A hearing test in Leicester with Hear With Ish is a comfortable, unhurried appointment with a qualified audiologist. Nothing about it hurts. You will talk through your medical history and lifestyle, watch a live video examination of your own ear canals, listen to a series of tones and speech through headphones, and finish with a clear explanation of your results and what, if anything, should happen next. This guide walks through every stage, so you know exactly what to expect before you book.
The reason for spelling all of this out is simple. In clinic, the thing patients say most often after their first test is some version of “I wish I had done this years ago”. The test itself was never the obstacle. Not knowing what it involved was.
The Key Points
- A hearing test is painless. The most demanding thing you will do is press a button when you hear a beep.
- Hear With Ish offers a short hearing screen and a full in-depth assessment. They answer different questions.
- The full assessment covers your history, a video examination of your ears, detailed audiometry and speech-in-noise testing.
- You get your results on the day, explained in plain English, with the audiogram in front of you.
- A hearing test does not commit you to hearing aids. Many appointments end with reassurance or a simple wax removal.
Why People Put Off Getting Their Hearing Checked
Hearing changes slowly, and the people around you usually notice before you do. The television creeps up a few notches. Conversation in a busy room becomes hard work. You answer the question you thought you heard rather than the one that was asked. According to RNID, the Royal National Institute for Deaf People, more than half of people aged 55 and over have some degree of hearing loss, yet most wait years before doing anything about it.
Part of that delay is uncertainty about the appointment itself. Will it be uncomfortable? Will I be pressured into buying something? Will I be told off for leaving it so long? The honest answers are no, no and absolutely not. A good hearing assessment is closer to a long, careful conversation than a medical procedure, and everything in it is explained as it happens.
The Two Appointments: Hearing Screen or Full Assessment
Hear With Ish offers two kinds of hearing test, and it helps to know which one you need before you book. The quick hearing screen suits people who simply want to know whether their hearing is within an acceptable range. The in-depth assessment is the right choice if you already suspect a problem, if others have commented on your hearing, or if you want a complete picture with tailored recommendations. Both are carried out one to one with Ish herself at the hearing services clinic in Leicester.
| Hearing Screen | In-Depth Hearing Assessment | |
| Appointment length | Around 20 minutes | Around 100 minutes |
| Best for | A quick check when you are unsure or simply curious | A complete diagnosis when hearing is affecting daily life |
| What it includes | Medical history, video otoscopy and a hearing screen with results explained | Everything in the screen, plus full audiometry, speech-in-noise testing, detailed findings and personalised recommendations |
| What happens after | Reassurance, or a recommendation for a full assessment if anything needs a closer look | A clear plan, which may be monitoring, wax removal, a hearing solution or an onward referral |
What Happens During the In-Depth Assessment, Step by Step
The full assessment is thorough because hearing problems rarely have a single cause. Wax, infection, noise exposure, medication and natural changes in the inner ear can all play a part, and the appointment is structured to tell them apart. Here is how the time is spent.
1Your history and your lifestyle
The appointment starts with a conversation, not a machine. Ish takes a detailed medical history and asks about the situations that matter to you: the family dinner table, the phone, the golf course, the grandchildren. Naming the moments you would love to hear well again gives the rest of the assessment a purpose beyond numbers on a chart.
2Video otoscopy, a guided tour of your own ear
A tiny camera shows your ear canal and eardrum on screen in real time, so you see exactly what Ish sees. It is completely painless and surprisingly interesting. If the camera reveals a wax blockage, that explains a lot on its own. If anything needs a medical opinion, the images can be sent electronically to an ENT specialist, which saves you time chasing appointments.
3Comprehensive audiometry
This is the part most people picture: headphones on, listening for quiet tones and pressing a button each time you hear one. The full version goes further than a basic check. Air conduction testing measures the whole hearing pathway through the ear canal. Bone conduction uses a small vibrating pad behind the ear to test the inner ear directly. Comparing the two tells Ish whether a problem sits in the outer or middle ear, where it is often treatable, or in the inner ear. Masking and loudness tolerance testing are added where needed so the picture is accurate for each ear individually.
4Speech testing in noise
Hearing beeps in a quiet room is one thing. Following a conversation in a busy cafe is another, and it is usually the real complaint. The QuickSIN test measures how well you pick out speech against background noise, which reflects everyday listening far better than tones alone and helps shape any recommendation that follows.
5Findings and diagnosis, explained properly
Nothing is handed over in jargon. Ish goes through the results with the audiogram in front of you, explains what each part means and answers every question. You leave understanding your own hearing, whatever the results show.
6A live demonstration, only if it would help
If the results suggest a hearing solution would genuinely benefit you, you can experience one there and then rather than taking anyone’s word for it. Hearing the difference for yourself, in the room, is worth more than any brochure.
7Personalised recommendations
The appointment ends with options suited to your hearing, your lifestyle and your priorities. Because the clinic is independent and not tied to any single manufacturer, the recommendation is built around you rather than a sales target. There is no pressure to decide anything on the day.
Understanding Your Audiogram
Your audiogram is a chart of the quietest sounds you can hear. Across the top run the frequencies, from low pitches on the left, like a hum of traffic, to high pitches on the right, like birdsong or a smoke alarm. Down the side runs loudness, measured in decibels, with quiet sounds at the top. During the test, the quietest level you respond to at each pitch is marked on the chart, ear by ear.
A line sitting near the top of the chart means you hear quiet sounds well. The further any part of the line drops, the louder sounds at those pitches need to be before you hear them. Age and noise related changes usually pull the right hand side of the chart down first, which is why many people hear the doorbell perfectly well yet struggle with consonants like s, t and f that give speech its clarity. That mismatch is exactly why “I can hear, I just cannot make out the words” is such a common sentence in clinic.
The comparison between the air conduction and bone conduction results matters too. When the inner ear is working well but sound is not getting through to it, the cause is often something physical and fixable, such as a wax blockage that microsuction ear wax removal can clear in a single visit. When the inner ear itself has changed, wax removal will not bring the sound back, and the conversation turns to how best to support your hearing instead.
What Happens After Your Hearing Test
A hearing test is a starting point, not a sales funnel, and the outcomes vary more than people expect. Some appointments end with straightforward good news and a suggestion to check again in a year or two. Some end with wax removal and an immediate, sometimes dramatic, improvement. Some identify tinnitus as the main concern, in which case dedicated tinnitus management is the sensible next step rather than anything to do with hearing aids.
Where the results do show a hearing loss that support would genuinely help, Ish talks through the hearing solutions available across multiple leading manufacturers, matched to your results, your budget and the way you actually live. And occasionally the right outcome is a referral, because something needs a medical opinion first. The point is that the test tells you where you stand. What you do with that knowledge remains entirely your choice.
How to Prepare for Your Appointment
You do not need to do much, but a few small things make the appointment more useful.
- Bring someone you love. The clinic actively recommends bringing a partner, relative or close friend. They often notice things you have stopped noticing, and a familiar voice is genuinely useful during testing and discussion.
- Note your difficult situations. Jot down where hearing lets you down: meetings, restaurants, the telephone, the television. Real examples sharpen the assessment.
- Know your medical background. Ear infections, operations, noisy jobs or hobbies and current medication are all relevant.
- Avoid loud noise beforehand. A concert or a day with power tools the day before can temporarily shift your thresholds.
- Do not worry about wax. If wax turns out to be the issue, that is a finding in itself, and it can be dealt with at the clinic.
Online Hearing Checks, Sudden Changes and the Full Picture
A quick online check can be a sensible first step if you are simply unsure whether anything has changed. RNID offers a three minute online hearing check that indicates whether a full test is worth booking, though no online tool can examine your ears or explain why a problem exists.
One situation should never wait for a routine appointment. NHS guidance on hearing tests is clear that sudden hearing loss in one or both ears, or hearing that worsens over a few days, needs urgent medical attention the same day. For everything that develops gradually, a booked assessment is the right route.
A full in-person assessment then offers time, depth and continuity: the same audiologist at every visit, same-day appointments when you need them, and a diagnosis that looks at the whole picture rather than a single number. We have written a fuller comparison of private hearing tests versus online hearing tests if you are weighing up the options.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does a hearing test take?
At Hear With Ish, a hearing screen takes around 20 minutes and the in-depth hearing assessment around 100 minutes. The longer appointment includes the full conversation about your history, video otoscopy, detailed audiometry, speech-in-noise testing and a proper discussion of your results, which is why it is never rushed.
Does a hearing test hurt?
No. Nothing in a hearing test is painful. You will wear headphones, listen for tones and speech, and have a small camera gently placed at the entrance of your ear canal for the video examination. Most patients find the whole thing far easier than they expected.
Do I need a GP referral for a private hearing test?
No. You can book a private hearing test in Leicester directly with the clinic, with no referral needed and same-day appointments often available. If the assessment finds anything that needs a medical opinion, Ish can arrange the right onward referral for you.
Should I choose the hearing screen or the full assessment?
Choose the screen if you are simply curious and have no particular difficulties. Choose the in-depth assessment if you or the people around you have noticed problems, if you have tinnitus, or if you want a complete diagnosis with recommendations. If a screen picks anything up, a full assessment is the natural next step anyway.
Can I bring someone with me?
Yes, and it is actively encouraged. Those closest to us are often the first to notice hearing changes, and their perspective genuinely helps the assessment. It also helps to have a second pair of ears when results and options are being discussed.
What if ear wax is blocking my ears on the day?
The video otoscopy at the start of the appointment will spot it straight away, and wax removal is available at the clinic using gentle microsuction. Clearing a blockage before testing matters, because testing through wax would give misleading results.
Will I be pressured into buying hearing aids?
No. Many hearing tests end with reassurance, monitoring or wax removal rather than hearing aids. Where a hearing solution would genuinely help, you will see the evidence in your own results, experience a demonstration if you wish, and take whatever time you need to decide. The clinic is independent, so recommendations are led by your results, not a manufacturer.
How often should I have my hearing tested?
If your hearing is healthy, a check every couple of years from mid life onwards keeps a useful baseline on record. If you have a known hearing loss, wear hearing aids, work in noise or have noticed a change, an annual review is a sensible rhythm. Sudden changes are different: they need attention the same day, not an appointment next month.
Knowing Where You Stand
Whatever your results show, a hearing test replaces months of quiet wondering with an honest answer, and every option that follows is easier from there. If you are ready to find out where you stand, you can contact the clinic in Leicester to arrange a hearing screen or a full assessment with Ish.
Ready to Hear Where You Stand?
One-to-one hearing tests in Leicester with Ish, explained properly and never rushed.
