CALT Certified Academic Language Therapist ALTA Competency
Exam Question Bank (Latest 2026/2027 Edition) – 100% Correct
Questions, Answers & Detailed Rationales
Total Questions: 75
Time Allowed: 150 Minutes
Passing Score: 80%
Instructions: Select the BEST answer for each question based on ALTA standards, IDA
Knowledge and Practice Standards, and evidence-based practices in Multisensory
Structured Language Education. For SATA questions, select all that apply.
SECTION 1: LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT
Questions 1–9
Question 1
A third-grade student demonstrates strong conversational language but struggles to
comprehend written narrative texts. According to the Simple View of Reading, which
underlying language component most likely requires targeted intervention?
A. Phonological awareness
B. Syntactic awareness
C. Listening comprehension
D. Rapid automatized naming
Correct Answer: C
Rationale:: The student has strong conversational language (implying good semantics,
syntax, pragmatics) but cannot comprehend written text. This suggests the breakdown
,is in the graphophonemic system, not language itself. But the question asks which
language component requires intervention. In MSLE, we would say that listening
comprehension (C) is the oral language foundation that must be intentionally connected
to print through structured literacy. The intervention targets building the bridge from
intact oral language to written language. Phonological awareness (A) is a prerequisite,
not the primary issue here. Syntactic awareness (B) is likely intact given strong
conversational skills. RAN (D) is a cognitive processing skill, not a language component
per se. The answer is C.
Question 2
A CALT is evaluating a 7-year-old's phonological awareness skills. The child can
segment words into syllables and identify rhyming words but cannot delete phonemes
from consonant blends (e.g., say "stop" without the /s/). According to typical
developmental hierarchies, which statement best describes this child's profile?
A. The child demonstrates age-appropriate phonological awareness for a first grader.
B. The child exhibits a deficit in phonemic awareness requiring immediate intervention.
C. The child is progressing typically, as syllable awareness always develops before
phoneme awareness.
D. The child shows advanced skills, as rhyme awareness is the most complex
phonological skill.
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: By age 7 (end of first grade), children should be able to manipulate
phonemes, including deletion tasks with consonant blends. The ability to segment
syllables and identify rhymes indicates awareness of larger phonological units, but the
inability to delete phonemes from blends indicates a deficit in phonemic
,awareness—the most refined level of phonological processing. This requires explicit,
systematic intervention aligned with MSLE principles. Option A is incorrect because
phoneme manipulation is expected by this age. Option C is partially true about the
hierarchy but ignores that the child is behind age expectations. Option D is incorrect
because rhyme awareness is not the most complex skill; phoneme manipulation is.
Question 3
During a language sample analysis, a CALT notices that a fifth-grade student with
dyslexia frequently uses vague referents (e.g., "that thing," "stuff") and has difficulty
explaining word relationships. Which area of language development should be
prioritized in intervention?
A. Phonological processing
B. Semantic knowledge and vocabulary depth
C. Syntactic parsing
D. Orthographic mapping
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: The use of vague referents and difficulty explaining word relationships
indicates a deficit in semantic knowledge and lexical specificity. While phonological
processing (A), syntax (C), and orthography (D) are critical for students with dyslexia,
this student's specific difficulty with word meanings and relationships points to a
semantic deficit. MSLE addresses semantics through structured vocabulary instruction,
including word relationships, multiple meanings, and morphological connections to
meaning.
Question 4
, Which of the following best describes the relationship between metalinguistic
awareness and reading acquisition?
A. Metalinguistic awareness is a byproduct of fluent reading that emerges only after
decoding automaticity is achieved.
B. Metalinguistic awareness enables children to reflect on and manipulate language
structures, which is essential for understanding the alphabetic principle.
C. Metalinguistic awareness and reading acquisition develop independently and only
weakly correlate.
D. Metalinguistic awareness is primarily a social-pragmatic skill unrelated to literacy
development.
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Metalinguistic awareness—the ability to think about and manipulate language
as an object—is fundamental to reading acquisition. It allows children to understand
that spoken words consist of sounds (phonological awareness), that print represents
speech (alphabetic principle), and that language has structural rules. This underlies the
explicit instruction in MSLE. Option A reverses the causal relationship; metalinguistic
awareness supports decoding development. Option C is incorrect because they are
strongly interrelated. Option D incorrectly limits metalinguistic awareness to
pragmatics.
Question 5 (SATA)
Which of the following are typical language acquisition milestones for children ages
4–5 years? Select all that apply.
A. Use of complex sentences with multiple clauses
Exam Question Bank (Latest 2026/2027 Edition) – 100% Correct
Questions, Answers & Detailed Rationales
Total Questions: 75
Time Allowed: 150 Minutes
Passing Score: 80%
Instructions: Select the BEST answer for each question based on ALTA standards, IDA
Knowledge and Practice Standards, and evidence-based practices in Multisensory
Structured Language Education. For SATA questions, select all that apply.
SECTION 1: LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT
Questions 1–9
Question 1
A third-grade student demonstrates strong conversational language but struggles to
comprehend written narrative texts. According to the Simple View of Reading, which
underlying language component most likely requires targeted intervention?
A. Phonological awareness
B. Syntactic awareness
C. Listening comprehension
D. Rapid automatized naming
Correct Answer: C
Rationale:: The student has strong conversational language (implying good semantics,
syntax, pragmatics) but cannot comprehend written text. This suggests the breakdown
,is in the graphophonemic system, not language itself. But the question asks which
language component requires intervention. In MSLE, we would say that listening
comprehension (C) is the oral language foundation that must be intentionally connected
to print through structured literacy. The intervention targets building the bridge from
intact oral language to written language. Phonological awareness (A) is a prerequisite,
not the primary issue here. Syntactic awareness (B) is likely intact given strong
conversational skills. RAN (D) is a cognitive processing skill, not a language component
per se. The answer is C.
Question 2
A CALT is evaluating a 7-year-old's phonological awareness skills. The child can
segment words into syllables and identify rhyming words but cannot delete phonemes
from consonant blends (e.g., say "stop" without the /s/). According to typical
developmental hierarchies, which statement best describes this child's profile?
A. The child demonstrates age-appropriate phonological awareness for a first grader.
B. The child exhibits a deficit in phonemic awareness requiring immediate intervention.
C. The child is progressing typically, as syllable awareness always develops before
phoneme awareness.
D. The child shows advanced skills, as rhyme awareness is the most complex
phonological skill.
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: By age 7 (end of first grade), children should be able to manipulate
phonemes, including deletion tasks with consonant blends. The ability to segment
syllables and identify rhymes indicates awareness of larger phonological units, but the
inability to delete phonemes from blends indicates a deficit in phonemic
,awareness—the most refined level of phonological processing. This requires explicit,
systematic intervention aligned with MSLE principles. Option A is incorrect because
phoneme manipulation is expected by this age. Option C is partially true about the
hierarchy but ignores that the child is behind age expectations. Option D is incorrect
because rhyme awareness is not the most complex skill; phoneme manipulation is.
Question 3
During a language sample analysis, a CALT notices that a fifth-grade student with
dyslexia frequently uses vague referents (e.g., "that thing," "stuff") and has difficulty
explaining word relationships. Which area of language development should be
prioritized in intervention?
A. Phonological processing
B. Semantic knowledge and vocabulary depth
C. Syntactic parsing
D. Orthographic mapping
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: The use of vague referents and difficulty explaining word relationships
indicates a deficit in semantic knowledge and lexical specificity. While phonological
processing (A), syntax (C), and orthography (D) are critical for students with dyslexia,
this student's specific difficulty with word meanings and relationships points to a
semantic deficit. MSLE addresses semantics through structured vocabulary instruction,
including word relationships, multiple meanings, and morphological connections to
meaning.
Question 4
, Which of the following best describes the relationship between metalinguistic
awareness and reading acquisition?
A. Metalinguistic awareness is a byproduct of fluent reading that emerges only after
decoding automaticity is achieved.
B. Metalinguistic awareness enables children to reflect on and manipulate language
structures, which is essential for understanding the alphabetic principle.
C. Metalinguistic awareness and reading acquisition develop independently and only
weakly correlate.
D. Metalinguistic awareness is primarily a social-pragmatic skill unrelated to literacy
development.
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Metalinguistic awareness—the ability to think about and manipulate language
as an object—is fundamental to reading acquisition. It allows children to understand
that spoken words consist of sounds (phonological awareness), that print represents
speech (alphabetic principle), and that language has structural rules. This underlies the
explicit instruction in MSLE. Option A reverses the causal relationship; metalinguistic
awareness supports decoding development. Option C is incorrect because they are
strongly interrelated. Option D incorrectly limits metalinguistic awareness to
pragmatics.
Question 5 (SATA)
Which of the following are typical language acquisition milestones for children ages
4–5 years? Select all that apply.
A. Use of complex sentences with multiple clauses
