Wide Range Achievement Spelling Subtest Questions and Answers — Questions and Answers
Question 1: When administering the WRAT-5 Spelling subtest to a 9-year-old student (4th grade), what is the appropriate starting point and the rule for discontinuing the subtest?
- Start with Part 1 (Letter Writing); discontinue after 7 consecutive errors.
- Start with Part 2 (Spelling); discontinue after 5 consecutive errors. (Correct answer)
- Start with Part 1 (Letter Writing); discontinue after 5 consecutive errors.
- Start with Part 2 (Spelling); discontinue after 10 consecutive errors.
Correct answer: Start with Part 2 (Spelling); discontinue after 5 consecutive errors.
For examinees in 3rd grade or above, the WRAT-5 Spelling subtest begins with Part 2. The standard discontinue rule for this subtest is after 5 consecutive incorrect responses.
Question 2: An examiner is administering the Spelling subtest to an adult examinee. The examinee asks the examiner to repeat a word. According to WRAT-5 guidelines, which of the following is the correct procedure?
- The word can be repeated only once during the entire subtest.
- Repeating words is not permitted under any circumstances.
- The examiner may repeat the word as necessary. (Correct answer)
- The word can only be repeated if it is part of a sentence provided by the examiner.
Correct answer: The examiner may repeat the word as necessary.
The administration guidelines for the WRAT-5 Spelling subtest explicitly state that words may be repeated if necessary for the examinee.
Question 3: A 7-year-old in second grade is taking the WRAT-5 Spelling subtest. The student scores 3 out of the first 5 items correctly on Part 2 (Spelling) before making 5 consecutive errors. What should the examiner do next?
- Discontinue the subtest and calculate the raw score based on the items attempted.
- Administer Part 1 (Letter Writing) because a basal was not established on Part 2. (Correct answer)
- Continue administering Part 2 until a total of 10 errors are made.
- Administer the Sentence Comprehension subtest to get a baseline for spelling in context.
Correct answer: Administer Part 1 (Letter Writing) because a basal was not established on Part 2.
If an examinee does not obtain a raw score of at least 5 on Part 2, the reverse rule applies, and the examiner must administer all of the Part 1 items. This is to establish a proper basal level for scoring.
Question 4: Which of the following is a primary skill measured by the WRAT-5 Spelling subtest?
- The ability to orally spell multisyllabic words from memory.
- The ability to identify and correct misspelled words within a passage.
- The ability to recognize correctly spelled words from a list of options.
- The ability to write letters and words from dictation. (Correct answer)
Correct answer: The ability to write letters and words from dictation.
The WRAT-5 Spelling subtest directly assesses an individual's ability to write letters and words that are dictated by the examiner, measuring encoding skills.
Question 5: During the scoring of the Spelling subtest, an examiner notes that an adult has used a British English spelling for a word (e.g., 'colour' instead of 'color'). How should this be scored according to the WRAT-5 manual?
- The item must be scored as incorrect as it deviates from the US-based standardization.
- The item should be scored as correct, as alternative spellings are generally accepted. (Correct answer)
- The examiner should query the examinee about their spelling choice before scoring.
- The item is scored as half-correct, and a note is made in the record.
Correct answer: The item should be scored as correct, as alternative spellings are generally accepted.
While the WRAT-5 manual provides guidance on dialect and articulation for the Word Reading subtest, it does not make similar allowances for regional spelling variations in the Spelling subtest. Scoring must adhere strictly to the spellings provided in the manual, which are based on American English.
Question 6: The WRAT-5 Spelling subtest is divided into two parts. What is the main content of Part 1?
- Spelling of phonetically irregular words.
- Writing dictated sentences.
- Writing single letters and one's name. (Correct answer)
- Spelling of basic, high-frequency words.
Correct answer: Writing single letters and one's name.
Part 1 of the Spelling subtest is designed for younger examinees or those with very limited skills and involves writing single letters from dictation and writing their own name.
Wide Range Achievement Spelling Subtest Questions and Answers
When administering the WRAT-5 Spelling subtest to a 9-year-old student (4th grade), what is the appropriate starting point and the rule for discontinuing the subtest?