Study guide
1.3 Registration, Prometric, and Study Plan
ALTA Competency Exam for Multisensory Structured Language Education CALT
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1 Introduction & Exam Overview
1.1 Current Exam Facts 1.2 Eligibility and Therapy-Level Training 1.3 Registration, Prometric, and Study Plan
2 Language Development: Oral and Written Continuum
2.1 Oral-to-Written Language Continuum 2.2 Receptive and Expressive Oral Language 2.3 Receptive and Expressive Written Language
3 Language Development: Phonological Processing & Research
3.1 Atypical Literacy Development and Remediation 3.2 Phonological Processing Components 3.3 Research on Language Development
4 Structural Linguistics: Phonology
4.1 Continuum of Phonological Skills 4.2 Phonemes, Graphemes, and Morphemes 4.3 Articulatory Gestures
5 Structural Linguistics: Alphabetic Principle & Syllables
5.1 Alphabetic Principle and Sight-Word Recognition 5.2 Six Syllable Types 5.3 Syllable Division Patterns
6 Structural Linguistics: Accent, Morphology & Orthography
6.1 Accent Placement and Sound-Symbol Influences 6.2 Morphology: Roots and Affixes 6.3 Orthography, Affixing Rules, and Etymology
7 Structural Linguistics: Syntax, Semantics & Comprehension
7.1 Syntax, Sentence Structure, and Punctuation 7.2 Semantics and Pragmatics 7.3 Comprehension Strategies and Text Structures
8 Structural Linguistics: Written Language & Research
8.1 Handwriting and the Writing Process 8.2 Research on Structural Linguistics
9 Dyslexia: Definition, Brain & Neurology
9.1 Defining Dyslexia and Instructional Impact 9.2 Brain Anatomy and the Reading Network 9.3 Neurological Aspects of Learning Disabilities
10 Dyslexia: Related Issues, Comorbidity & History
10.1 Behavioral, Social, and Emotional Issues 10.2 Comorbid Disorders 10.3 Historical Pioneers in Dyslexia
11 Dyslexia: Research & Executive Function
11.1 Research on Dyslexia and Related Disorders 11.2 Executive Function and Dyslexia
12 Psychoeducational Assessment: Foundations
12.1 Assessment Terminology and Purposes 12.2 Essential Components of a Dyslexia Evaluation 12.3 Formal and Informal Assessment Instruments
13 Psychoeducational Assessment: Interpretation & Error Analysis
13.1 Interpreting Standard Scores, Percentiles, and Stanines 13.2 Using Results to Guide Services 13.3 Error Analysis of Work Samples 13.4 Psychoeducational Research
14 MSL Strategies: Multisensory, Systematic & Analytic
14.1 Simultaneous VAKT Multisensory Strategies 14.2 Systematic and Cumulative Instruction 14.3 Synthetic vs Analytic Instruction
15 MSL Strategies: Direct Instruction, Automaticity & Diagnosis
15.1 Direct vs Indirect Instruction 15.2 Automaticity in Literacy Development 15.3 Diagnostic Teaching
16 MSL Strategies: Program Principles & Theoretical Models
16.1 MSLE Program Content and Principles 16.2 Metacognition and Learning Environments 16.3 Simple View of Reading 16.4 Scarborough's Reading Rope
17 Federal Laws: IDEA, Section 504 & ADA
17.1 Federal Disability Law Landscape 17.2 Federal Eligibility Guidelines 17.3 Documentation Decisions and Accommodations 17.4 Historical Development of Disability Law
18 Professional Ethics: ALTA Code of Ethics
18.1 ALTA Code of Ethics Overview 18.2 Confidentiality, Competence, and Credentials 18.3 Ethical Standards with Parents and Colleagues
19 Professional Communication
19.1 Professional Student Reports 19.2 Strengths- and Needs-Based Language 19.3 Communicating with Parents, Students, and Colleagues
1.3 Registration, Prometric, and Study Plan
Key Takeaways Explain This Topic AI
Complete the therapy-level training requirements and obtain ALTA approval before booking with Prometric.
Exam approval is valid for one year; the training-start eligibility window is a separate requirement.
Budget USD $180 per exam attempt separately from membership or annual credentialing charges.
Use official domain weights as a starting study allocation, then adjust to your own errors; practice percentages do not guarantee a pass.
Last updated: October 2026
Separate eligibility, approval and booking
Begin with the ALTA CALT application , reached through ALTA's official site. ALTA approval comes before Prometric scheduling. A training-program completion certificate supports the application; it is not itself a Prometric authorisation.
For the therapy-level route, the current application and August 2025 Candidate Handbook require completion of comprehensive therapy-level training before the examination. The training includes at least 200 instructional hours, 700 clinical/teaching practicum hours and ten demonstrations, with the specified supervision and documentation. The published training-start window is a minimum of two years, described as 21–24 months, and a maximum of five years from the beginning of CALT training. Do not substitute the different CALP eligibility window or an older form's completion-date wording.
Full CALT certification requires a master's degree. Candidates who finish the therapy training and pass the exam without that degree may enter the CALT-Candidate pathway, with an additional five years to complete the master's. Check your precise credential route with ALTA rather than treating exam eligibility as proof that every certification requirement is already complete.
Assemble the application before submission
Gather degree documentation, the training completion evidence and the instructor-signed records required for your route. Reconcile names and dates across documents. Keep a copy of the submitted package and any follow-up request so you can identify exactly what is still outstanding.
The handbook asks candidates to allow two to three weeks for application review. This is a planning estimate, not a guaranteed approval date. It gives 30 days from initial submission to complete required paperwork and describes additional processing charges for successive incomplete periods. Submit a complete package instead of building a plan around those extensions.
After approval, ALTA sends a Prometric registration number. Exam application approval remains valid for one year. This is a different clock from the training-start eligibility window. The current exam administration fee is USD $180 , and each retake within the approval year costs $180 . After the approval year, reapplication is required. Budget membership or annual credentialing charges separately; the current exam fee is not stated to include them.
Book the appropriate delivery mode
Use Prometric's ALTA page after receiving approval. Choose a test centre or remote-proctored appointment that leaves enough preparation time and room to resolve administrative problems. For remote delivery, use the computer, camera, microphone and internet arrangements specified in the handbook and appointment instructions. A tablet is not a substitute for the required computer setup.
CALT answering time is two hours. For remote delivery, the handbook recommends allowing three hours overall to accommodate check-in and equipment checks. At a test centre, it directs candidates to arrive 30 minutes early. Verify identification requirements and the name on your appointment before test day, and request any accommodations through ALTA in advance rather than assuming the proctor can authorise them on arrival.
The handbook distinguishes rescheduling at least 30 days before an appointment, changes five to 29 days before it, and the final five-day restriction. It lists a charge for the middle window. Check current Prometric instructions for your exact appointment before making a change; an unused approval window does not waive appointment cancellation or no-show consequences.
Build an editorial study plan from the official blueprint
The following schedule is one optional preparation model , not an ALTA requirement or a prediction that a fixed number of weeks will produce a pass. Start with the errors you actually make, then distribute review across all eight domains.
Optional phase Main work Evidence to collect
Weeks 0–2 Check eligibility documents; map strengths and gaps to the specifications Complete application checklist and an error log
Weeks 2–8 Review language concepts and practise applying them to examples Explanations of both correct and rejected answers
Weeks 8–16 Mix domains; practise the two-hour CALT format; repair remaining gaps New examples solved without chapter cues
A neutral 100-hour starting allocation , proportional to the official weights, is 30 hours Structural Linguistics; 15 each Language Development, Dyslexia, and MSLE Strategies; ten Assessment; and five each Laws, Ethics, and Communication. The calculation is 30 + 15 + 15 + 15 + 10 + 5 + 5 + 5 = 100. These are editorial study hours, not required coursework hours and not numbers of exam questions. Reallocate if an error log shows a disproportionate weakness, while retaining coverage of every domain.
Within a structural-linguistics review cycle, one useful four-part sequence is phonology and sound–symbol relationships; morphology and spelling; syntax and sentence meaning; then integrated reading/writing examples. This is a study organisation, not an official four-week syllabus. Revisit earlier material while adding later work so that familiar labels do not hide weak application.
Use a mistake log rather than an invented readiness cutoff
For each practice error, record the topic, what you assumed, what evidence changes the answer and one new example. Separate missing knowledge from misreading, poor terminology and failure to apply a known concept. Re-answer after a delay and explain why the other choices fail. A repeated error is a reason to change the study method, not just repeat the same item until it looks familiar.
Include mixed sets because a real question will not announce which chapter supplies the answer. Explain concepts aloud or in writing, then check your explanation against the training materials and official specifications. When practising timing, 120 minutes for 75 CALT questions gives an average of 96 seconds per question; it is not a rule that every question should take that long.
No third-party practice percentage has been established here as an ALTA pass predictor. Decide whether you can apply the relevant concepts consistently, resolve known gaps and complete a representative practice session carefully. If paperwork or readiness is uncertain, contact ALTA and review the appointment rules early. Do not deliberately book an unprepared attempt simply because retakes exist: each attempt has a fee, and the approval clock still matters.