SLP PRAXIS PRACTICE Question and Answer
2026 | Ultimate Exam Preparation Bundle |
Grade A+
• What are the muscles involved in inspiration? -✓✓Diaphragm
External intercostal muscles: raise the ribs up and out
Serratus posterior superior: elevates rib cage
Levator costarum brevis: elevates rib cage
Levator costarum logies: elevates rib cage
• What are the muscles involved in expiration? -✓✓Internal intercostal muscles
Latissimus dorsi
Rectum abdominis
Transverse abdominis
Internal oblique abdominal
Quadrates lumborum
• What structures are involved in respiration? -✓✓Lungs
Bronchi
Trachea
Spinal column
Sternum: manubrium, corpus, xiphoid process
Rib cage
• What is the myoelastic-aerodynamic theory? -✓✓It's a theory of phonation. VF closure
-> build up of sub glottal air pressure -> pressure blows the folds apart -> folds vibrate -
> air moves through glottal opening, decreasing pressure -> folds sucked back together.
• What are the laryngeal cartilages? -✓✓Hyoid bone
Epiglottis
Thyroid cartilage
Cricoid cartilage
Arytenoids
Corniculates
• Discuss the vocal folds, aryepiglottic folds and ventricular folds. -✓✓Vocal folds:
They have three layers
Epithelium: the outer cover.
Lamina propia: the middle.
Vocalis muscle: the body
Aryepiglottic folds:
They go from arytenoids to larynx. Help preserve airway.
,Ventricular folds:
Sometimes vibrate with low frequencies.
• What are the intrinsic muscles involved in phonation? -✓✓internal thyroarytenoid: it's
the primary portion of thryoarynteoid muscles. it vibrates and produces sounds.
cricothyroid: lengthens and tenses vocal folds.
oblique and transverse arytenoid: contract and pull arynteoids together for adduction.
posterior cricoarynteoid: abducts
lateral cricoarytenoid: adducts
• What are the extrinsic muscles involved in phonation? -✓✓Elevators:
Digastric
Geniohyoid
Mylohyoid
Stylohyoid
Hyoglossus
Genioglossus
Depressors:
Thyrohyoid
Omohyoid
Sternothryoid
Sternohyoid
• How many/what type of teeth do we have? -✓✓32 teeth: 4 incisors, 2 canine, 4
premolar and 6 molar
• What are the parts of the tongue? -✓✓tip, blade, dorsum, root and lingual frenulum.
• What are the intrinsic muscles of the tongue? -✓✓All innervated by CN 12
Superior longitudinal muscle: shortens tongue. turns tip upward.
Inferior longitudinal muscle: shortens tongue. turns tip downward.
Transverse muscle: elongates tongue
Vertical muscle: narrows tongue
• What are the extrinsic muscles of the tongue? -✓✓All innervated by CN 12
Genioglossus: forms bulk of tongue. retracts, draws tongue downward
Styloglossus: draws tongue up and back
Hyoglossus: retracts and depresses tongue
,Chondroglossus: depresses tongue
Palatoglossus: elevates tongue and depresses velum
• What are the muscles of the pharynx? -✓✓salpingopharyngeus: elevates laryngeal
wall
stylopharyngeus: elevates and opens pharynx
superior pharyngeal constrictor: pulls wall forward
middle pharyngeal constrictor: narrows diameter or pharynx
inferior pharyngeal constrictor: constricts office of esophagus and reduces diameter of
pharynx
• What are the muscles of the soft palate? -✓✓levator veli palatini: elevates velum
tensor veli palatini: tenses velum
palatoglossus: elevates and depresses velum
palatopharyngeus: lowers velum
• What are the structures of the hard palate? -✓✓Pre maxilla
Palatine process
• What are the muscles of the mandible? -✓✓Elevators:
Masseter
Temporalis
Pterygoid
Depressors:
Digastric
Geniohyoid
Mylohyoid
• What are the cranial nerves? -✓✓Olfactory
Optic
Oculomotor
Trochlear
Trigeminal
Abducens
Facial
Vestibulocochlear
Glossopharyngeal
Vagus
Spinal accessory
Hypoglossal
• Trigeminal: function and damage -✓✓Provides sensory information to face. It has
three branches.
Ophthalmic: nose and eyes
Maxillary: lip, maxilla, upper cheek
, Mandibular: lower teeth
Provides motor information to the jaw.
Damage could result in an inability to close mouth and chew.
• Facial: function and damage -✓✓Provides sensory information to anterior 2/3 of
tongue.
Provides motor information to muscles of the face.
Damage could result in a mask like appearance.
• Vestibulocochlear: function and damage -✓✓There are two branches. The vestibular
branch and acoustic branch. Provides sensory information.
Damage could result in hearing loss or balance issues or both.
• Glossopharyngeal: function and damage -✓✓Provides sensory information to
posterior 1/3 of tongue
Provides motor information to muscles of pharynx (some)
Damage could result in loss of taste, difficulty swallowing and damage to the gag reflex.
• Vagus: function and damage -✓✓Provides sensory and motor information to some
muscles of larynx and pharynx.
There is the recurrent laryngeal nerve which is responsible for intrinsic muscles of
larynx (except cricothryoid)
The pharyngeal branch is responsible for the pharyngeal constrictors and most muscles
of velum (except tensor tympani)
Damage could result in swallowing issues, velum paralysis and voice problems
• Spinal accessory: function and damage -✓✓Provides motor information to head and
shoulder and some soft palate.
Damage could result in neck weakness, inability to turn head, shrug or raise arms
• Hypoglossal: function and damage -✓✓Provides motor information to all intrinsic and
some extrinsic muscles of the tongue.
Damage could result in tongue paralysis, unintelligible speech and swallowing issues
2026 | Ultimate Exam Preparation Bundle |
Grade A+
• What are the muscles involved in inspiration? -✓✓Diaphragm
External intercostal muscles: raise the ribs up and out
Serratus posterior superior: elevates rib cage
Levator costarum brevis: elevates rib cage
Levator costarum logies: elevates rib cage
• What are the muscles involved in expiration? -✓✓Internal intercostal muscles
Latissimus dorsi
Rectum abdominis
Transverse abdominis
Internal oblique abdominal
Quadrates lumborum
• What structures are involved in respiration? -✓✓Lungs
Bronchi
Trachea
Spinal column
Sternum: manubrium, corpus, xiphoid process
Rib cage
• What is the myoelastic-aerodynamic theory? -✓✓It's a theory of phonation. VF closure
-> build up of sub glottal air pressure -> pressure blows the folds apart -> folds vibrate -
> air moves through glottal opening, decreasing pressure -> folds sucked back together.
• What are the laryngeal cartilages? -✓✓Hyoid bone
Epiglottis
Thyroid cartilage
Cricoid cartilage
Arytenoids
Corniculates
• Discuss the vocal folds, aryepiglottic folds and ventricular folds. -✓✓Vocal folds:
They have three layers
Epithelium: the outer cover.
Lamina propia: the middle.
Vocalis muscle: the body
Aryepiglottic folds:
They go from arytenoids to larynx. Help preserve airway.
,Ventricular folds:
Sometimes vibrate with low frequencies.
• What are the intrinsic muscles involved in phonation? -✓✓internal thyroarytenoid: it's
the primary portion of thryoarynteoid muscles. it vibrates and produces sounds.
cricothyroid: lengthens and tenses vocal folds.
oblique and transverse arytenoid: contract and pull arynteoids together for adduction.
posterior cricoarynteoid: abducts
lateral cricoarytenoid: adducts
• What are the extrinsic muscles involved in phonation? -✓✓Elevators:
Digastric
Geniohyoid
Mylohyoid
Stylohyoid
Hyoglossus
Genioglossus
Depressors:
Thyrohyoid
Omohyoid
Sternothryoid
Sternohyoid
• How many/what type of teeth do we have? -✓✓32 teeth: 4 incisors, 2 canine, 4
premolar and 6 molar
• What are the parts of the tongue? -✓✓tip, blade, dorsum, root and lingual frenulum.
• What are the intrinsic muscles of the tongue? -✓✓All innervated by CN 12
Superior longitudinal muscle: shortens tongue. turns tip upward.
Inferior longitudinal muscle: shortens tongue. turns tip downward.
Transverse muscle: elongates tongue
Vertical muscle: narrows tongue
• What are the extrinsic muscles of the tongue? -✓✓All innervated by CN 12
Genioglossus: forms bulk of tongue. retracts, draws tongue downward
Styloglossus: draws tongue up and back
Hyoglossus: retracts and depresses tongue
,Chondroglossus: depresses tongue
Palatoglossus: elevates tongue and depresses velum
• What are the muscles of the pharynx? -✓✓salpingopharyngeus: elevates laryngeal
wall
stylopharyngeus: elevates and opens pharynx
superior pharyngeal constrictor: pulls wall forward
middle pharyngeal constrictor: narrows diameter or pharynx
inferior pharyngeal constrictor: constricts office of esophagus and reduces diameter of
pharynx
• What are the muscles of the soft palate? -✓✓levator veli palatini: elevates velum
tensor veli palatini: tenses velum
palatoglossus: elevates and depresses velum
palatopharyngeus: lowers velum
• What are the structures of the hard palate? -✓✓Pre maxilla
Palatine process
• What are the muscles of the mandible? -✓✓Elevators:
Masseter
Temporalis
Pterygoid
Depressors:
Digastric
Geniohyoid
Mylohyoid
• What are the cranial nerves? -✓✓Olfactory
Optic
Oculomotor
Trochlear
Trigeminal
Abducens
Facial
Vestibulocochlear
Glossopharyngeal
Vagus
Spinal accessory
Hypoglossal
• Trigeminal: function and damage -✓✓Provides sensory information to face. It has
three branches.
Ophthalmic: nose and eyes
Maxillary: lip, maxilla, upper cheek
, Mandibular: lower teeth
Provides motor information to the jaw.
Damage could result in an inability to close mouth and chew.
• Facial: function and damage -✓✓Provides sensory information to anterior 2/3 of
tongue.
Provides motor information to muscles of the face.
Damage could result in a mask like appearance.
• Vestibulocochlear: function and damage -✓✓There are two branches. The vestibular
branch and acoustic branch. Provides sensory information.
Damage could result in hearing loss or balance issues or both.
• Glossopharyngeal: function and damage -✓✓Provides sensory information to
posterior 1/3 of tongue
Provides motor information to muscles of pharynx (some)
Damage could result in loss of taste, difficulty swallowing and damage to the gag reflex.
• Vagus: function and damage -✓✓Provides sensory and motor information to some
muscles of larynx and pharynx.
There is the recurrent laryngeal nerve which is responsible for intrinsic muscles of
larynx (except cricothryoid)
The pharyngeal branch is responsible for the pharyngeal constrictors and most muscles
of velum (except tensor tympani)
Damage could result in swallowing issues, velum paralysis and voice problems
• Spinal accessory: function and damage -✓✓Provides motor information to head and
shoulder and some soft palate.
Damage could result in neck weakness, inability to turn head, shrug or raise arms
• Hypoglossal: function and damage -✓✓Provides motor information to all intrinsic and
some extrinsic muscles of the tongue.
Damage could result in tongue paralysis, unintelligible speech and swallowing issues
