The practical exam has two parts. Candidates will take the in-person portion of the practical exam on the dates listed below or may retest the in-person portions of the exam that they previously did not pass. The exam also has portions that are conducted virtually and will be held at a time agreed upon by MDH proctors. The virtual portion of the exam must be completed prior to the in-person exam date.

The HID exam is offered a minimum of three times per year. Space is limited. Please apply early, as spots fill up quickly.

There will be no accommodations outside of the dates established by MDH.

Please note that the exam day you choose as your preferred day is not guaranteed and may already be closed due to applications that were received prior to yours.

Exam Date	Application Deadline	Payment Deadline
June 6, 2025	April 25, 2025	May 2, 2025
September 12, 2025	July 25, 2025	August 1, 2025
December 5, 2025	October 17, 2025	October 31, 2025

Register for the exam

To register for the exam, applicants will need to fill out the MN Dept. of Health Hearing Instrument Dispenser Exam Application Form. Once your application is received and approved, you will be contacted via email with a link to pay the fee associated with the exam. Once the fee is confirmed as paid, you will receive an email with additional instructions as well as study materials. There is an application and fee deadline (see upcoming HID exam dates above).

The department encourages, though does not require, that you obtain professional liability insurance before taking the HID Exam. The department does not maintain or provide liability insurance for examinees.

Some portions of the HID exam are held virtually at a time set up by the examinee and a proctor. You will receive more information about the exam process once you have applied and submitted the fee for the exam. For questions about the exam, please contact Health.HRD-AdminSpecialist@state.mn.us or call 651-201-4200.

Exam fees

Exam fees are based on the applicant's profession. Once your exam application is received, MDH staff will contact you with instructions for submitting your payment via our electronic system. All fees are nonrefundable; if your payment is not received by the payment date listed above, you will need to reapply.

Fee Type	Audiologist*	Non-Audiologist
HID Exam	$600.00	$1200.00
HID Exam Retake	$600.00	$600.00

*If you are currently enrolled in or have completed an audiology master's or doctoral degree training program and applying for the exam or a retest of any portion(s) of the exam, you will pay the audiologist fee.

Prepare for the exam

Candidates who plan to apply for certification as a hearing instrument dispenser are encouraged to receive a passing score on the International Hearing Society's (IHS) International Licensing Exam (ILE) prior to registering for the HID exam offered by MDH. More information about the ILE is available on the Hearing Instrument Dispenser (HID) Written Exam page.

Candidates are required to receive a passing score in each of four major content areas in order to pass the exam. The content areas are:

Audiometry (Pure Tone and Speech)
- Successful completion of virtual simulated audiogram
- Hands-on skills at the in-person exam
Ear mold impressions
Hearing aid fitting and servicing
Minnesota law

Details about each content area and the tasks included in the exam are available on the HID Exam Materials page.

Candidates must receive a passing score in all four content areas, or they must retest on a subsequent exam date. The retake will only include the failed content area. Additionally, several activities related to patient safety have been designated as critical; if these activities are not performed, or performed incorrectly, the candidate will not pass the exam, regardless of their score.

What to bring to the exam

Once you have registered for the exam, MDH staff will contact you with instructions for the date of your exam.

You are required to bring someone with you as your subject for the earmold impression portion of the practical. If you do not bring someone, you will not be allowed to take any portion of the exam. An Informed Consent Agreement, which your subject must sign, will be supplied on the day of the exam. All subjects must be at least 18 years of age. No one under the age of 18 years will be allowed in the examination area.

Note: It is important that the person you bring as your subject have sufficiently clean ear canals and no medically related ear problems, so that impressions can be successfully made. It is your responsibility to select such an individual as your subject. Confirm this a few days prior to arriving for the examination.

Your ear mold subject may be in the field of hearing instrument dispensing but may not be taking the examination on the same day as you. This will result in you not being able to take that portion of the exam.

Candidates should also bring the following to the exam:

One form of identification (ID) that includes your signature and photograph. Acceptable forms of ID include a driver's license with a photo; a passport; or other official form of ID that must include your photo and signature. Signatures will be required prior to and after completing the exam.
Ear impression material and tools sufficient for two ear impressions; you will be required to make binaural impressions.
- Otoscope (this is not an ear light). Cold sterilization to clean the speculum (or disposable tips) prior to making the impression. Bring a speculum size appropriate for your subject.
- Cleansing agent for cleaning hands and equipment.
- Ear impression box for shipping impression to manufacturer.
- Impression blocks of various sizes with nylon thread or dental floss attached (prepared in advance).
- Impression syringe.
- Impression mixing container or impression gun and mixing tools.
- Ear light.
- Tissues.
- Optional: Oto-Ease.

All supplies must be clean and usable for the purpose of taking impressions without risk to the human subject.

After the exam

After passing the written and practical exams, you will need to download and complete the application for certification as a hearing instrument dispenser (HID) and submit all parts listed on the application including the nonrefundable application fee (this is separate from the fee you paid to participate in the exam).

If you know of someone who is certified to dispense hearing instruments in Minnesota, whose certification is in good standing, and who is qualified and confident that they can administer all portions of the exam, please encourage them to call (651) 201-4200 or email Health.HID@state.mn.us.

More information is on the Hearing Instrument Dispenser: Initial Application webpage.