CALT CERTIFIED ACADEMIC LANGUAGE THERAPIST EXAM – QUESTIONS AND
ANSWERS | VERIFIED AND WELL DETAILED ANSWERS | PLUS RATIONALES |
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Core Domains
Phonology and Phonological Awareness
Orthography and Morphology
Syntax and Semantics
Reading Development and Decoding
Reading Fluency and Comprehension
Written Expression and Composition
Assessment and Diagnostic Procedures
Intervention and Instructional Strategies
Ethics, Standards, and Professional Practice
Introduction
This comprehensive examination is designed to assess the knowledge, skills, and
clinical judgment required for certification as a Certified Academic Language
Therapist (CALT). The assessment covers foundational theories of language
structure, evidence-based reading and writing interventions, diagnostic practices,
and professional standards of care. Candidates will demonstrate their ability to
apply therapeutic principles in diverse educational and clinical settings through a
combination of multiple-choice and scenario-based questions. Emphasis is placed
on real-world application, ethical decision-making, and the selection of appropriate,
individualized interventions for students with language-based learning disabilities,
,including dyslexia. This rigorous assessment reflects the depth and breadth of
competent, compassionate, and effective academic language therapy practice.
SECTION ONE: QUESTIONS 1 – 50
1. A student in the third grade has difficulty decoding unfamiliar multisyllabic
words. Which foundational skill should be the primary focus of intervention to
address this deficit?
A. Phoneme isolation
B. Letter-sound correspondence
C. Morphological awareness
D. Rapid automatized naming
🟢 Correct Answer: C. Morphological awareness
🔴 Explanation: Morphological awareness, the understanding of root words,
prefixes, and suffixes, is essential for decoding and comprehending multisyllabic
words. While the other skills are important for basic reading, morphological
analysis is key to breaking down and understanding longer, complex words.
2. The concept that the letter-sound relationship is not perfectly one-to-one in
English is best described as:
A. Orthographic depth
B. The alphabetic principle
C. Phonemic awareness
D. Graphophonemic knowledge
🟢 Correct Answer: A. Orthographic depth
,🔴 Explanation: Orthographic depth refers to the degree to which a writing
system’s spelling corresponds to its pronunciation. English has deep orthography,
meaning spellings can be irregular, making the letter-sound relationship more
complex and less consistent.
3. A language therapist is evaluating a 10-year-old student who can read a
passage with 95% accuracy but has poor comprehension. The therapist should
first assess which of the following?
A. The student’s phonological memory
B. The student’s decoding speed
C. The student’s vocabulary knowledge and background
D. The student’s ability to blend sounds
🟢 Correct Answer: C. The student’s vocabulary knowledge and background
🔴 Explanation: Comprehension relies heavily on vocabulary and prior
knowledge. Despite accurate decoding, a student may not understand the text
due to a limited vocabulary or lack of contextual familiarity. Addressing
vocabulary is a primary step before considering other factors.
4. An example of a derivational morpheme is:
A. -ed
B. -ing
C. -ful
D. -s
🟢 Correct Answer: C. -ful
, 🔴 Explanation: Derivational morphemes are suffixes or prefixes that change a
word’s meaning or part of speech (e.g., changing 'hope' to 'hopeful'). '-ed', '-ing',
and '-s' are typically inflectional morphemes, which indicate grammatical
relationships without altering the core meaning or word class.
5. Which of the following represents the most effective instructional strategy
for developing phonemic awareness in a first-grade student?
A. Silent reading of leveled texts
B. Teaching the student to identify and manipulate sounds in spoken words
C. Having the student copy sentences from the board
D. Providing the student with a list of sight words to memorize
🟢 Correct Answer: B. Teaching the student to identify and manipulate sounds in
spoken words
🔴 Explanation: Phonemic awareness is the ability to hear, identify, and
manipulate individual sounds in spoken words. Effective instruction involves
explicit, systematic activities like phoneme segmentation, blending, and
manipulation, which are foundational for reading.
6. Which of the following findings on an informal reading inventory would be
most indicative of a student with dyslexia?
A. Difficulty with reading comprehension but fluent decoding
B. Difficulty with oral vocabulary but strong spelling skills
C. Difficulty with decoding and spelling despite adequate oral vocabulary and
intelligence
D. Difficulty with math calculation but average reading speed
ANSWERS | VERIFIED AND WELL DETAILED ANSWERS | PLUS RATIONALES |
DOWNLOAD AND PASS | LATEST EXAM UPDATE
Core Domains
Phonology and Phonological Awareness
Orthography and Morphology
Syntax and Semantics
Reading Development and Decoding
Reading Fluency and Comprehension
Written Expression and Composition
Assessment and Diagnostic Procedures
Intervention and Instructional Strategies
Ethics, Standards, and Professional Practice
Introduction
This comprehensive examination is designed to assess the knowledge, skills, and
clinical judgment required for certification as a Certified Academic Language
Therapist (CALT). The assessment covers foundational theories of language
structure, evidence-based reading and writing interventions, diagnostic practices,
and professional standards of care. Candidates will demonstrate their ability to
apply therapeutic principles in diverse educational and clinical settings through a
combination of multiple-choice and scenario-based questions. Emphasis is placed
on real-world application, ethical decision-making, and the selection of appropriate,
individualized interventions for students with language-based learning disabilities,
,including dyslexia. This rigorous assessment reflects the depth and breadth of
competent, compassionate, and effective academic language therapy practice.
SECTION ONE: QUESTIONS 1 – 50
1. A student in the third grade has difficulty decoding unfamiliar multisyllabic
words. Which foundational skill should be the primary focus of intervention to
address this deficit?
A. Phoneme isolation
B. Letter-sound correspondence
C. Morphological awareness
D. Rapid automatized naming
🟢 Correct Answer: C. Morphological awareness
🔴 Explanation: Morphological awareness, the understanding of root words,
prefixes, and suffixes, is essential for decoding and comprehending multisyllabic
words. While the other skills are important for basic reading, morphological
analysis is key to breaking down and understanding longer, complex words.
2. The concept that the letter-sound relationship is not perfectly one-to-one in
English is best described as:
A. Orthographic depth
B. The alphabetic principle
C. Phonemic awareness
D. Graphophonemic knowledge
🟢 Correct Answer: A. Orthographic depth
,🔴 Explanation: Orthographic depth refers to the degree to which a writing
system’s spelling corresponds to its pronunciation. English has deep orthography,
meaning spellings can be irregular, making the letter-sound relationship more
complex and less consistent.
3. A language therapist is evaluating a 10-year-old student who can read a
passage with 95% accuracy but has poor comprehension. The therapist should
first assess which of the following?
A. The student’s phonological memory
B. The student’s decoding speed
C. The student’s vocabulary knowledge and background
D. The student’s ability to blend sounds
🟢 Correct Answer: C. The student’s vocabulary knowledge and background
🔴 Explanation: Comprehension relies heavily on vocabulary and prior
knowledge. Despite accurate decoding, a student may not understand the text
due to a limited vocabulary or lack of contextual familiarity. Addressing
vocabulary is a primary step before considering other factors.
4. An example of a derivational morpheme is:
A. -ed
B. -ing
C. -ful
D. -s
🟢 Correct Answer: C. -ful
, 🔴 Explanation: Derivational morphemes are suffixes or prefixes that change a
word’s meaning or part of speech (e.g., changing 'hope' to 'hopeful'). '-ed', '-ing',
and '-s' are typically inflectional morphemes, which indicate grammatical
relationships without altering the core meaning or word class.
5. Which of the following represents the most effective instructional strategy
for developing phonemic awareness in a first-grade student?
A. Silent reading of leveled texts
B. Teaching the student to identify and manipulate sounds in spoken words
C. Having the student copy sentences from the board
D. Providing the student with a list of sight words to memorize
🟢 Correct Answer: B. Teaching the student to identify and manipulate sounds in
spoken words
🔴 Explanation: Phonemic awareness is the ability to hear, identify, and
manipulate individual sounds in spoken words. Effective instruction involves
explicit, systematic activities like phoneme segmentation, blending, and
manipulation, which are foundational for reading.
6. Which of the following findings on an informal reading inventory would be
most indicative of a student with dyslexia?
A. Difficulty with reading comprehension but fluent decoding
B. Difficulty with oral vocabulary but strong spelling skills
C. Difficulty with decoding and spelling despite adequate oral vocabulary and
intelligence
D. Difficulty with math calculation but average reading speed
