Teaching to the 2025 Audiometer Standard: What ASA/ANSI S3.6-2025 Means for School Screening Programs
The Acoustical Society of America reaffirmed ASA/ANSI S3.6, Specification of Audiometers, in its 2025 edition. Commentary on the revision notes it introduces no new technical changes and instead confirms the standard's continued relevance — the reference that defines pure-tone, speech, and masking specifications and the calibration methods audiometers must meet.
For a training program, a stable standard is a teaching asset: it lets instructors ground a curriculum in the exact specifications and biennial electroacoustic calibration expectations that graduates will be held to in the field. It is also worth teaching that the standard is not retroactive — the version prevailing at the time of an instrument's manufacture and calibration is the one that applies, which is a real-world documentation point for anyone maintaining a mixed fleet.
Mobile, hands-on instruction lets students practice on the same portable equipment used in occupational and school screening programs, connecting the written specification to the physical calibration routine. Programs should confirm current standard editions and any state requirements directly with the issuing bodies.
Sources: ANSI Blog — ASA/ANSI S3.6-2025 Audiometers; OSHA — 29 CFR 1910.95 Occupational Noise Exposure




