SLP ETS PRACTICE TEST FORM 1
Which of the following should be the primary focus of early language intervention for at-
risk infants?
A.Establishing object permanence through play activities
B.Training primary caregivers to facilitate language learning
C.Creating readiness activities in the context of play
D.Enhancing social communication through play activities - Answers :Option (B) is
correct. Early language stimulation in at-risk infants is best provided by primary
caregivers who have been trained in practices that promote learning.
Fela is a third-grade student in a public school. She is a speaker of African American
Vernacular English (AAVE) who has difficulty with the Standard American English (SAE)
dialect used in her classroom. Her teacher believes that Fela's language skills are
affecting her academic performance and has referred her to the school's speech-
language pathologist. Which of the following is an appropriate rationale for providing
language intervention for Fela?
Select all that apply.
A.It will likely foster better communication with Fela's linguistically and culturally diverse
peers.
B.It will likely improve Fela's code-switching ability with her teacher and other adult
speakers of SAE.
C.It may expand Fela's later academic and vocational opportunities.
D.It will likely lead Fela to adopt SAE as her primary dialect. - Answers :Options (A), (B),
and (C) are correct. The intervention will foster better communication because Fela and
her peers will have a common dialect. Also, the intervention will provide Fela with the
ability to switch easily between dialects using SAE structures. Furthermore, being able
to switch codes will enable Fela to participate in more educational and vocational
opportunities.
Federal laws regarding freedom of access to information stipulate that client records
kept or written by health care professionals can be
A.reviewed only by other health-care professionals
B.reviewed only by the clients themselves unless the client provides written permission
to share with others
C.reviewed by anyone who submits a formal written request
D.released only by subpoena - Answers :Option (B) is correct. Clients have the right to
review their own records.
,To justify providing individual treatment for a 2½ year old with apraxia of speech, which
of the following would be LEAST important for the SLP to include in the evaluation
report?
A.A description of the child's typical interaction with peers
B.Relevant prognostic data
C.Information about apraxia of speech
D.A description of the language development of the child's older siblings - Answers
:Option (D) is correct. A description of the child's older siblings' language development
does not provide the objective, documented evidence required to justify provision of
treatment for a child of an age at which some unintelligibility would be typical.
The figure above shows the oral, pharyngeal, and esophageal structures involved in
swallowing. Which of the following best describes the transit of the bolus at the moment
depicted in the figure?
A.The bolus is traveling through the esophagus.
B.The bolus is being propelled from the oral cavity by the tongue and has entered the
pharynx.
C.The bolus has passively exited the oral cavity without propulsion by the tongue.
D.Laryngeal penetration of some of the bolus is evident. - Answers :Option (B) is
correct. The tongue is in contact with the entire anterior and most of the mid to posterior
hard palate. Furthermore, the bolus head has passed the epiglottis and is descending
into the hypopharynx.
Primary motor innervation to the larynx and velum is provided by which cranial nerve?
A.V
B.VII
C.IX
D. X - Answers :Option (D) is correct. Primary innervation to the larynx and velum is
provided by cranial nerve X, the vagus nerve. The other answer choices identify cranial
nerves that are not primarily involved in motor innervation to the larynx and velum.
The speech reception threshold (SRT) is a basic component of an evaluation of hearing
function. Which of the following statements about the SRT is most accurate?
A.It is measured in decibels and corresponds to the intensity level at which spondaic
words can be recognized approximately 50% of the time.
B.It makes use of test materials that are limited to monosyllabic words.
C.It provides information on how well speech is understood at conversational levels.
D.It is useful in validating acoustic intermittence measures. - Answers :Option (A) is
correct. It is an accurate definition of the speech reception threshold.
A clinician who employs active listening is doing which of the following?
,A.Responding to both the content and the affect of the client's remarks
B.Listening very carefully and taking extensive notes
C.Conducting a clinician-directed interview
D.Directing the client to specific answers to questions - Answers :Option (A) is correct.
A clinician who employs active listening responds to both the content (the denotative
message) and the affect (the emotional content) of a client's remarks.
This investigation was motivated by observations that when persons with dysarthria
increase loudness, their speech improves. Some studies have indicated that this
improvement may be related to an increase of prosodic variation. Studies have reported
an increase of fundamental frequency (F0) variation with increased loudness, but there
has been no examination of the relation of loudness manipulation to specific prosodic
variables that are known to aid a listener in parsing out meaningful information. This
study examined the relation of vocal loudness production to selected acoustic variables
known to inform listeners of phrase and sentence boundaries: specifically, F0
declination and final-word lengthening. Ten young, healthy women were audio-recorded
while they read aloud a paragraph at what each considered normal loudness, twice-
normal loudness, and half-normal loudness. Results showed that there was a
statistically - Answers :Option (C) is correct. The researchers manipulated vocal
loudness to determine its effect on prosodic F0 and durational variables.
This investigation was motivated by observations that when persons with dysarthria
increase loudness, their speech improves. Some studies have indicated that this
improvement may be related to an increase of prosodic variation. Studies have reported
an increase of fundamental frequency (F0) variation with increased loudness, but there
has been no examination of the relation of loudness manipulation to specific prosodic
variables that are known to aid a listener in parsing out meaningful information. This
study examined the relation of vocal loudness production to selected acoustic variables
known to inform listeners of phrase and sentence boundaries: specifically, F0
declination and final-word lengthening. Ten young, healthy women were audio-recorded
while they read aloud a paragraph at what each considered normal loudness, twice-
normal loudness, and half-normal loudness. Results showed that there was a
statistically - Answers :Option (B) is correct. At the end of the abstract, the researchers
Hughes suggest a relationship between increased vocal loudness and "improvement in
communicative effectiveness" in some persons with dysarthria. This relationship is not
directly supported by their study, as individuals with dysarthria were not tested.
This investigation was motivated by observations that when persons with dysarthria
increase loudness, their speech improves. Some studies have indicated that this
improvement may be related to an increase of prosodic variation. Studies have reported
an increase of fundamental frequency (F0) variation with increased loudness, but there
has been no examination of the relation of loudness manipulation to specific prosodic
variables that are known to aid a listener in parsing out meaningful information. This
study examined the relation of vocal loudness production to selected acoustic variables
known to inform listeners of phrase and sentence boundaries: specifically, F0
declination and final-word lengthening. Ten young, healthy women were audio-recorded
, while they read aloud a paragraph at what each considered normal loudness, twice-
normal loudness, and half-normal loudness. Results showed that there was a
statistically - Answers :Option (C) is correct. The researchers use the same group of
subjects who recite a paragraph under three conditions: at normal, twice-normal, and
half-normal loudness. This is an example of a within-subjects design, in which the
dependent variables (in this case, prosodic F0 and durational variables) are measured
repeatedly in the same subjects under different task conditions (in this case, vocal
loudness).
A 55-year-old woman, recently hospitalized for probable cerebrovascular accident
(CVA), is referred for evaluation of stuttering speech. The initial conversation with the
client indicates that speech is characterized by frequent initial-phoneme repetitions and
prolongations as well as associated mildly effortful eye blinking. Which of the following
pieces of information is crucial to accurate speech diagnosis and decisions regarding
management of the speech problem?
A.The site and extent of the lesion associated with the suspected CVA
B.Whether the client has any associated dysphagia or dysphonia
C.Whether the dysfluencies began before or after the suspected CVA
D.Whether the client feels frustrated by the dysfluencies - Answers :Option (C) is
correct. Dysfluent speech may or may not be directly caused by the patient's suspected
CVA.
Which of the following is the best action to take initially with a client who presents with
poor oral control of liquids and solids, coughing and choking while eating and drinking,
and a history of hospitalizations associated with pneumonia?
A.Thickening liquids so that the client will be better able to control oral movements for
swallowing
B.Obtaining a modified barium-swallow study to determine appropriate interventions
C.Evaluating the client's ability to eat a variety of foods in order to determine which
foods are safest
D.Prescribing that the client be NPO, since aspiration is present - Answers :Option (B)
is correct. An assessment of the problem must be undertaken before treatment is
provided, and the best way to do this is to obtain a modified barium-swallow study.
A number of research reports have described poor auditory memory in children with
language impairments. Which of the following can most appropriately be concluded
from these studies?
A.Poor auditory memory can be improved by language-intervention programs that focus
on teaching vocabulary and word meanings.
B.Poor auditory memory is a reflection of a language impairment, and clinicians and
researchers cannot effect improvement.
Which of the following should be the primary focus of early language intervention for at-
risk infants?
A.Establishing object permanence through play activities
B.Training primary caregivers to facilitate language learning
C.Creating readiness activities in the context of play
D.Enhancing social communication through play activities - Answers :Option (B) is
correct. Early language stimulation in at-risk infants is best provided by primary
caregivers who have been trained in practices that promote learning.
Fela is a third-grade student in a public school. She is a speaker of African American
Vernacular English (AAVE) who has difficulty with the Standard American English (SAE)
dialect used in her classroom. Her teacher believes that Fela's language skills are
affecting her academic performance and has referred her to the school's speech-
language pathologist. Which of the following is an appropriate rationale for providing
language intervention for Fela?
Select all that apply.
A.It will likely foster better communication with Fela's linguistically and culturally diverse
peers.
B.It will likely improve Fela's code-switching ability with her teacher and other adult
speakers of SAE.
C.It may expand Fela's later academic and vocational opportunities.
D.It will likely lead Fela to adopt SAE as her primary dialect. - Answers :Options (A), (B),
and (C) are correct. The intervention will foster better communication because Fela and
her peers will have a common dialect. Also, the intervention will provide Fela with the
ability to switch easily between dialects using SAE structures. Furthermore, being able
to switch codes will enable Fela to participate in more educational and vocational
opportunities.
Federal laws regarding freedom of access to information stipulate that client records
kept or written by health care professionals can be
A.reviewed only by other health-care professionals
B.reviewed only by the clients themselves unless the client provides written permission
to share with others
C.reviewed by anyone who submits a formal written request
D.released only by subpoena - Answers :Option (B) is correct. Clients have the right to
review their own records.
,To justify providing individual treatment for a 2½ year old with apraxia of speech, which
of the following would be LEAST important for the SLP to include in the evaluation
report?
A.A description of the child's typical interaction with peers
B.Relevant prognostic data
C.Information about apraxia of speech
D.A description of the language development of the child's older siblings - Answers
:Option (D) is correct. A description of the child's older siblings' language development
does not provide the objective, documented evidence required to justify provision of
treatment for a child of an age at which some unintelligibility would be typical.
The figure above shows the oral, pharyngeal, and esophageal structures involved in
swallowing. Which of the following best describes the transit of the bolus at the moment
depicted in the figure?
A.The bolus is traveling through the esophagus.
B.The bolus is being propelled from the oral cavity by the tongue and has entered the
pharynx.
C.The bolus has passively exited the oral cavity without propulsion by the tongue.
D.Laryngeal penetration of some of the bolus is evident. - Answers :Option (B) is
correct. The tongue is in contact with the entire anterior and most of the mid to posterior
hard palate. Furthermore, the bolus head has passed the epiglottis and is descending
into the hypopharynx.
Primary motor innervation to the larynx and velum is provided by which cranial nerve?
A.V
B.VII
C.IX
D. X - Answers :Option (D) is correct. Primary innervation to the larynx and velum is
provided by cranial nerve X, the vagus nerve. The other answer choices identify cranial
nerves that are not primarily involved in motor innervation to the larynx and velum.
The speech reception threshold (SRT) is a basic component of an evaluation of hearing
function. Which of the following statements about the SRT is most accurate?
A.It is measured in decibels and corresponds to the intensity level at which spondaic
words can be recognized approximately 50% of the time.
B.It makes use of test materials that are limited to monosyllabic words.
C.It provides information on how well speech is understood at conversational levels.
D.It is useful in validating acoustic intermittence measures. - Answers :Option (A) is
correct. It is an accurate definition of the speech reception threshold.
A clinician who employs active listening is doing which of the following?
,A.Responding to both the content and the affect of the client's remarks
B.Listening very carefully and taking extensive notes
C.Conducting a clinician-directed interview
D.Directing the client to specific answers to questions - Answers :Option (A) is correct.
A clinician who employs active listening responds to both the content (the denotative
message) and the affect (the emotional content) of a client's remarks.
This investigation was motivated by observations that when persons with dysarthria
increase loudness, their speech improves. Some studies have indicated that this
improvement may be related to an increase of prosodic variation. Studies have reported
an increase of fundamental frequency (F0) variation with increased loudness, but there
has been no examination of the relation of loudness manipulation to specific prosodic
variables that are known to aid a listener in parsing out meaningful information. This
study examined the relation of vocal loudness production to selected acoustic variables
known to inform listeners of phrase and sentence boundaries: specifically, F0
declination and final-word lengthening. Ten young, healthy women were audio-recorded
while they read aloud a paragraph at what each considered normal loudness, twice-
normal loudness, and half-normal loudness. Results showed that there was a
statistically - Answers :Option (C) is correct. The researchers manipulated vocal
loudness to determine its effect on prosodic F0 and durational variables.
This investigation was motivated by observations that when persons with dysarthria
increase loudness, their speech improves. Some studies have indicated that this
improvement may be related to an increase of prosodic variation. Studies have reported
an increase of fundamental frequency (F0) variation with increased loudness, but there
has been no examination of the relation of loudness manipulation to specific prosodic
variables that are known to aid a listener in parsing out meaningful information. This
study examined the relation of vocal loudness production to selected acoustic variables
known to inform listeners of phrase and sentence boundaries: specifically, F0
declination and final-word lengthening. Ten young, healthy women were audio-recorded
while they read aloud a paragraph at what each considered normal loudness, twice-
normal loudness, and half-normal loudness. Results showed that there was a
statistically - Answers :Option (B) is correct. At the end of the abstract, the researchers
Hughes suggest a relationship between increased vocal loudness and "improvement in
communicative effectiveness" in some persons with dysarthria. This relationship is not
directly supported by their study, as individuals with dysarthria were not tested.
This investigation was motivated by observations that when persons with dysarthria
increase loudness, their speech improves. Some studies have indicated that this
improvement may be related to an increase of prosodic variation. Studies have reported
an increase of fundamental frequency (F0) variation with increased loudness, but there
has been no examination of the relation of loudness manipulation to specific prosodic
variables that are known to aid a listener in parsing out meaningful information. This
study examined the relation of vocal loudness production to selected acoustic variables
known to inform listeners of phrase and sentence boundaries: specifically, F0
declination and final-word lengthening. Ten young, healthy women were audio-recorded
, while they read aloud a paragraph at what each considered normal loudness, twice-
normal loudness, and half-normal loudness. Results showed that there was a
statistically - Answers :Option (C) is correct. The researchers use the same group of
subjects who recite a paragraph under three conditions: at normal, twice-normal, and
half-normal loudness. This is an example of a within-subjects design, in which the
dependent variables (in this case, prosodic F0 and durational variables) are measured
repeatedly in the same subjects under different task conditions (in this case, vocal
loudness).
A 55-year-old woman, recently hospitalized for probable cerebrovascular accident
(CVA), is referred for evaluation of stuttering speech. The initial conversation with the
client indicates that speech is characterized by frequent initial-phoneme repetitions and
prolongations as well as associated mildly effortful eye blinking. Which of the following
pieces of information is crucial to accurate speech diagnosis and decisions regarding
management of the speech problem?
A.The site and extent of the lesion associated with the suspected CVA
B.Whether the client has any associated dysphagia or dysphonia
C.Whether the dysfluencies began before or after the suspected CVA
D.Whether the client feels frustrated by the dysfluencies - Answers :Option (C) is
correct. Dysfluent speech may or may not be directly caused by the patient's suspected
CVA.
Which of the following is the best action to take initially with a client who presents with
poor oral control of liquids and solids, coughing and choking while eating and drinking,
and a history of hospitalizations associated with pneumonia?
A.Thickening liquids so that the client will be better able to control oral movements for
swallowing
B.Obtaining a modified barium-swallow study to determine appropriate interventions
C.Evaluating the client's ability to eat a variety of foods in order to determine which
foods are safest
D.Prescribing that the client be NPO, since aspiration is present - Answers :Option (B)
is correct. An assessment of the problem must be undertaken before treatment is
provided, and the best way to do this is to obtain a modified barium-swallow study.
A number of research reports have described poor auditory memory in children with
language impairments. Which of the following can most appropriately be concluded
from these studies?
A.Poor auditory memory can be improved by language-intervention programs that focus
on teaching vocabulary and word meanings.
B.Poor auditory memory is a reflection of a language impairment, and clinicians and
researchers cannot effect improvement.
