California Commission on Teacher
1 TSETBUS • ACIR
RICA✦
✦
SUB 1
Credentialing
Reading Instruction Competence Assessment · Subtest 1
CA CTC
ENSURING EXCELLENCE IN READING INSTRUCTION
RICA — Subtest 1 Examination
P H O N O LO G I C A L A W A R E N E SS · CO N C E PTS A B O U T P R I N T · P H O N I CS · S P E L L I N G · F LU E N C Y
ORGANIZATION California Commission on Teacher EXAM TYPE Reading Instruction Competence
Credentialing (CTC) Assessment (RICA)
SUBTEST Subtest 1 — Word Analysis & Fluency ACADEMIC YEAR
TOTAL QUESTIONS 25 Questions SUBJECT AREAS Phonemic Awareness · Phonics · Spelling ·
Fluency
FORMAT Multiple Choice — Select the Single Best
Answer
SUBTEST 1 EXAMINATION INSTRUCTIONS
▸ Select the single best answer for each question based on RICA content specifications for Subtest 1.
▸ Content covers: phonological awareness (phonemic awareness, onset/rime, word/syllable awareness), concepts about print,
alphabetic principle, phonics (consonants, vowels, digraphs, diphthongs, r-controlled/l-controlled words), word identification
strategies (structural analysis, syllabic analysis, context clues, sight words), spelling development (5 stages), fluency (accuracy,
rate, prosody, automaticity), and related assessments (Yopp-Singer, CAP, running records).
SECTION I — FOUNDATIONAL SKILLS & WORD ANALYSIS Questions 1 – 25
1. What is the difference between phonological awareness and phonemic awareness?
A. They are identical terms used interchangeably.
B. Phonological awareness is the broad ability to reflect on and manipulate sound structures of spoken language;
phonemic awareness is the specific ability to hear, identify, and manipulate individual phonemes.
C. Phonological awareness applies only to written language; phonemic awareness applies to oral language.
D. Phonological awareness involves letters; phonemic awareness involves sounds only.
CORRECT ANSWER B — Phonological awareness is the broad ability to reflect on and manipulate sound structures of
spoken language; phonemic awareness is the specific ability to hear, identify, and manipulate
individual phonemes.
RATIONALE PHONOLOGICAL AWARENESS is the UMBRELLA term — the ability to reflect on and manipulate the sound
structure of spoken language (includes word awareness, syllable awareness, onset/rime, and phonemic
awareness). PHONEMIC AWARENESS is a SUBSET — specifically hearing, identifying, and manipulating
individual PHONEMES (speech sounds). A PHONEME is the smallest speech sound. A GRAPHEME is the written
representation of a sound. ONSET is the initial consonant(s) of a syllable; RIME contains the vowel and all that
follows.
1 TSETBUS • ACIR
RICA✦
✦
SUB 1
Credentialing
Reading Instruction Competence Assessment · Subtest 1
CA CTC
ENSURING EXCELLENCE IN READING INSTRUCTION
RICA — Subtest 1 Examination
P H O N O LO G I C A L A W A R E N E SS · CO N C E PTS A B O U T P R I N T · P H O N I CS · S P E L L I N G · F LU E N C Y
ORGANIZATION California Commission on Teacher EXAM TYPE Reading Instruction Competence
Credentialing (CTC) Assessment (RICA)
SUBTEST Subtest 1 — Word Analysis & Fluency ACADEMIC YEAR
TOTAL QUESTIONS 25 Questions SUBJECT AREAS Phonemic Awareness · Phonics · Spelling ·
Fluency
FORMAT Multiple Choice — Select the Single Best
Answer
SUBTEST 1 EXAMINATION INSTRUCTIONS
▸ Select the single best answer for each question based on RICA content specifications for Subtest 1.
▸ Content covers: phonological awareness (phonemic awareness, onset/rime, word/syllable awareness), concepts about print,
alphabetic principle, phonics (consonants, vowels, digraphs, diphthongs, r-controlled/l-controlled words), word identification
strategies (structural analysis, syllabic analysis, context clues, sight words), spelling development (5 stages), fluency (accuracy,
rate, prosody, automaticity), and related assessments (Yopp-Singer, CAP, running records).
SECTION I — FOUNDATIONAL SKILLS & WORD ANALYSIS Questions 1 – 25
1. What is the difference between phonological awareness and phonemic awareness?
A. They are identical terms used interchangeably.
B. Phonological awareness is the broad ability to reflect on and manipulate sound structures of spoken language;
phonemic awareness is the specific ability to hear, identify, and manipulate individual phonemes.
C. Phonological awareness applies only to written language; phonemic awareness applies to oral language.
D. Phonological awareness involves letters; phonemic awareness involves sounds only.
CORRECT ANSWER B — Phonological awareness is the broad ability to reflect on and manipulate sound structures of
spoken language; phonemic awareness is the specific ability to hear, identify, and manipulate
individual phonemes.
RATIONALE PHONOLOGICAL AWARENESS is the UMBRELLA term — the ability to reflect on and manipulate the sound
structure of spoken language (includes word awareness, syllable awareness, onset/rime, and phonemic
awareness). PHONEMIC AWARENESS is a SUBSET — specifically hearing, identifying, and manipulating
individual PHONEMES (speech sounds). A PHONEME is the smallest speech sound. A GRAPHEME is the written
representation of a sound. ONSET is the initial consonant(s) of a syllable; RIME contains the vowel and all that
follows.
