CALT CERTIFIED ACADEMIC LANGUAGE THERAPIST EXAM COMPLETE
PRACTICE EXAM |ACCURATE REAL EXAM QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
WITH DETAILED RATIONALES EACH | CURRENTLY TESTING AND
FREQUENTLY TESTED QUESTIONS | EXPERT VERIFIED FOR
GUARANTEED PASS
SECTION 1: FOUNDATIONS OF LANGUAGE & LITERACY (Questions 1–30)
1. What are the five strands of language?
A) Reading, writing, speaking, listening, thinking
B) Letters, sounds, words, sentences, paragraphs
C) Phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics, pragmatics
D) Phonemes, graphemes, morphemes, syntax, discourse
Answer: C) Phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics, pragmatics
Rationale: The five strands of language are phonology (the sound system of
language), morphology (the structure and meaning of word parts), syntax (the
grammatical structure of sentences), semantics (the meaning of words and
sentences), and pragmatics (the social use of language). These five domains
encompass both oral and written language and are foundational to the CALT
exam framework. Understanding these strands is essential for diagnosing
language-based learning difficulties and designing appropriate interventions.
2. The Simple View of Reading states that reading comprehension is the
product of:
A) Decoding and listening comprehension
B) Phonemic awareness and phonics
C) Fluency and vocabulary
D) Background knowledge and comprehension strategies
Answer: A) Decoding and listening comprehension
1
, Rationale: The Simple View of Reading (Gough & Tunmer, 1986) proposes that
Reading Comprehension = Decoding × Language Comprehension. Both
components
are necessary for reading comprehension; if either is weak, comprehension
suffers. This model is foundational in understanding reading development
and difficulties, particularly for identifying students with dyslexia (who
typically struggle with decoding) versus those with specific comprehension
deficits. The multiplicative relationship means that a weakness in either
area significantly impacts reading comprehension.
3. According to Scarborough's Reading Rope, skilled reading requires the
intertwining of which two main strands?
A) Word recognition and language comprehension
B) Phonics and fluency
C) Vocabulary and background knowledge
D) Decoding and sight recognition
Answer: A) Word recognition and language comprehension
Rationale: Scarborough's Reading Rope (2001) illustrates skilled reading as
the intertwining of two main strands: Word Recognition (phonological
awareness,
decoding, and sight recognition) and Language Comprehension (background
knowledge, vocabulary, language structures, verbal reasoning, and literacy
knowledge). These strands become increasingly automated and strategic as
reading develops. The model emphasizes that both strands must be strong for
proficient reading and that difficulties in either strand can lead to
reading comprehension challenges.
4. A student who can understand spoken language but struggles to produce
spoken language is demonstrating a deficit in:
2
, A) Receptive language
B) Expressive language
C) Pragmatic language
D) Phonological awareness
Answer: B) Expressive language
Rationale: Expressive language refers to the ability to produce language
(speaking, writing, gesturing). Receptive language refers to the ability to
understand language that is heard or read. A student with strong receptive
language but weak expressive language may understand what is said but have
difficulty formulating and producing spoken responses. This distinction is
important in assessing language disorders and planning intervention. A
student with expressive language difficulties may know the answer but
cannot articulate it effectively.
5. Pragmatics refers to:
A) The rules for combining sounds in a language
B) The social use of language in context
C) The meaning of words and sentences
D) The structure of sentences
Answer: B) The social use of language in context
Rationale: Pragmatics is the domain of language that governs the social use
of language—how language is used in different social contexts, including
conversational turn-taking, understanding figurative language (idioms,
sarcasm), adjusting language for different audiences, and interpreting
nonverbal cues. Difficulties with pragmatics are characteristic of autism
spectrum disorder and social communication disorder. A student with
pragmatic difficulties may say inappropriate things or fail to understand
3
, implied meanings.
6. The term "metalinguistics" refers to:
A) The ability to think about and analyze language as an object of study
B) The ability to produce grammatically correct sentences
C) The ability to decode unfamiliar words
D) The ability to comprehend complex texts
Answer: A) The ability to think about and analyze language as an object of
study
Rationale: Metalinguistic awareness is the ability to reflect upon and
analyze language as a system separate from its content. This includes
phonological awareness (thinking about sounds), morphological awareness
(thinking about word parts), syntactic awareness (thinking about sentence
structure), and pragmatic awareness (thinking about language use).
Metalinguistic skills are essential for reading development because they
allow students to consciously manipulate language sounds and structures.
7. The "Language Acquisition Device" (LAD) was proposed by:
A) Skinner
B) Chomsky
C) Piaget
D) Vygotsky
Answer: B) Chomsky
Rationale: Noam Chomsky proposed the concept of the Language Acquisition
Device (LAD), an innate biological mechanism that enables children to
acquire language naturally. Chomsky's theory of Universal Grammar suggests
that humans are born with an inherent understanding of the basic principles
4
PRACTICE EXAM |ACCURATE REAL EXAM QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
WITH DETAILED RATIONALES EACH | CURRENTLY TESTING AND
FREQUENTLY TESTED QUESTIONS | EXPERT VERIFIED FOR
GUARANTEED PASS
SECTION 1: FOUNDATIONS OF LANGUAGE & LITERACY (Questions 1–30)
1. What are the five strands of language?
A) Reading, writing, speaking, listening, thinking
B) Letters, sounds, words, sentences, paragraphs
C) Phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics, pragmatics
D) Phonemes, graphemes, morphemes, syntax, discourse
Answer: C) Phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics, pragmatics
Rationale: The five strands of language are phonology (the sound system of
language), morphology (the structure and meaning of word parts), syntax (the
grammatical structure of sentences), semantics (the meaning of words and
sentences), and pragmatics (the social use of language). These five domains
encompass both oral and written language and are foundational to the CALT
exam framework. Understanding these strands is essential for diagnosing
language-based learning difficulties and designing appropriate interventions.
2. The Simple View of Reading states that reading comprehension is the
product of:
A) Decoding and listening comprehension
B) Phonemic awareness and phonics
C) Fluency and vocabulary
D) Background knowledge and comprehension strategies
Answer: A) Decoding and listening comprehension
1
, Rationale: The Simple View of Reading (Gough & Tunmer, 1986) proposes that
Reading Comprehension = Decoding × Language Comprehension. Both
components
are necessary for reading comprehension; if either is weak, comprehension
suffers. This model is foundational in understanding reading development
and difficulties, particularly for identifying students with dyslexia (who
typically struggle with decoding) versus those with specific comprehension
deficits. The multiplicative relationship means that a weakness in either
area significantly impacts reading comprehension.
3. According to Scarborough's Reading Rope, skilled reading requires the
intertwining of which two main strands?
A) Word recognition and language comprehension
B) Phonics and fluency
C) Vocabulary and background knowledge
D) Decoding and sight recognition
Answer: A) Word recognition and language comprehension
Rationale: Scarborough's Reading Rope (2001) illustrates skilled reading as
the intertwining of two main strands: Word Recognition (phonological
awareness,
decoding, and sight recognition) and Language Comprehension (background
knowledge, vocabulary, language structures, verbal reasoning, and literacy
knowledge). These strands become increasingly automated and strategic as
reading develops. The model emphasizes that both strands must be strong for
proficient reading and that difficulties in either strand can lead to
reading comprehension challenges.
4. A student who can understand spoken language but struggles to produce
spoken language is demonstrating a deficit in:
2
, A) Receptive language
B) Expressive language
C) Pragmatic language
D) Phonological awareness
Answer: B) Expressive language
Rationale: Expressive language refers to the ability to produce language
(speaking, writing, gesturing). Receptive language refers to the ability to
understand language that is heard or read. A student with strong receptive
language but weak expressive language may understand what is said but have
difficulty formulating and producing spoken responses. This distinction is
important in assessing language disorders and planning intervention. A
student with expressive language difficulties may know the answer but
cannot articulate it effectively.
5. Pragmatics refers to:
A) The rules for combining sounds in a language
B) The social use of language in context
C) The meaning of words and sentences
D) The structure of sentences
Answer: B) The social use of language in context
Rationale: Pragmatics is the domain of language that governs the social use
of language—how language is used in different social contexts, including
conversational turn-taking, understanding figurative language (idioms,
sarcasm), adjusting language for different audiences, and interpreting
nonverbal cues. Difficulties with pragmatics are characteristic of autism
spectrum disorder and social communication disorder. A student with
pragmatic difficulties may say inappropriate things or fail to understand
3
, implied meanings.
6. The term "metalinguistics" refers to:
A) The ability to think about and analyze language as an object of study
B) The ability to produce grammatically correct sentences
C) The ability to decode unfamiliar words
D) The ability to comprehend complex texts
Answer: A) The ability to think about and analyze language as an object of
study
Rationale: Metalinguistic awareness is the ability to reflect upon and
analyze language as a system separate from its content. This includes
phonological awareness (thinking about sounds), morphological awareness
(thinking about word parts), syntactic awareness (thinking about sentence
structure), and pragmatic awareness (thinking about language use).
Metalinguistic skills are essential for reading development because they
allow students to consciously manipulate language sounds and structures.
7. The "Language Acquisition Device" (LAD) was proposed by:
A) Skinner
B) Chomsky
C) Piaget
D) Vygotsky
Answer: B) Chomsky
Rationale: Noam Chomsky proposed the concept of the Language Acquisition
Device (LAD), an innate biological mechanism that enables children to
acquire language naturally. Chomsky's theory of Universal Grammar suggests
that humans are born with an inherent understanding of the basic principles
4
