Find the highest frequency you can hear. Use headphones for best results. Humans typically hear 20 Hz – 20,000 Hz, with the upper limit dropping with age.
Hearing range declines with age due to presbycusis — the gradual loss of high-frequency hearing caused by wear on the hair cells of the cochlea. Children can hear up to 20 kHz; by age 50 this often drops to 12–14 kHz; by 70, often below 8 kHz.
High-frequency hearing is also damaged by noise exposure. Combine with the Audio Reaction Time Test for a full auditory profile.
The standard human hearing range spans approximately 20 Hz to 20,000 Hz, but this theoretical maximum is rarely achieved in adults. The upper frequency limit — the highest pitched tone you can detect — declines steadily with age due to presbycusis: the gradual loss of cochlear hair cells in the basal turn, which processes high frequencies. This decline begins in the mid-20s and accelerates after 50, often without the individual noticing because it is gradual and affects frequencies above normal speech.
Children under 10 can typically hear up to 20 kHz. By age 25, the average upper limit has dropped to ~17 kHz. By 40, ~15 kHz. By 60, often below 10 kHz. Noise exposure — concerts, headphones at high volume, industrial environments — dramatically accelerates this decline by destroying hair cells that do not regenerate. Unlike virtually every other cell type in the cochlea, auditory hair cells in mammals are non-renewable. Hearing loss from noise exposure is permanent.
Important: Use wired headphones for this test. Bluetooth adds latency and frequency roll-off that can make high-frequency tones inaudible on the device but cut off by the wireless codec before reaching your ears. Results on phone speakers are also unreliable — most small speakers roll off above 10–12 kHz.