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How many questions are on the ILE?
The examination is comprised of one hundred and five (105) multiple-choice items. There are 80 scored and 25 non-scored (pilot) items.
How much time is given for the examination?
Candidates are allowed one hundred and twenty (120) minutes, or two hours, to complete the examination from the time it starts.
When will I get my exam results?
Most candidates will receive their exam results right away. Upon completion of the examination, the candidate will receive a “Test Completion” email that contains the Pass/Fail result as well as section-level results for the five major topic areas (Domains) of the exam. Exam results are sent to state/provincial licensing agencies weekly, and the licensing agency will notify you of next steps for your licensing process.
Candidates in the following jurisdictions will NOT receive immediate results: Alberta, Georgia, Massachusetts, Missouri, Montana, New Hampshire, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oklahoma, and Oregon. If you are getting licensed in one of these places, your exam results will be sent to your licensing agency within one week of your exam date; you will receive the result from your licensing agency. Please do not call IHS for your exam results as IHS is contractually prohibited from releasing the result to you.
How is the exam scored?
The examination utilizes dichotomous scoring, meaning the answer selections are either right or wrong. The test-taker will earn one (1) point for getting the question correct and zero (0) points for getting the question wrong (incorrect).
Who decides if a candidate passes or fails the examination?
Ultimately, the licensing agency determines what constitutes a passing score on the ILE. For candidates who receive automatic results, their jurisdiction has adopted the IHS recommended passing score on the ILE.
Please note: The states of Colorado and Texas have adopted the IHS recommended passing score. Colorado and Texas candidates will receive their score report directly from the International Hearing Society.
What is the passing score?
IHS recommends that licensing bodies only report pass/fail decisions based on overall exam performance. The IHS recommended passing score is on a raw score (i.e., number correct) scale. As IHS creates new operational forms as part of ongoing test maintenance, the new forms may not be of the exact same difficulty as the previous test forms. If the difficulty of the form changes, keeping the exact same passing score would not be appropriate. Therefore, the actual passing score may change, but the meaning of the passing score (i.e., the level of knowledge and skills required for a passing score) would remain the same.
In order to prevent confusion regarding passing scores when candidates take the test multiple times (using different forms), IHS recommends that licensing boards only report pass/fail decisions to candidates (as opposed to raw scores or percent correct scores).
What topics are covered on the exam?
This assessment is based on the Competency Model. The Competency Model identifies the competencies against which the candidates will be measured. It also indicates the weight (%) of each competency or group of competencies. It can be found here as well as in the Study Guide, the Trainer Manual, and ILE Test Prep.
Which textbooks and reference materials are recommended to study for this examination?
A list of reference materials is provided here. The pool of test questions has been developed using these references. No single reference alone can be recommended to use for your studies.
The IHS Distance Learning for Professionals in Hearing Health Sciences course is included in the list of reference materials. A new edition is being released in fall 2022 and the 2016 Edition (blue and orange books) will stop being supported after May 31, 2023. Those taking the ILE in 2022 should study with the 2016 Edition. Those taking the ILE in 2023 can study with either the 2016 Edition or the 2022 Edition - the exam will be compatible with both. Those taking the ILE in 2024 should study with the 2022 Edition.
What should I study?
Candidates should be able to understand and apply all of the concepts in the Competency Model. This examination tests the candidate’s ability to apply the theory taught in the textbooks to real-life patient/client scenarios. Every question on the examination is referenced to one or more of the books listed in the Recommended Reference Materials. Candidates can also subscribe to ILE Test Prep to help familiarize themselves with the style of questions on the exam.
The IHS Distance Learning for Professionals in Hearing Health Sciences course is included in the list of reference materials. A new edition is being released in fall 2022 and the 2016 Edition (blue and orange books) will stop being supported after May 31, 2023. Those taking the ILE in 2022 should study with the 2016 Edition. Those taking the ILE in 2023 can study with either the 2016 Edition or the 2022 Edition - the exam will be compatible with both. Those taking the ILE in 2024 should study with the 2022 Edition.
Can I appeal my examination result?
There is no appeal process for challenging individual examination questions, scoring, or results.
Can I apply for accommodations?
Which states and provinces are currently using the International Licensing Examination for Hearing Healthcare Professionals?
A list of current exam customers can be found here.
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