiology test, which is widely regarded as the national exam in audiology, is one of the requirements of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) for a Certificate of Clinical Competence.

The two-hour PRAXIS II Audiology exam is comprised of 120 multiple-choice questions. These questions evaluate your aptitude for applying knowledge to real-life situations and for appropriately applying new information to diverse scenarios. When questions concern specific case studies, the relevant texts are given. Some questions on the PRAXIS II Audiology exam do not factor into the test score.

Questions on the PRAXIS II Audiology exam deal with these eight areas in audiology: 1) basic communication processes; 2) behavioral assessment and interpretation; 3) rehabilitative assessment; 4) rehabilitative management; 5) rehabilitative technology; 6) prevention/ID; 7) professional issues, psychometrics, and research; and 8) electrophysiological measurements and interpretation.

Most test questions (approximately 32) deal with basic communication, including syndromes, genetics, speech-language science, psychoacoustics, physiology, pathologies, studies in medical diagnosis, anatomy and development, and acoustics. The next largest number of questions (15) has to do with behavioral assessment and interpretation. Procedures for testing behavioral tone and speech, and the use of case histories and physical exams in auditory assessment are the primary focus of this section of the PRAXIS II Auditory exam.

These three sections of the PRAXIS II Audiology exam contain roughly 39 total questions: rehabilitative assessment, technology, and management. The assessment portion questions concern hearing aids as well as audiological and hearing handicap/disability assessment. The technology section also concerns hearing aids, as well as cochlear implant technology and additional assistive devices. Questions on the management portion focus on age-appropriate techniques and methodologies in rehabilitation, counseling, referrals, and patient care.

The prevention/ID and professional issues, psychometrics, and research sections of the PRAXIS II Audiology exam contain approximately 12 questions each. Questions on the prevention/ID section concern hearing conservation, methods for limiting infections, ototoxicity, screenings, and other related topics. The professional issues, psychometrics, and research section contains questions about professional principles and legal requirements, ethics, deaf culture, business management, accreditation, and research methodology. About 10 questions on the PRAXIS II Auditory test concern electrophysiological measurement and interpretation. These questions focus on vestibular and auditory matters, such as test procedures, measurements, and pathologies.