SLP ETS Practice Test Form 1 Questions
and Answers
Which of the following errors is likely to persist the longest in the speech of children who
are learning Standard American English (SAE) as a first language and are following the
normal developmental course for speech and language acquisition?
A.Assimilation
B.Consonant cluster reduction
C.Final-consonant deletion
D.Velar fronting - Answer-Option (B) is correct. Consonant cluster reduction is the most
persistent of the normal developmental processes listed.
For which of the following conditions is it most appropriate for the SLP to recommend
that the patient's primary-care physician refer the patient to a prosthodontist for
construction of a palatal-lift appliance?
A.Submucous cleft palate
B.Unrepaired cleft of the secondary palate
C.Flaccid paralysis of the soft palate
D.Congenitally short palate - Answer-Option (C) is correct. Construction of a palatal-lift
appliance is appropriate for a patient with flaccid paralysis characterized by an intact
palate that does not function.
Computer software that has been developed to facilitate speech and language
treatment can best be used
A.in group sessions when the SLP's caseload precludes working individually with clients
B.by clients in place of services that would otherwise be provided by an SLP
C.by clients under the direction of SLPs
D.when SLPs are unavailable - Answer-Option (C) is correct. Computer software and
other aids are intended not to replace treatment sessions provided by an SLP but rather
to enhance clients' opportunities to improve their skills in relation to goals established by
the clinician.
The most serious limitation of employing imitation as an intervention strategy for
children with a language impairment is that imitation
A.lacks communicative intention
B.relies on semantic knowledge
C.is clinician controlled
,D.is contextualized speech - Answer-Option (A) is correct. The most serious
shortcoming of imitation as an intervention strategy is that imitation is not an
intentionally communicative act.
Treatment for apraxia of speech most appropriately emphasizes
A.coordination of respiration with phonation and articulation
B.auditory discrimination, resonance, and respiration
C.auditory-visual stimulation, oral-motor repetition, and phonetic placement
D.rate of speech, range of movement, strength, and coordination of the oral mechanism
- Answer-Option (C) is correct. Treatment for apraxia of speech appropriately
emphasizes auditory-visual stimulation, oral-motor repetition, and phonetic placement.
Which of the following is a typical symptom of cerebellar involvement?
A.Overshooting or undershooting an intended target
B.Rigidity during voluntary motions
C.Spasticity during involuntary action
D.Word-finding difficulty - Answer-Option (A) is correct. The overshooting or
undershooting of an intended target is typical of individuals with deficits related to a
lesion of the cerebellum.
To provide greater independence for a client who has a brain injury and is in a late
stage of speech-language treatment, which of the following techniques is most
appropriate?
A.Increasing memory-retention span
B.Using word-repetition drills
C.Teaching compensatory strategies
D.Training visual-perceptual skills - Answer-Option (C) is correct. Functional
independence is a main goal for a client shortly before dismissal from treatment. It can
be achieved by teaching compensatory strategies to minimize any remaining deficits.
Following anoxic encephalopathy, clients are likely to experience the most significant
long-term impairments in the area of
A.prosody
B.resonance
C.aphonia
D.memory - Answer-Option (D) is correct. Anoxic encephalopathy, or brain damage
resulting from oxygen deprivation, typically leads to global impairment that affects
memory. It is difficult to reverse the effects of memory loss, so the impairment is usually
long-term.
Doing which of the following would likely yield the most useful information about the
effectiveness of an intervention strategy?
,A.Reviewing the results of standardized assessment instruments
B.Utilizing a single-subject design (ABAB) or a reversal procedure (ABA)
C.Utilizing the subjective, objective, assessment, and plan (SOAP) format
D.Requesting that a colleague reevaluate the client - Answer-Option (B) is correct. An
ABAB or ABA design shows changes when intervention is applied. Single-subject
design using ABAB or ABA design is the best method to determine whether intervention
has succeeded.
Individuals diagnosed as having hemifacial microsomia are also most likely to have
A.laryngeal dysfunction
B.ear malformation
C.webbed fingers and toes
D.widely spaced eyes - Answer-Option (B) is correct. Ear malformation is the only
symptom of those listed that is typical of hemifacial microsomia, a genetic diagnosis
within the oculo-auricular-vertebral (OAV) spectrum.
A child repeatedly inserts an inappropriate sound in certain environments; for example,
[fpɪʃ] for [fɪʃ] . Which of the following would likely be most helpful for the child as a target
for treatment?
A.Bisyllabic words for which a minimal-contrast pair can be easily identified
B.Words containing phonemes that have distinctive features in common with the sound
the child inserts inappropriately
C.Repeated practice with the combinations of phonemes that the child finds particularly
easy to produce
D.Words that contrast the child's error pattern with the target pattern in the word -
Answer-Option (D) is correct. Words that contrast the child's error pattern with the target
pattern would be most helpful for this child.
The sensorimotor integration of the muscles of the lower face depends on which two of
the cranial nerves?
A.The accessory and hypoglossal
B.The trigeminal and facial
C.The vagus and glossopharyngeal
D.The phrenic and facial - Answer-Option (B) is correct. The trigeminal nerve has a
motor component which is involved in mastication (and thus the lower face) and a
sensory component, which provides sensory information from the entire face (including
the lower face). The facial nerve provides motor innervation to several muscles that are
found in the lower face, including the orbicularis oris and the buccinator.
For which of the following reasons would the therapy for a client whose language loss is
due to brain injury differ from the therapy for a client whose language loss is due to a
progressive disorder?
, A.There is a much higher chance of spontaneous recovery for the client with brain
injury.
B.There is a much higher chance of spontaneous recovery for the client with a
progressive disorder.
C.The client with brain injury typically has problems with fatigue and mental confusion,
whereas the client with a progressive disorder does not.
D.The client with a progressive disorder typically has problems with attention and
memory, whereas the client with brain injury typically does not. - Answer-Option (A) is
correct. Brain injury is typically characterized by some degree of spontaneous
improvement over a period of several days to weeks, which may be evidenced through
gradual improvement in language abilities, whereas a progressive disorder is
characterized by gradual loss/reduction in language skills.
Which of the following treatment goals related to pragmatics best addresses a young
child's use of language?
A.In a play situation, the child will request a turn, either verbally or through gestures, 90
percent of the time.
B.In a treatment session, the child will produce a two-word combination 90 percent of
the time.
C.In conversation, the child will produce correct velars 90 percent of the time.
D.When telling a story, the child will use the standard dialect's irregular past tense forms
of five specific verbs 90 percent of the time. - Answer-Option (A) is correct. Pragmatics
is the study of language in realistic contexts, and the treatment goal describes a real-
life, naturalistic use of communication skills.
A 42-year-old client with upper-and lower-extremity weakness and a diagnosis of
amyotrophic lateral sclerosis is referred for a speech-language evaluation. The
evaluation reveals a progressive severe dysarthria that is characterized by imprecise
articulation secondary to bilateral facial and lingual weakness, atrophy, and
fasciculations; mild-to-moderate hypernasality and weak pressure consonants with
associated nasal emission during speech; and strained, harsh, groaning voice quality
with occasional inhalatory stridor. Speech intelligibility is poor. Which of the following will
most effectively improve this client's ability to communicate?
A.Teflon injection into one or both vocal cords
B.Palatal-lift prosthesis
C.Amplification device
D. - Answer-Option (D) is correct. The client has an advanced stage of amyotrophic
lateral sclerosis with consequent progressive deterioration of communication abilities.
An augmentative-communication system is the best option for improving or maintaining
communication for this client.
Which of the following communication disorders is most frequently associated with
significant dysphagia?
and Answers
Which of the following errors is likely to persist the longest in the speech of children who
are learning Standard American English (SAE) as a first language and are following the
normal developmental course for speech and language acquisition?
A.Assimilation
B.Consonant cluster reduction
C.Final-consonant deletion
D.Velar fronting - Answer-Option (B) is correct. Consonant cluster reduction is the most
persistent of the normal developmental processes listed.
For which of the following conditions is it most appropriate for the SLP to recommend
that the patient's primary-care physician refer the patient to a prosthodontist for
construction of a palatal-lift appliance?
A.Submucous cleft palate
B.Unrepaired cleft of the secondary palate
C.Flaccid paralysis of the soft palate
D.Congenitally short palate - Answer-Option (C) is correct. Construction of a palatal-lift
appliance is appropriate for a patient with flaccid paralysis characterized by an intact
palate that does not function.
Computer software that has been developed to facilitate speech and language
treatment can best be used
A.in group sessions when the SLP's caseload precludes working individually with clients
B.by clients in place of services that would otherwise be provided by an SLP
C.by clients under the direction of SLPs
D.when SLPs are unavailable - Answer-Option (C) is correct. Computer software and
other aids are intended not to replace treatment sessions provided by an SLP but rather
to enhance clients' opportunities to improve their skills in relation to goals established by
the clinician.
The most serious limitation of employing imitation as an intervention strategy for
children with a language impairment is that imitation
A.lacks communicative intention
B.relies on semantic knowledge
C.is clinician controlled
,D.is contextualized speech - Answer-Option (A) is correct. The most serious
shortcoming of imitation as an intervention strategy is that imitation is not an
intentionally communicative act.
Treatment for apraxia of speech most appropriately emphasizes
A.coordination of respiration with phonation and articulation
B.auditory discrimination, resonance, and respiration
C.auditory-visual stimulation, oral-motor repetition, and phonetic placement
D.rate of speech, range of movement, strength, and coordination of the oral mechanism
- Answer-Option (C) is correct. Treatment for apraxia of speech appropriately
emphasizes auditory-visual stimulation, oral-motor repetition, and phonetic placement.
Which of the following is a typical symptom of cerebellar involvement?
A.Overshooting or undershooting an intended target
B.Rigidity during voluntary motions
C.Spasticity during involuntary action
D.Word-finding difficulty - Answer-Option (A) is correct. The overshooting or
undershooting of an intended target is typical of individuals with deficits related to a
lesion of the cerebellum.
To provide greater independence for a client who has a brain injury and is in a late
stage of speech-language treatment, which of the following techniques is most
appropriate?
A.Increasing memory-retention span
B.Using word-repetition drills
C.Teaching compensatory strategies
D.Training visual-perceptual skills - Answer-Option (C) is correct. Functional
independence is a main goal for a client shortly before dismissal from treatment. It can
be achieved by teaching compensatory strategies to minimize any remaining deficits.
Following anoxic encephalopathy, clients are likely to experience the most significant
long-term impairments in the area of
A.prosody
B.resonance
C.aphonia
D.memory - Answer-Option (D) is correct. Anoxic encephalopathy, or brain damage
resulting from oxygen deprivation, typically leads to global impairment that affects
memory. It is difficult to reverse the effects of memory loss, so the impairment is usually
long-term.
Doing which of the following would likely yield the most useful information about the
effectiveness of an intervention strategy?
,A.Reviewing the results of standardized assessment instruments
B.Utilizing a single-subject design (ABAB) or a reversal procedure (ABA)
C.Utilizing the subjective, objective, assessment, and plan (SOAP) format
D.Requesting that a colleague reevaluate the client - Answer-Option (B) is correct. An
ABAB or ABA design shows changes when intervention is applied. Single-subject
design using ABAB or ABA design is the best method to determine whether intervention
has succeeded.
Individuals diagnosed as having hemifacial microsomia are also most likely to have
A.laryngeal dysfunction
B.ear malformation
C.webbed fingers and toes
D.widely spaced eyes - Answer-Option (B) is correct. Ear malformation is the only
symptom of those listed that is typical of hemifacial microsomia, a genetic diagnosis
within the oculo-auricular-vertebral (OAV) spectrum.
A child repeatedly inserts an inappropriate sound in certain environments; for example,
[fpɪʃ] for [fɪʃ] . Which of the following would likely be most helpful for the child as a target
for treatment?
A.Bisyllabic words for which a minimal-contrast pair can be easily identified
B.Words containing phonemes that have distinctive features in common with the sound
the child inserts inappropriately
C.Repeated practice with the combinations of phonemes that the child finds particularly
easy to produce
D.Words that contrast the child's error pattern with the target pattern in the word -
Answer-Option (D) is correct. Words that contrast the child's error pattern with the target
pattern would be most helpful for this child.
The sensorimotor integration of the muscles of the lower face depends on which two of
the cranial nerves?
A.The accessory and hypoglossal
B.The trigeminal and facial
C.The vagus and glossopharyngeal
D.The phrenic and facial - Answer-Option (B) is correct. The trigeminal nerve has a
motor component which is involved in mastication (and thus the lower face) and a
sensory component, which provides sensory information from the entire face (including
the lower face). The facial nerve provides motor innervation to several muscles that are
found in the lower face, including the orbicularis oris and the buccinator.
For which of the following reasons would the therapy for a client whose language loss is
due to brain injury differ from the therapy for a client whose language loss is due to a
progressive disorder?
, A.There is a much higher chance of spontaneous recovery for the client with brain
injury.
B.There is a much higher chance of spontaneous recovery for the client with a
progressive disorder.
C.The client with brain injury typically has problems with fatigue and mental confusion,
whereas the client with a progressive disorder does not.
D.The client with a progressive disorder typically has problems with attention and
memory, whereas the client with brain injury typically does not. - Answer-Option (A) is
correct. Brain injury is typically characterized by some degree of spontaneous
improvement over a period of several days to weeks, which may be evidenced through
gradual improvement in language abilities, whereas a progressive disorder is
characterized by gradual loss/reduction in language skills.
Which of the following treatment goals related to pragmatics best addresses a young
child's use of language?
A.In a play situation, the child will request a turn, either verbally or through gestures, 90
percent of the time.
B.In a treatment session, the child will produce a two-word combination 90 percent of
the time.
C.In conversation, the child will produce correct velars 90 percent of the time.
D.When telling a story, the child will use the standard dialect's irregular past tense forms
of five specific verbs 90 percent of the time. - Answer-Option (A) is correct. Pragmatics
is the study of language in realistic contexts, and the treatment goal describes a real-
life, naturalistic use of communication skills.
A 42-year-old client with upper-and lower-extremity weakness and a diagnosis of
amyotrophic lateral sclerosis is referred for a speech-language evaluation. The
evaluation reveals a progressive severe dysarthria that is characterized by imprecise
articulation secondary to bilateral facial and lingual weakness, atrophy, and
fasciculations; mild-to-moderate hypernasality and weak pressure consonants with
associated nasal emission during speech; and strained, harsh, groaning voice quality
with occasional inhalatory stridor. Speech intelligibility is poor. Which of the following will
most effectively improve this client's ability to communicate?
A.Teflon injection into one or both vocal cords
B.Palatal-lift prosthesis
C.Amplification device
D. - Answer-Option (D) is correct. The client has an advanced stage of amyotrophic
lateral sclerosis with consequent progressive deterioration of communication abilities.
An augmentative-communication system is the best option for improving or maintaining
communication for this client.
Which of the following communication disorders is most frequently associated with
significant dysphagia?
