Hearing is something we rely on everyday. At times, listening can be demanding! This questionnaire examines different aspects of hearing – and for various listening situations, you’re asked to indicate the difficulty you’d experience without the use of hearing aids. If a certain situation lies outside your experience, then just try to imagine how you would feel in those circumstances – or, if you are really not sure, choose “not applicable”.

Hearcom Questionnaire
  1. When you are watching a film in a cinema or a play in a theatre, are you able to understand what is being said (either on the screen or on stage) if people around you are rustling paper or whispering?

  1. Can you hear household sounds like those made by a fan, fridge, oven, dish washer, or a running tap?

  1. Do you have to concentrate really hard when you are listening to a voice on the radio?

  1. Are you able to hear the birds singing outside?

  1. Can you distinguish between a trumpet and a saxophone purely based on the sound they make?

  1. Can you tell how somebody is feeling from the sound of their voice?

  1. When you hear people or cars behind you, can you hear how far away they are?

  1. Can you tell from its sound how far away a bus or lorry is?

  1. When you hear a voice or footsteps behind you, can you tell in which direction (from left to right or right to left) that person is moving without looking round?

  1. Do you immediately turn your head in the correct direction when somebody calls you?

  1. Can you follow what somebody is saying when there is much reverberation, such as in a church or railway terminus (echoic) building. Can you follow what the other person is saying?

  1. Can you recognise family members by their voices alone?

  1. Can you easily have a quiet conversation with somebody you know in a quiet environment?

  1. Can you understand what is said without having to ask people to repeat themselves?

  1. When you are in a car on the motorway are you able to follow the news on the radio at a normal level?

  1. In a busy shop or supermarket, can you understand the checkout assistant when they are talking to you?

  1. Think of a time that you and four other people are in a busy restaurant and that you cannot see everybody. Are you able to follow the conversation?

  1. When you are travelling in a bus or a car, are you able to have a conversation with the person sitting next to you without difficulty?