FCPS Part 1 ENT: Ear MCQs — High-Yield Concepts

Practice MCQs on otology for FCPS Part 1 ENT: hearing tests, otitis media, otosclerosis, vertigo and the facial nerve, with explanations.

The ear is a 610-question subject in HighYield's FCPS Part 1 ENT bank. It combines anatomy (the middle ear walls and facial nerve), physiology (hearing and balance), clinical tests (tuning forks, audiometry, tympanometry) and disease patterns. Here is a sample set.

Tests and Interpretation

1. Rinne test negative and Weber lateralised to the same ear indicates:

A) Sensorineural loss in that ear
B) Conductive loss in that ear ✅
C) Sensorineural loss in the opposite ear
D) Normal hearing

2. A type B (flat) tympanogram with normal canal volume suggests:

A) Otosclerosis
B) Ossicular discontinuity
C) Middle ear effusion ✅
D) Eustachian tube dysfunction only

Otitis Media and Complications

3. The commonest cause of hearing loss in a young child is:

A) Wax
B) Otitis media with effusion ✅
C) Congenital cholesteatoma
D) Aural atresia

4. Ear discharge with retro-orbital pain and abducens palsy is:

A) Gradenigo's syndrome ✅
B) Ramsay Hunt syndrome
C) Bezold's abscess
D) Meniere's disease

5. A safe (tubotympanic) chronic suppurative otitis media typically has:

A) A marginal perforation
B) A central perforation with mucoid discharge ✅
C) Attic retraction with keratin
D) Foul scanty discharge

Otosclerosis, Vertigo and the Facial Nerve

6. Paracusis of Willis (hearing better in noise) is seen in:

A) Otosclerosis ✅
B) Meniere's disease
C) Acoustic neuroma
D) Presbycusis

7. Brief positional vertigo with no hearing loss is typical of:

A) Meniere's disease
B) Vestibular neuronitis
C) BPPV ✅
D) Labyrinthitis

8. Vesicles in the ear canal with facial palsy indicates:

A) Bell's palsy
B) Ramsay Hunt syndrome ✅
C) Malignant otitis externa
D) Bullous myringitis

Why the Ear Is Worth Extra Time

Ear questions reward pattern recognition: a tuning-fork result, a drum appearance or an audiogram shape points straight to a diagnosis. Learn the tests first, then the disease patterns, then the complications.

The free sample on the Ear subject page gives you the same timed, explained format as the full bank.

Practise With Explanations

HighYield's FCPS Part 1 ENT QBank has 3,700+ MCQs across ear, nose and paranasal sinuses, larynx and airway, pharynx and oral cavity, and head and neck, plus the shared basic sciences. Every question has a written explanation, and subject analytics show which region needs another pass. Your first 20 questions are free, no card required. See also our Nose & Sinus MCQs post.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the ear high-yield for FCPS Part 1 ENT?

Yes. At roughly 610 questions it is the second-largest ENT-specific subject in our bank.

Which ear topics are most tested?

Tuning fork tests and audiograms, otitis media and cholesteatoma complications, otosclerosis, Meniere's disease and facial nerve lesions.