You can get a hearing test at an audiologist’s office, an ENT doctor’s clinic, many retail locations like Costco, university speech and hearing clinics, and even online as a preliminary screening. The right choice depends on your symptoms, budget, and whether you need a basic screening or a full diagnostic evaluation.
Audiologists and ENT Doctors
An audiologist is the most common starting point for hearing concerns. These are licensed professionals with advanced degrees who specialize in evaluating, diagnosing, and managing hearing and balance issues. They perform detailed hearing tests, fit and program hearing aids, and provide counseling for communicating in difficult listening environments. If you’ve noticed a gradual decline, like constantly asking people to repeat themselves or cranking up the TV volume, an audiologist is the right first call.
An ENT (ear, nose, and throat doctor) is a medical doctor and surgeon. You typically end up with an ENT if your audiologist identifies something that needs medical or surgical treatment, such as fluid behind the eardrum, a growth, or severe hearing loss that hearing aids can’t address. Some people go directly to an ENT if their hearing loss came with pain, drainage, dizziness, or other symptoms that suggest a medical cause rather than age-related decline.
To find either provider, you can search your insurance company’s directory, ask your primary care doctor for a referral, or check the website of your local hospital system. Most audiology practices and ENT offices accept appointments without a referral, though some insurance plans require one for coverage.
Retail Hearing Centers
Costco, Sam’s Club, and many retail pharmacies offer hearing tests at no charge. Costco’s Hearing Aid Centers provide a free test for members 18 and older that includes looking inside your ear canal to check for wax buildup. After the screening, the provider will either recommend hearing aid options or refer you to a physician if something needs medical attention. You do need a Costco membership.
These retail screenings are designed primarily to determine whether hearing aids could help you. They’re convenient and free, but they aren’t the same as a comprehensive diagnostic evaluation. If the provider spots anything unusual, they’ll send you to an audiologist or ENT for further testing.
University Speech and Hearing Clinics
Many universities with audiology programs run teaching clinics open to the public, and the prices are significantly lower than private practices. At the University of Central Oklahoma, for example, a full audiological evaluation costs $60 for the general public and $40 for students and employees. Similar clinics exist at universities across the country. Graduate students conduct the tests under direct supervision from licensed audiologists, so the quality of the evaluation is comparable to a private clinic. Search for “university audiology clinic” plus your city or state to find one nearby.
Online Hearing Screenings
Several websites and apps offer free hearing screenings you can take at home with headphones. These aren’t replacements for an in-person evaluation, but validated online tests perform reasonably well as a first step. One peer-reviewed study found that a self-administered online hearing test detected mild hearing loss with 83% sensitivity and 94% specificity, meaning it catches most cases of real hearing loss and rarely flags people who hear normally. That performance is comparable to the widely used digits-in-noise test, a standard clinical screening tool.
If an online screening suggests a problem, treat it as a prompt to book an in-person test. If it says your hearing is fine but you still feel like you’re struggling, go in anyway. No online tool can examine your ear canal, test how your eardrum moves, or distinguish between different types of hearing loss.
What a Full Hearing Test Involves
A comprehensive hearing evaluation typically takes 30 to 60 minutes and includes several components. Pure-tone testing is the part most people picture: you sit in a soundproof booth wearing headphones and press a button or raise your hand when you hear a beep. The audiologist tests different pitches at different volumes in each ear to map exactly what you can and can’t hear. Bone-conduction testing uses a small vibrating device placed behind your ear to check whether sound travels normally through your inner ear, which helps determine whether hearing loss is caused by a problem in the outer/middle ear or the inner ear.
Speech recognition testing measures how well you understand words, not just detect tones. You’ll repeat back words at different volume levels, and some evaluations also test your ability to understand speech with background noise present. If the audiologist suspects a middle-ear problem, they may add tympanometry, a quick test that measures how your eardrum responds to slight pressure changes. Together, these results tell the provider whether hearing aids, medical treatment, or a surgical referral is the best path forward.
Insurance and Cost
Medicare Part B covers diagnostic hearing exams if a doctor orders them to determine whether you need medical treatment. After meeting your Part B deductible, you pay 20% of the approved amount. You can also visit an audiologist once every 12 months without a doctor’s order, but only for non-acute conditions like gradual hearing loss or for evaluations related to surgically implanted hearing devices. Medicare does not cover hearing aids or exams solely for fitting hearing aids.
Most private insurance plans cover diagnostic hearing evaluations with a copay, though coverage varies. If you’re uninsured or underinsured, university clinics and retail screenings are your most affordable options. Some community health centers and nonprofit organizations also offer low-cost or free screenings, particularly during events like World Hearing Day in early March.
You Don’t Need a Test to Buy OTC Hearing Aids
Since 2022, the FDA has allowed adults 18 and older to purchase over-the-counter hearing aids without a medical exam, prescription, or audiologist fitting. These devices are intended for people with perceived mild to moderate hearing loss and are available in stores and online. That said, getting a professional evaluation before buying is still a good idea. A hearing test can confirm the type and degree of your hearing loss, rule out medical causes that need treatment, and help you choose a device that actually matches your needs rather than guessing.
Testing for Infants and Children
Standard hearing tests rely on the patient’s ability to respond to sounds, which doesn’t work well with newborns and toddlers. Pediatric audiologists at children’s hospitals use specialized techniques that can evaluate hearing in babies and young children who can’t yet follow instructions. These clinics have audiologists trained specifically in interpreting results from young patients, where subtle differences in test responses require extra expertise. If your child failed a newborn hearing screening or you have concerns about speech development, a pediatric audiology program at a children’s hospital is the most reliable place to go.
When Hearing Loss Is an Emergency
If you lose hearing suddenly in one or both ears, over hours or a few days rather than gradually, treat it as a medical emergency. The National Institutes of Health recommends seeing a doctor immediately for sudden hearing loss. Steroid treatment should begin as soon as possible for the best chance of recovery, and waiting longer than two to four weeks makes permanent hearing loss much more likely. Don’t schedule a routine hearing test in this situation. Go to an urgent care, emergency room, or call an ENT office and explain the timeline so they can get you in quickly.