HEALTH AND MEDICINE

Audiologist

Tests hearing and balance, fits hearing aids and manages hearing loss in children and adults.

Physics, Chemistry + Biology or Maths After Class 12 Regulated profession

Facts checked 29/10/2026

Is this for me?

People in this work enjoy

Helping a child or an older person hear properly, often for the first time in years
Mixing science, devices and talking to people
Working with families and with doctors, teachers and therapists

It may not suit you if you dislike

At least 4 years of study, and a master's for senior or teaching roles
Fine, repeated testing in a quiet booth needs patience and attention to detail
Government posts are few and often contractual, and jobs gather in larger cities

Class 11–12 subjects: Class 12 science. At AIISH Mysore, the main government institute, you need at least 50% (45% for SC/ST) and at least three subjects from Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Maths, Computer Science, Statistics, Electronics or Psychology. Its entrance exam asks Physics and Chemistry, plus Biology or Maths. Other RCI-approved colleges set their own rules, so check each one.
First degree: B.ASLP / BASLP (Bachelor in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology), 4 years: 6 semesters of study plus a 1-year internship. Then an optional 2-year master's in Audiology (called M.Sc. Audiology at AIISH, MASLP at some places).
Entrance exams: AIISH Mysore holds its own entrance test for B.ASLP and for M.Sc. Audiology. NEET is not the route there. Other government and private colleges use their own tests, merit lists or state processes.
Licence or registration: You must be on the Central Rehabilitation Register (CRR) of the Rehabilitation Council of India (RCI). Under Section 13 of the RCI Act, 1992, only registered people may practise or hold such a post in government.

Subjects that keep this door openClass 11–12: Physics + Chemistry + Mathematics or Biology.Physics, Chemistry + Biology or Maths.Way back: You can add the missing subject later as an extra subject (for example through NIOS) and still apply, but check the exam's and college's rules. A longer road, but open.Check your subjects against every career

What the work is like

Testing hearing and balance in babies, children and adults; fitting and adjusting hearing aids; programming cochlear implants; counselling families; newborn hearing screening; working with ENT doctors, teachers and speech-language pathologists.

A day in the work
You start in a quiet, sound-treated booth, testing the hearing of a toddler with toys and sounds, then an elderly patient with headphones and a button. Mid-morning you fit and adjust a hearing aid, and explain patiently how to use and clean it. After lunch you may check a newborn screening report or tune a child's cochlear implant while the parents watch. You end by writing notes and referring a few patients to the ENT doctor.

Professional qualificationRun by Rehabilitation Council of India (RCI). You can start after: Class 12 with science subjects (Physics and Chemistry, plus Biology or Maths at AIISH). Minimum time: 4 years after Class 12 (3 years of study + 1 year internship).

The full route: exams, training, registration

Step 1 · Class 11–12Take Physics and Chemistry, with Biology or Maths. AIISH asks for 50% marks (45% for SC/ST) and at least three subjects from its list. Biology is not a must at AIISH, but colleges differ, so check each one.
Step 2 · Class 12Apply for the AIISH Mysore entrance test (applications usually open around April–May; the 2026-27 round closed on 17 May 2026, reported). The paper covers Physics, Chemistry and either Biology or Maths. Also look at other RCI-approved government and private colleges, which have their own admission routes. (reported — check with the official body)
Step 3 · 4 yearsB.ASLP at an RCI-approved college: 6 semesters covering both audiology and speech-language pathology, with clinical practice, then a 1-year internship. Check the college is on RCI's approved list before you join.
Step 4 · After the degreeRegister on RCI's Central Rehabilitation Register within 6 months of finishing the course. Students can do a cheap pre-registration during the course, which then converts to a CRR number. Registration is online.
Step 5 · WorkStart in a hospital ENT or audiology department, a hearing or cochlear implant clinic, a school or early-intervention centre, a hearing-aid company or a private practice. Some government posts at AIIMS-type institutes ask for B.ASLP; senior and teaching posts usually ask for a master's.
Optional · 2 yearsM.Sc. Audiology (or MASLP) for specialist, senior or teaching roles. At AIISH you need B.ASLP or B.Sc. (Speech & Hearing) with at least 50%, and you take the AIISH entrance test. Some colleges ask for 55%.

Ways in

Straight after Class 12B.ASLP at AIISH Mysore (80 seats in the 2025-26 prospectus) or another RCI-approved college, then registration. This is the usual way in.
Diploma first, then degreeAIISH reserves 2 B.ASLP seats for students who have passed the 1-year Diploma in Hearing Aid and Ear Mould Technology or the Diploma in Hearing, Language and Speech. Admission is still by entrance-test merit.

Recently changed, or still changing

RCI's older norms (2023-24) set registration fees and 5-year renewal with 100 CRE points. Revised norms effective 14 October 2025 are reported to make registration valid for 7 years with no fee. Check RCI's site for the current rules (reported).
AIISH's 2026-27 entrance test was reported as a computer-based test (CBT), so check the current mode each year (reported).

Time and money

Stage	Time	Government college or body	Private college	Help available
Class 11–12 (science subjects, 50% marks for AIISH)	2 years	Your school's fees	Your school's fees	—
AIISH Mysore entrance test (Class 12, own test)	1 day exam	Check the notice	Check the notice	SC/ST need 45% in Class 12 instead of 50%; benchmark disability quota (certificate needed)
B.ASLP at AIISH Mysore (government-funded)	4 years	About ₹63,000 total (AIISH Mysore, reported); check current fee table	—	Lower fees for SC/ST/PwD students and a small stipend (reported)
B.ASLP at other RCI-approved private college	4 years	—	Check the college's fee page	—
RCI Central Rehabilitation Register registration (after degree)	Within 6 months of finishing	Check RCI's site; revised norms reported to have no fee	Check RCI's site; revised norms reported to have no fee	Cheap pre-registration possible during the course (reported)
Optional: M.Sc. Audiology (AYJNISHD, government)	2 years	₹90,000 per year tuition plus hostel charges	Check the college's fee page	—

Total timeAbout 4 years after Class 12 (3 years of study plus 1-year internship)

Total costDepends mostly on the college you choose — compare fee pages.

Good to knowOnly RCI-registered audiologists can practise in government; confirm your college is on RCI's approved list before paying any fee.

Fees from: AIISH Mysore – B.ASLP programme details (fee table) · AYJNISHD (Divyangjan) – Post-graduate courses and fees. Fees change every year — check the college's own fee page before you pay.

What people earn

Fresh graduates usually start modestly; earnings grow with a master's, experience and specialisation (for example cochlear implants or paediatric work), and they differ a lot between a government post, a big-city hospital or clinic, a hearing-aid company and your own practice.

Myth and fact

Myth: ~~You need NEET and Biology to become an audiologist, so it is only for PCB students.~~

Fact: At AIISH Mysore, admission is through its own entrance test, and the paper allows Biology or Maths alongside Physics and Chemistry. Other colleges set their own rules, so check each one.

For girls and students with disabilities

AIISH keeps a quota for candidates with benchmark disabilities under the RPWD Act, 2016, with a disability certificate needed; the conditions are in its prospectus. SC/ST candidates need 45% in Class 12 instead of 50%, and one M.Sc. Audiology seat is kept for a candidate with an orthopaedic disability.

Try it now

Class 7–9Read the chapter on Sound in your NCERT Science book. Then write down how the ear turns sound into signals for the brain, and what could go wrong at each step.
Class 10–12Open the AIISH B.ASLP programme PDF and check which of your Class 11–12 subjects count and what the entrance test covers. Then list two RCI-approved colleges near you.Open link ↗
College or afterRead the RCI B.ASLP curriculum to see what you will learn and practise. Ask a local hospital ENT department or a school for children with hearing impairment whether you can volunteer or visit.Open link ↗

Good to know

Only RCI-registered people can practise as audiologists or hold such posts in government. A degree from a college that RCI has not approved will not get you registered, so check RCI's approved list before paying any fee.
An audiologist is an allied health professional, not a medical doctor. You work alongside ENT doctors, who handle medicine and surgery.
Government posts come through separate notices from institutes such as AIIMS and AIISH, and many are contractual. A 2024 AIIMS Bathinda notice listed Audiologist/Speech Therapist at Pay Level 7 (₹44,900–1,42,400, 7th CPC) and Senior Audiologist at Level 8. Pay and rules differ by employer.
B.ASLP trains you in both audiology and speech-language pathology. You choose one to specialise in at the master's level.

Sources: AIISH Mysore – B.ASLP programme details (eligibility, seats, entrance test) · AIISH Mysore – Prospectus 2025-26 · AIISH Mysore – M.Sc. (Audiology) · Rehabilitation Council of India – B.ASLP curriculum (2024-25) · Rehabilitation Council of India – Norms & Guidelines for CRR registration · AIIMS Bathinda – recruitment notice listing Audiologist/Speech Therapist pay levels (2024) · AYJNISHD (Divyangjan) – Post-graduate courses and fees