Certification Examination Practice

Illinois Learning Disabilities Specialist Certification Examination Practice Questions And Correct Answers (Verified Answers) Plus Rationales 2026 Q&A | Instant Download Pdf

• A student demonstrates significant difficulty in phonological processing.

Which instructional approach is most appropriate?

• Whole-language immersion
• Structured, explicit phonics instruction
• Visual-only vocabulary practice
• Independent reading without support

Rationale: Phonological deficits respond best to systematic, explicit

phonics instruction that targets sound–symbol relationships.

• Which assessment best identifies a pattern of strengths and weaknesses

related to a learning disability? 1 / 4

• Group achievement test
• Curriculum-based assessment only
• Comprehensive psychoeducational evaluation
• Teacher-made quiz

Rationale: A psychoeducational evaluation integrates cognitive and

academic data to reveal LD-related patterns.

• The term “specific learning disability” under IDEA primarily refers to

difficulty in:

• Physical mobility
• Understanding or using language
• Emotional regulation
• Vision or hearing

Rationale: IDEA defines SLD as deficits in understanding/using spoken or

written language affecting academic skills.

• A seventh-grade student reads fluently but cannot summarize a

passage. This difficulty indicates a weakness in:

• Decoding
• Phonemic awareness
• Comprehension
• Orthographic processing 2 / 4

Rationale: Summarization is a comprehension skill and reflects difficulty

with constructing meaning.

5. The RTI Tier 2 level is best described as:

• Universal instruction for all
• Targeted small-group interventions

C. Intensive 1:1 instruction

• Special education placement

Rationale: Tier 2 involves targeted, supplemental interventions in addition

to core instruction.

6. A student with dysgraphia is most likely to benefit from:

• Independent writing activities
• Oral assessments exclusively
• Keyboarding and structured writing supports
• Visual-only spelling practice

Rationale: Dysgraphia interventions include alternative output methods

and explicit writing supports.

• When evaluating culturally and linguistically diverse learners for LD, the

examiner must: 3 / 4

• Use only English-language assessments
• Compare scores to monolingual English peers
• Use culturally responsive assessment practices
• Assume language acquisition delays are disabilities

Rationale: Fair assessment requires tools and methods matched to cultural

and linguistic backgrounds.

8. Curriculum-Based Measurement (CBM) is best used to:

• Diagnose emotional disorders
• Monitor progress over time
• Create long-term IEP goals only
• Replace standardized testing

Rationale: CBM tracks student growth frequently to evaluate intervention

effectiveness.

• A student has strong decoding but poor reading rate. This pattern

suggests difficulty with:

• Phonemic awareness
• Fluency
• Vocabulary
• Morphological processing
• / 4