Carlos Albizu University SLP Exam
Advanced Prep: Master Bilingual Speech-
Language Pathology Evaluation Practice
Questions & Detailed Explanations
Subject: Assessment (SLP)
Subtopic: Virtual Case Study for Bilingual Speech-Language Pathology
Evaluation (2026 Updated)
Question 1: A 6-year-old Spanish-English bilingual student is referred for an evaluation due to
concerns about "expressive language delay" in the classroom. Initial screenings reveal that the
student exhibits specific phonological patterns in English that are also present in the student’s
native dialect of Spanish. In the context of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act
(IDEA), how should the SLP interpret these findings?
A) These patterns are indicative of a Speech Sound Disorder (SSD) and require immediate
placement in intervention.
B) The patterns demonstrate "phonological interference," which is a diagnostic indicator of a
language disorder in bilingual children.
C) The patterns represent cross-linguistic transfer, which is a normal developmental process and
should not be identified as a disorder.
D) The SLP must perform a standardized articulation test in English only to determine if the
student meets the criteria for therapy.
Correct Answer: C) The patterns represent cross-linguistic transfer, which is a normal
developmental process and should not be identified as a disorder.
Explanation: In bilingual assessment, it is critical to distinguish between a language difference
(due to L1-L2 transfer) and a disorder. Phonological patterns consistent with the student's native
dialect or resulting from L1 influence on L2 are not evidence of a speech disorder. IDEA
mandates that evaluations must not be discriminatory based on cultural or linguistic differences.
Question 2: When conducting a dynamic assessment (Test-Teach-Retest) for a bilingual student
from a low-SES background, which of the following measures provides the most valid indication
of the student's learning potential rather than their prior exposure?
A) The student's raw score on a norm-referenced English vocabulary test.
,B) The student's ability to retain and apply new grammatical structures after a brief mediated
learning experience.
C) The number of English verbs the student uses correctly during spontaneous play.
D) The student’s performance on a sentence repetition task in English.
Correct Answer: B) The student's ability to retain and apply new grammatical structures
after a brief mediated learning experience.
Explanation: Dynamic assessment is essential for CLD (Culturally and Linguistically Diverse)
students because it evaluates the "modifiability" of the learner. Traditional norm-referenced
tests are often biased against students with limited exposure to the specific dialect/language
tested. Mediated learning focuses on potential for change, which is a stronger indicator of a
genuine disorder.
Question 3: A bilingual student is being evaluated using a "processing-dependent" approach.
Which task is specifically designed to minimize the influence of prior knowledge and cultural
experience?
A) Answering "wh-" questions based on a familiar cultural story.
B) Non-word repetition (NWR) tasks in the student’s strongest language.
C) Describing a set of pictures representing academic vocabulary.
D) Recalling the names of common household objects in both languages.
Correct Answer: B) Non-word repetition (NWR) tasks in the student’s strongest language.
Explanation: Processing-dependent tasks, such as NWR, test the ability to hold phonological
information in working memory. Because non-words do not exist in the student's lexicon, they
eliminate the bias of prior vocabulary exposure, making them highly effective for identifying
specific language impairment (SLI) in bilinguals.
Question 4: During a parent interview for a bilingual evaluation, the SLP learns that the student
has been exposed to Spanish at home and English at school for three years. The student
demonstrates "code-switching." What is the clinical significance of code-switching in this
context?
A) It is a sign of language confusion and indicates an underlying cognitive delay.
B) It is a normal linguistic strategy and, by itself, is not a marker of a language disorder.
C) It suggests that the student has not yet mastered the syntactic rules of either language.
,D) It is an indicator that the student's language dominance is shifting too rapidly.
Correct Answer: B) It is a normal linguistic strategy and, by itself, is not a marker of a
language disorder.
Explanation: Code-switching (mixing languages within or across utterances) is a high-level
cognitive and linguistic skill utilized by proficient bilinguals. It is a functional communicative
tool and should never be interpreted as a sign of disorder or confusion.
Question 5: Which of the following is the best practice for determining the "language of
dominance" in a bilingual student whose home environment is highly integrated?
A) Administering a standardized test in English and selecting the language with the highest
score.
B) Using a combination of parent/teacher questionnaires, language samples in both languages,
and observations in natural settings.
C) Assuming that English is the dominant language if the student is currently enrolled in a
monolingual English school.
D) Giving more weight to the parent report than to the actual language sample.
Correct Answer: B) Using a combination of parent/teacher questionnaires, language samples
in both languages, and observations in natural settings.
Explanation: Language dominance is not static and can change across domains (e.g., home vs.
school). A "triangulation" approach—collecting data from multiple informants and multiple
contexts—is the most robust method for determining dominance.
Question 6: When evaluating a bilingual student, why is it inappropriate to use only a translated
version of a standardized English test?
A) Translated tests take too long to administer.
B) Translated tests lack established norms for the target population and often contain invalid
psychometric properties.
C) Parents usually prefer the student to be tested in English to better prepare for school.
D) Translating requires the SLP to have native-level fluency in the L1.
Correct Answer: B) Translated tests lack established norms for the target population and
often contain invalid psychometric properties.
, Explanation: Translating a test item-by-item renders the original norms meaningless. The
psychometric integrity of the test is lost because the difficulty level of items (and the cultural
relevance) changes when the language changes.
Question 7: A 5-year-old student performs significantly better on narrative retell tasks in
Spanish than in English. The SLP observes that the student's English narrative is missing basic
morphological markers (e.g., plural -s, past tense -ed). What is the most appropriate next step?
A) Diagnose the student with an expressive language disorder in both languages.
B) Calculate the Mean Length of Utterance (MLU) in English and compare it to monolingual
English norms.
C) Analyze the student’s narrative sample in Spanish for internal consistency, complexity, and
structural integrity.
D) Immediately refer the student to a neuropsychologist for an IQ test.
Correct Answer: C) Analyze the student’s narrative sample in Spanish for internal
consistency, complexity, and structural integrity.
Explanation: If a child demonstrates competence in L1 but appears delayed in L2, the L1 sample
provides the "gold standard" for determining if the child has the underlying capacity for
language. If the Spanish sample shows age-appropriate complexity, a language disorder is
unlikely.
Question 8: Which assessment strategy is recommended by the American Speech-Language-
Hearing Association (ASHA) when norm-referenced tests are not available or are biased for a
bilingual child?
A) Portfolio assessment.
B) Informal "guess-and-check" methods.
C) Sole reliance on teacher observation.
D) Using a translator to administer the English standardized test.
Correct Answer: A) Portfolio assessment.
Explanation: Portfolio assessment (collecting work samples, writing, projects, and narrative
samples over time) provides a longitudinal, authentic view of a child's language abilities in
communicative contexts, which is far more valid for CLD populations than standardized tests.
Question 9: In the assessment of bilingual school-aged children, what is the concept of "BICS"
vs. "CALP"?
Advanced Prep: Master Bilingual Speech-
Language Pathology Evaluation Practice
Questions & Detailed Explanations
Subject: Assessment (SLP)
Subtopic: Virtual Case Study for Bilingual Speech-Language Pathology
Evaluation (2026 Updated)
Question 1: A 6-year-old Spanish-English bilingual student is referred for an evaluation due to
concerns about "expressive language delay" in the classroom. Initial screenings reveal that the
student exhibits specific phonological patterns in English that are also present in the student’s
native dialect of Spanish. In the context of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act
(IDEA), how should the SLP interpret these findings?
A) These patterns are indicative of a Speech Sound Disorder (SSD) and require immediate
placement in intervention.
B) The patterns demonstrate "phonological interference," which is a diagnostic indicator of a
language disorder in bilingual children.
C) The patterns represent cross-linguistic transfer, which is a normal developmental process and
should not be identified as a disorder.
D) The SLP must perform a standardized articulation test in English only to determine if the
student meets the criteria for therapy.
Correct Answer: C) The patterns represent cross-linguistic transfer, which is a normal
developmental process and should not be identified as a disorder.
Explanation: In bilingual assessment, it is critical to distinguish between a language difference
(due to L1-L2 transfer) and a disorder. Phonological patterns consistent with the student's native
dialect or resulting from L1 influence on L2 are not evidence of a speech disorder. IDEA
mandates that evaluations must not be discriminatory based on cultural or linguistic differences.
Question 2: When conducting a dynamic assessment (Test-Teach-Retest) for a bilingual student
from a low-SES background, which of the following measures provides the most valid indication
of the student's learning potential rather than their prior exposure?
A) The student's raw score on a norm-referenced English vocabulary test.
,B) The student's ability to retain and apply new grammatical structures after a brief mediated
learning experience.
C) The number of English verbs the student uses correctly during spontaneous play.
D) The student’s performance on a sentence repetition task in English.
Correct Answer: B) The student's ability to retain and apply new grammatical structures
after a brief mediated learning experience.
Explanation: Dynamic assessment is essential for CLD (Culturally and Linguistically Diverse)
students because it evaluates the "modifiability" of the learner. Traditional norm-referenced
tests are often biased against students with limited exposure to the specific dialect/language
tested. Mediated learning focuses on potential for change, which is a stronger indicator of a
genuine disorder.
Question 3: A bilingual student is being evaluated using a "processing-dependent" approach.
Which task is specifically designed to minimize the influence of prior knowledge and cultural
experience?
A) Answering "wh-" questions based on a familiar cultural story.
B) Non-word repetition (NWR) tasks in the student’s strongest language.
C) Describing a set of pictures representing academic vocabulary.
D) Recalling the names of common household objects in both languages.
Correct Answer: B) Non-word repetition (NWR) tasks in the student’s strongest language.
Explanation: Processing-dependent tasks, such as NWR, test the ability to hold phonological
information in working memory. Because non-words do not exist in the student's lexicon, they
eliminate the bias of prior vocabulary exposure, making them highly effective for identifying
specific language impairment (SLI) in bilinguals.
Question 4: During a parent interview for a bilingual evaluation, the SLP learns that the student
has been exposed to Spanish at home and English at school for three years. The student
demonstrates "code-switching." What is the clinical significance of code-switching in this
context?
A) It is a sign of language confusion and indicates an underlying cognitive delay.
B) It is a normal linguistic strategy and, by itself, is not a marker of a language disorder.
C) It suggests that the student has not yet mastered the syntactic rules of either language.
,D) It is an indicator that the student's language dominance is shifting too rapidly.
Correct Answer: B) It is a normal linguistic strategy and, by itself, is not a marker of a
language disorder.
Explanation: Code-switching (mixing languages within or across utterances) is a high-level
cognitive and linguistic skill utilized by proficient bilinguals. It is a functional communicative
tool and should never be interpreted as a sign of disorder or confusion.
Question 5: Which of the following is the best practice for determining the "language of
dominance" in a bilingual student whose home environment is highly integrated?
A) Administering a standardized test in English and selecting the language with the highest
score.
B) Using a combination of parent/teacher questionnaires, language samples in both languages,
and observations in natural settings.
C) Assuming that English is the dominant language if the student is currently enrolled in a
monolingual English school.
D) Giving more weight to the parent report than to the actual language sample.
Correct Answer: B) Using a combination of parent/teacher questionnaires, language samples
in both languages, and observations in natural settings.
Explanation: Language dominance is not static and can change across domains (e.g., home vs.
school). A "triangulation" approach—collecting data from multiple informants and multiple
contexts—is the most robust method for determining dominance.
Question 6: When evaluating a bilingual student, why is it inappropriate to use only a translated
version of a standardized English test?
A) Translated tests take too long to administer.
B) Translated tests lack established norms for the target population and often contain invalid
psychometric properties.
C) Parents usually prefer the student to be tested in English to better prepare for school.
D) Translating requires the SLP to have native-level fluency in the L1.
Correct Answer: B) Translated tests lack established norms for the target population and
often contain invalid psychometric properties.
, Explanation: Translating a test item-by-item renders the original norms meaningless. The
psychometric integrity of the test is lost because the difficulty level of items (and the cultural
relevance) changes when the language changes.
Question 7: A 5-year-old student performs significantly better on narrative retell tasks in
Spanish than in English. The SLP observes that the student's English narrative is missing basic
morphological markers (e.g., plural -s, past tense -ed). What is the most appropriate next step?
A) Diagnose the student with an expressive language disorder in both languages.
B) Calculate the Mean Length of Utterance (MLU) in English and compare it to monolingual
English norms.
C) Analyze the student’s narrative sample in Spanish for internal consistency, complexity, and
structural integrity.
D) Immediately refer the student to a neuropsychologist for an IQ test.
Correct Answer: C) Analyze the student’s narrative sample in Spanish for internal
consistency, complexity, and structural integrity.
Explanation: If a child demonstrates competence in L1 but appears delayed in L2, the L1 sample
provides the "gold standard" for determining if the child has the underlying capacity for
language. If the Spanish sample shows age-appropriate complexity, a language disorder is
unlikely.
Question 8: Which assessment strategy is recommended by the American Speech-Language-
Hearing Association (ASHA) when norm-referenced tests are not available or are biased for a
bilingual child?
A) Portfolio assessment.
B) Informal "guess-and-check" methods.
C) Sole reliance on teacher observation.
D) Using a translator to administer the English standardized test.
Correct Answer: A) Portfolio assessment.
Explanation: Portfolio assessment (collecting work samples, writing, projects, and narrative
samples over time) provides a longitudinal, authentic view of a child's language abilities in
communicative contexts, which is far more valid for CLD populations than standardized tests.
Question 9: In the assessment of bilingual school-aged children, what is the concept of "BICS"
vs. "CALP"?
