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Audiology · London

Private hearing test in London, performed by a registered audiologist.

A full diagnostic audiogram performed in a sound-treated booth, with tympanometry and speech-in-noise where clinically useful. ENT consultant review the same day if a medical issue is suspected.

A stethoscope on a clinical desk

Indicative pricing

What a private hearing test costs in London.

Indicative ranges across UK private providers.

In short

£80-£180; with ENT consultant review £250-£500.

Test type Indicative range
Full diagnostic audiogram £80–£180
Audiogram + ENT consultant review £250–£500
Tympanometry (middle-ear pressure) £45–£120
Speech-in-noise test £80–£180
Otoacoustic emissions (OAE) £80–£180
Hearing-aid assessment & fitting Quoted case by case

Prices vary by clinic, whether tympanometry or speech-in-noise are added, and whether an ENT consultant review is included.

The problem

Hearing loss creeps up years before you notice.

Most people delay a hearing test for a decade after the first sign. An audiogram gives you the actual numbers, and shows whether hearing aids, ENT review or watchful waiting is the right next step.

  • Struggling in restaurants?

    Difficulty following speech in noise is often the first sign - speech-in-noise testing quantifies it.

  • Ringing that will not settle?

    Tinnitus almost always sits with a hearing pattern - an audiogram guides what to do about both.

  • Sudden change in one ear?

    Loss over hours or days is a medical urgency - do not wait, ENT review within 72 hours matters.

What it shows

What a hearing test can actually tell you.

Audiometry answers a specific set of questions - these are the ones patients bring in most often.

  • Gradual hearing loss

    The classic reason for an audiogram - a slow, symmetrical drop in the high frequencies.

  • Tinnitus (ringing or buzzing)

    Almost always paired with an audiogram to look for an underlying hearing pattern.

  • Muffled voices in company

    Speech-in-noise testing shows the practical impact even when tones look near-normal.

  • Noise-exposed history

    A characteristic 4 kHz notch tells us how much damage a lifetime of noise has done.

  • Age-related loss (presbycusis)

    Symmetrical high-frequency loss that responds well to modern hearing aids.

  • Wax build-up

    Microsuction clears the canal so the audiogram measures your true hearing, not the plug.

  • Sudden hearing loss

    Loss over hours or days is a medical urgency - audiogram plus same-day ENT review.

  • Red flags

    Sudden unilateral loss, severe vertigo or facial weakness - contact 999 or same-day ENT, not a routine test.

Test types

Not all hearing tests are the same.

What each option on your referral is actually for.

  • Pure-tone audiogram

    The core test - air- and bone-conduction thresholds at each frequency, one ear at a time.

  • Tympanometry

    Measures middle-ear pressure and eardrum movement - detects fluid, glue ear and Eustachian tube dysfunction.

  • Speech-in-noise test

    Shows how well you understand speech against background noise - closer to real-world listening.

  • OAE (otoacoustic emissions)

    Tests inner-ear hair-cell function without needing you to respond - useful in noise damage and paediatrics.

  • Occupational hearing screen

    Baseline and surveillance audiograms for noise-exposed workers, with company reports where required.

  • Paediatric hearing assessment

    Age-appropriate testing by an audiologist with paediatric experience, from infants through school age.

  • Hearing-aid trial & fitting

    Full assessment, real-ear measurement, and trial of open- or in-ear hearing aids from major manufacturers.

  • ENT consultant review

    Same-visit ENT opinion when a medical cause is suspected - sudden loss, asymmetry, vertigo, discharge.

Safety and eligibility

One of the safest tests in medicine.

Audiometry is non-invasive, painless and safe in pregnancy. The practical points are wax, recent loud-noise exposure, and knowing when sudden loss needs urgent care.

  • Non-invasive

    Headphones and a soft ear tip. Nothing sharp, no injection, no radiation.

  • Painless

    You listen to tones and press a button. The loudest sounds are set to a comfortable level.

  • Wax may need clearing first

    A blocked canal makes the audiogram inaccurate - microsuction is offered on the same visit if needed.

  • No medication interference

    You do not need to stop any medication or fast before the test.

  • Safe in pregnancy

    Audiograms and tympanometry are safe at any stage of pregnancy.

  • Recent loud-noise exposure

    A concert or shooting range in the last 24 hours can cause a temporary threshold shift - wait a day for a true result.

  • Sudden hearing loss is an emergency

    Loss over hours or days needs treatment within 72 hours - do not wait for a routine appointment.

Reading your report

An audiogram looks technical. It isn’t.

Every hearing test report keeps to the same four parts, whatever tests were done.

A London audiologist reviewing an audiogram report

A quiet reminder

A low audiogram is a signal, not a sentence - most hearing loss is manageable.

Ask your care team to explain anything that is unclear.

  1. 01 Header

    Your details and presenting symptoms

    Your details, why the test was requested, and the symptoms you described on the day.

  2. 02 Technique

    Which tests were done

    Pure-tone audiogram, tympanometry, speech-in-noise or OAE - and any masking used.

  3. 03 Findings

    Audiogram thresholds and tympanogram

    Air- and bone-conduction thresholds by frequency, symmetry between ears, and the tympanogram type.

  4. 04 Impression

    The conclusion: read this first

    Normal, mild, moderate, severe or profound; conductive vs sensorineural; and whether hearing aids or ENT review are the right next step.

Recognised by major UK insurers

BupaAXA HealthVitalityAvivaWPACignaHealixBupaAXA HealthVitalityAvivaWPACignaHealixBupaAXA HealthVitalityAvivaWPACignaHealix

Frequently asked

Everything we get asked about hearing tests.

Quick answers on cost, referrals, tinnitus, sudden loss, hearing aids and children.

  • What does a private hearing test involve?

    You sit in a sound-treated booth wearing headphones and press a button when you hear each tone. The audiologist tests each ear at a range of frequencies, then usually adds tympanometry to check the middle ear. The full session takes 30-45 minutes and is painless.

  • How much does a private hearing test cost in London?

    A full diagnostic audiogram is typically £80-£180. Adding an ENT consultant review takes it to £250-£500, and tympanometry alone is £45-£120.

  • Do I need a referral?

    No. Self-referral is standard for audiograms - you do not need a GP letter.

  • How does hearing change with age?

    Most people lose the high frequencies gradually from their 50s - this is called presbycusis. It affects understanding of consonants and speech in noise more than loudness. Modern hearing aids handle this pattern very well.

  • I have tinnitus - do I still need an audiogram?

    Yes. Tinnitus almost always comes with some degree of hearing loss, even when your hearing feels normal. The audiogram guides whether treatment, hearing aids or ENT review is the right next step.

  • When do hearing aids help?

    Hearing aids help most people with mild to severe sensorineural loss, particularly when speech in noise is the main problem. If your audiogram shows this pattern, a trial is usually the fastest route to knowing whether they suit you.

  • Sudden hearing loss - is it an emergency?

    Yes. Sudden sensorineural loss over hours or a few days is a medical urgency - steroid treatment within 72 hours gives the best chance of recovery.

  • What about wax removal?

    A blocked canal makes the audiogram inaccurate. If otoscopy shows wax on the day, microsuction is offered before the test so we measure your true hearing.

  • Is a hearing test covered by insurance?

    Most major UK insurers cover diagnostic audiograms when there is a clinical reason - tinnitus, hearing change, sudden loss. Hearing aids are usually not covered.

  • How young can children have a hearing test?

    Age-appropriate testing is possible from birth - OAE and behavioural techniques for infants, play audiometry from around 2-3, and standard audiograms from school age.

Related content

Looking for something else?

In practice, in London

Getting hearing test sorted in London, without the guesswork

With hearing test, the London question is usually about report turnaround and the radiologist reading it - not whether the scan is available. Public provision for hearing test is competent but constrained by capacity. Private London clinics tend to have shorter diaries and longer appointment slots, so you get the same specialists with more time. For people who’ve been going round in circles with primary care, that first proper conversation is often what shifts things.

Once you’re in the private system for hearing test, the pace picks up noticeably. Consultant slots run to time, imaging is usually available in the same building or a short walk away, and the report comes back typed and detailed. It’s the coordination that tends to feel different - one person on the other end of the phone, not a switchboard. For hearing test specifically, the difference between a routine report and a sub-speciality read is where private care earns its keep.

Fit matters more than people expect. For hearing test, the right consultant depends on what you actually need - a second opinion, a definitive diagnosis, a bridge into treatment, or reassurance that nothing’s being missed. If a test isn’t the right next step, we’ll say so before you book anything.