If you need help studying for the ILTS Reading Specialist exam or just want some more information about what the exam is like, you’ve come to the right place!
Click below to take a free ILTS Reading Specialist practice test!
What’s on the Exam?
First, let’s talk about the questions on the exam. There are 100 multiple-choice questions total, but only 80 of the questions will count toward your score. Why is that?
The 20 unscored questions on the exam are called “pretest” questions. These are added to the exam to determine if they’re good enough questions to add to future versions of the test.
The trick is that you won’t have any way of knowing which questions are scored and which ones are pretest. They will appear just like the scored questions throughout the test.
The time limit for the exam is 3 hours and 15 minutes. There aren’t any scheduled breaks, but you’re free to take restroom breaks as needed.
The exam is split into five subareas:
1. Theoretical and Research Foundations
23 questions
- Foundations of reading instruction
- Interpreting and using reading research
- Oral language foundations of literacy development
- The influence of individual differences and diversity on language and literacy development and instruction
2. Literate Environment
12 questions
- Features of educational environments that promote literacy development
- Evaluating and managing resources to support effective reading
3. Reading Assessment
18 questions
- The foundations of reading assessment
- Assessment of essential components of reading development
- Diagnosing reading difficulties
- Working with students who have reading difficulties
4. Reading Instruction
35 questions
- Emergent literacy
- The development of phonics
- The development of reading fluency
- The development of academic language
- The development of reading comprehension
- Literary and informational texts
- Promoting student comprehension and analysis of texts
5. Professional Responsibilities, Leadership, and Learning
12 questions
- Professional roles and responsibilities
- Professional development
How to Register
To get started with the registration process, you’ll need to create an ILTS/ISBE account on their website. You can then register for the exam via your account.
The testing fee is $122.
ILTS Reading Specialist Study Guide and Flashcards
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How the Exam is Scored
The ILTS Reading Specialist exam is scored using a scaled scoring method. Here’s how it works:
A passing score is a scaled score of at least 240.
The reason your raw score is converted to a scaled score is because everyone who takes the exam is given a slightly different set of questions. Since everyone has a different arrangement of questions, and because some questions are harder than others, converting your raw score to a scaled score ensures a more even playing field.
FAQs
How many questions are on the ILTS Reading Specialist exam?
The exam contains 100 questions.
What is the time limit for the ILTS Reading Specialist exam?
The exam is timed at 3 hours and 15 minutes.
What is the passing score for the ILTS Reading Specialist exam?
You’ll need to get a final scaled score of at least 240 to pass.
How much does the ILTS Reading Specialist exam cost?
The testing fee is $122.