A hearing test is the cheapest part of solving a hearing problem and the one people skip most often. Without it, you are choosing a device by price and guesswork.
Here is what actually happens in the appointment, what the numbers mean, and what to expect to pay in Pakistan in 2026.
The appointment, step by step
1. Case history. The audiologist asks about onset, family history, noise exposure, medications, ear infections, and tinnitus. Be specific: "three years, worse on the phone" is more useful than "it's been a while."
2. Otoscopy. A look inside the ear with a light and speculum to check for wax, discharge, or a perforated eardrum. A wax blockage is worth ruling out before anything else — it can look exactly like hearing loss and takes minutes to fix.
3. Pure-tone audiometry. You sit in a sound-treated room wearing headphones and press a button when you hear a tone. The tester finds the quietest level you can detect at each frequency, usually 250 Hz to 8000 Hz, for both air conduction and bone conduction.
4. Speech audiometry. Words or sentences are played at a comfortable level and you repeat what you hear. This measures understanding, not just detection, and it predicts how much benefit a hearing aid will realistically give you.
5. Tympanometry (when relevant). A small probe measures how the eardrum moves. It identifies fluid behind the eardrum or a problem with the middle ear, which changes the diagnosis entirely.
6. Explanation and printout. You should leave with the audiogram in your hand and an explanation of what it means. Ask for the printout — you will need it for every quote you collect.
Total time: 30 to 60 minutes. No preparation needed beyond avoiding loud noise (concerts, machinery) for 24 hours beforehand.
Reading the audiogram
The x-axis is frequency in Hz, left to right, low to high pitch. The y-axis is hearing level in dB, and it goes downwards: louder as you move down the chart. Circles usually mark the right ear, crosses the left.
| Degree | Threshold | What it feels like |
|---|---|---|
| Normal | Up to 25 dB | No difficulty |
| Mild | 26–40 dB | Trouble in noisy rooms, missed consonants |
| Moderate | 41–55 dB | Frequent repetition needed |
| Moderately severe | 56–70 dB | Speech only audible when loud |
| Severe | 71–90 dB | Needs powerful amplification |
| Profound | Above 90 dB | May need implant assessment |
Then look at the shape:
- Sloping loss (better on the left of the chart, worse on the right) is the classic high-frequency pattern of ageing and noise damage. Speech is audible but unclear.
- Flat loss means similar thresholds across the range.
- Rising loss (worse at low frequencies) usually points to a conductive cause.
- A gap between air and bone conduction scores means the problem lies in the outer or middle ear, and may be treatable.
A mild-to-moderate high-frequency loss is the one most often dismissed as "everyone mumbles these days." It is also one of the easiest to help with hearing aids.
What it costs in Pakistan
| Service | Typical cost (PKR) |
|---|---|
| Pure-tone audiometry at a clinic | 1,500 – 5,000 |
| Full assessment with speech audiometry | 3,000 – 8,000 |
| Test bundled with a hearing aid purchase | Often free |
| Home visit test | 5,000 – 15,000, varies by city |
| Ear wax removal by a professional | 1,000 – 3,000 |
Do not pick a clinic on price. Pick one that gives you the printed audiogram, explains it, and does not pressure you into a device the same afternoon. A test that ends with a hard sell is a sales meeting with headphones.
Where to get tested
- Hospital ENT/audiology departments in major cities: lowest cost, longest waits, usually thorough.
- Private audiology clinics: faster, better equipped for fitting, prices vary widely.
- Hearing aid sellers with in-house audiologists: convenient and often free with purchase, but the test and the sale sit with the same person. Insist on the printout and take your time.
Whichever route you choose, keep the audiogram. Repeat tests over time are how you know whether your hearing is stable, and a baseline from two years ago is genuinely useful.
When to skip the queue and see a doctor
Go to an ENT specialist first, not an audiologist, if you have:
- Sudden hearing loss in one or both ears — treat this as an emergency, within 72 hours
- Hearing loss in one ear only
- Discharge, pain, or pressure in the ear
- Dizziness or balance problems
- Hearing loss following a head injury or infection
For everything else, an audiogram is the right first step. Read understanding hearing loss to interpret what you are given, then compare devices using the 2026 price guide.
Already tested? Send your audiogram to our team on WhatsApp and we will suggest specific models that fit your loss curve and your budget.
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