Deaf or Hard of Hearing K–12 Deaf or Hard of Hearing K to 12 

Test Format and Sample Questions

The Deaf or Hard of Hearing K– to 12 subject area test consists of approximately 80 multiple-choice questions.You will have two and one-half hours to complete the test.

Each of the questions will contain four response options, and you will indicate your answer by selecting A, B, C, or D.

The table below presents types of questions on the exam and directs you to examples of these formats among the sample items that follow.

Table of Question Formats

Type of Question	Sample Question
Direct Question Choose the response option that best answers the question.	Question 1
Scenario Examine a situation, problem, or case study. Then answer a question, make a diagnosis, or recommend a course of action by selecting the best response option.	Question 3
Sentence Completion Select the response option that best completes the sentence.	Question 6
Video After viewing a video of a person signing a basic message in English-based signs or ASL (American Sign Language), select the response option that most closely corresponds to the sentence or sentences signed on the video. For exams delivered through September 30, 2023, the message will be signed twice. You will then have 20 seconds to select the response that most closely corresponds to the sentence or sentences signed on the video. Note that the video will automatically play when advancing to the question and video controls (pause, stop, replay) are disabled. After the 20 seconds allotted to select a response, you will be automatically advanced to the next question. You will NOT be able to return to the previous question so be sure to indicate your response in the 20 seconds provided. Beginning October 1, 2023, you will control the playing of the video and will have two (2) opportunities to view each video. Once the second play has begun, you will not be able to replay the video again. You may return to and review questions; however, the number of video playbacks is limited, so you may not be able to replay video upon return to the questions (e.g., if you have already viewed the video clip twice, you will not be able to replay it again).	this cell intentionally left blank.

Sample Questions

The following questions represent both the form and content of questions on the examination. These questions will acquaint you with the general format of the examination; however, these sample questions do not cover all of the competencies and skills that are tested and will only approximate the degree of examination difficulty.

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Competency 1—Knowledge of philosophical, historical, legal, and educational foundations in the field of deaf education

DIRECTIONS: Read the item and select the best response.

Which of the following examples best illustrates an ASL/English bilingual education communication model being used in the classroom?

Choose an answer

1. The teacher presents all information simultaneously in both English and in ASL.
2. The teacher presents all information through ASL using exact English word order and grammar.
3. The teacher presents all information with spoken language supported by incorporating phonemically based ASL handshapes and visual materials.
4. The teacher presents all information in ASL as the primary language of instruction and incorporates written English and uses English language to teach reading and writing skills.

AnswerEnter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded

Correct Response: D.

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Competency 1—Knowledge of philosophical, historical, legal, and educational foundations in the field of deaf education

DIRECTIONS: Read the item and select the best response.

According to IDEA 2004, at what age must goals in a transition IEP I E P  begin to be implemented?

Choose an answer

1. 10 years old
2. 11 years old
3. 16 years old
4. 21 years old

AnswerEnter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded

Correct Response: C.

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Competency 1—Knowledge of philosophical, historical, legal, and educational foundations in the field of deaf education

DIRECTIONS: Read the item and select the best response.

A high school student who is auditory-oral has a progressive hearing loss that is deteriorating rapidly and the student is about to graduate. The teacher notices that the student is becoming more isolated and is not engaging with other students. The parent or guardian contacts the teacher for assistance regarding colleges that support students who are D/deaf or hard of hearing deaf or hard of hearing  in academic development and social-emotional well being.

Which of the following resources would be most appropriate for the teacher to suggest?

Choose an answer

1. Information about various counseling clinics where the student discusses issues affecting social-emotional and academic concerns.
2. Information about colleges that have programs that encourage students and provide access to accommodations they need in college.
3. Information about colleges that have programs that are inclusive of students with hearing loss, such as cultural immersion and students with similar difficulties.
4. Information about the A.G. Bell Association for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing and the National Association of the Deaf to provide more information about the student's hearing loss.

AnswerEnter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded

Correct Response: C.

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Competency 1—Knowledge of philosophical, historical, legal, and educational foundations in the field of deaf education

DIRECTIONS: Read the item and select the best response.

In combination with improving the acoustic conditions of the classroom, which of the following technologies will best allow a student with a mild unilateral hearing loss optimal access to the teacher's spoken instructions?

Choose an answer

1. hearing aids
2. FM System
3. cochlear implants
4. speech-to-text software

AnswerEnter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded

Correct Response: B.

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Competency 2—Knowledge of the anatomy and physiology of the auditory system and of hearing loss

DIRECTIONS: Read the item and select the best response.

Which of the following organs of the auditory mechanism collects sound waves from the environment?

Choose an answer

1. auricle
2. malleus
3. oval window
4. tympanic membrane

AnswerEnter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded

Correct Response: A.

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Competency 2—Knowledge of the anatomy and physiology of the auditory system and of hearing loss

DIRECTIONS: Read the item and select the best response.

The primary purpose of the tympanic membrane is to

Choose an answer

1. protect the Eustachian tube.
2. trigger nerve impulses to the brain.
3. reduce the amplitude of sound waves.
4. convert acoustical waves into mechanical energy.

AnswerEnter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded

Correct Response: D.

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Competency 2—Knowledge of the anatomy and physiology of the auditory system and of hearing loss

DIRECTIONS: Read the item and select the best response.

Which of the following statements is most characteristic of a cause of a sensorineural hearing loss as opposed to a conductive hearing loss?

Choose an answer

1. outer ear malformation
2. infection in the ear canal
3. loud noises and explosions
4. fluid trapped in the middle ear

AnswerEnter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded

Correct Response: C.

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Competency 3—Knowledge of language development and
communication

DIRECTIONS: Read the item and select the best response.

A 2-year-old child says, “Mommy, up” and “more juice.” Which of the following stages of language development do these utterances most appropriately illustrate?

Choose an answer

1. holophrastic
2. preproduction
3. expanded grammar
4. early word combinations

AnswerEnter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded

Correct Response: D.

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Competency 3—Knowledge of language development and
communication

DIRECTIONS: Read the item and select the best response.

A child who is prelingually D/deaf deaf  has recently received a cochlear implant and is receiving auditory verbal therapy. Which of the following activities is most appropriate to use during the initial auditory training sessions with the child?

Choose an answer

1. teaching the child the difference between a male voice and a female voice
2. teaching the child the difference between an angry voice and a soothing voice
3. teaching the child the difference between frequency of sounds, such as “father” and “feather”
4. teaching the child the difference between duration of sounds, such as a snake’s “hissssssssssss” and a bunny’s “hop”

AnswerEnter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded

Correct Response: D.

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Competency 3—Knowledge of language development and communication

DIRECTIONS: Read the item and select the best response.

Which of the following methods of teaching speech to students who are deafblind emphasizes the use of vibrotactile information?

Choose an answer

1. Ling
2. Tadoma
3. unisensory
4. auditory-oral

AnswerEnter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded

Correct Response: B.

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Competency 3—Knowledge of language development and communication

DIRECTIONS: Read the item and select the best response.

A 4-year-old child was diagnosed with a profound bilateral sensorineural hearing loss at age 2. The child received a cochlear implant at age 3.5 years. The family is pursuing listening and spoken language outcomes for the child. At dinnertime, the child listens to and watches the parent prepare chicken and slice potatoes and vegetables while the parent talks about the actions—"First let’s sprinkle salt and pepper on the chicken. What other spice should we use? The potatoes and vegetables have to be washed before slicing and chopping.”

Which of the following skills is the parent most likely promoting here?

Choose an answer

1. lipreading skills
2. articulation skills
3. pre-literacy skills
4. receptive language skills

AnswerEnter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded

Correct Response: D.

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Competency 3—Knowledge of language development and communication

DIRECTIONS: Read the item and select the best response.

A student who is D/deaf or hard of hearing deaf or hard of hearing  has an IEP I E P  that states the need for visual supports within the classroom. How can the teacher most appropriately accommodate this student when teaching new vocabulary?

Choose an answer

1. relating new words to the student's prior knowledge
2. providing multiple exposures to new words in natural contexts
3. using a word map to support the student’s understanding of new word concepts
4. teaching examples and nonexamples to encourage connections among new words

AnswerEnter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded

Correct Response: C.

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Competency 4—Knowledge of ASL and Deaf Culture

DIRECTIONS: Read the item and select the best response.

Which of the following statements most accurately explains why ASL storytelling is important in the Deaf Community?

Choose an answer

1. ASL storytelling is a unique form of literature.
2. ASL storytelling is a means of cultural transmission.
3. ASL storytelling is comparable to storytelling in English.
4. ASL storytelling represents the use of signing for creative expression.

AnswerEnter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded

Correct Response: B.

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Competency 4—Knowledge of ASL and Deaf Culture

DIRECTIONS: Read the item and select the best response.

Which of the following situations best describes the primary reason for significant regional variation of signs in ASL?

Choose an answer

1. Students who are D/deaf or hard of hearing deaf or hard of hearing  in residential programs typically acquire a specific local dialect.
2. The language was not formally taught or recognized in schools for students who are D/deaf or hard of hearing deaf or hard of hearing .
3. Young signers who are D/deaf or hard of hearing deaf or hard of hearing  have created a new lexicon of signs that differ from previous generations.
4. Students who are D/deaf or hard of hearing deaf or hard of hearing  frequently relocate to different states and learn new signs that were used by local signers.

AnswerEnter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded

Correct Response: A.

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Competency 4—Knowledge of ASL and Deaf Culture

DIRECTIONS: Read the item and select the best response.

Which of the following steps should be taken first when creating a new arrangement for a classroom that includes a student who is D/deaf or hard of hearing deaf or hard of hearing  and a sign language interpreter?

Choose an answer

1. placing the student’s desk at the front of the classroom
2. conferring with other teachers on how they would arrange the classroom
3. analyzing traffic patterns in the classroom that could lead to communication breakdowns
4. planning classroom activities that will limit the need for student movement and group discussions

AnswerEnter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded

Correct Response: C.

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Competency 4—Knowledge of ASL and Deaf Culture

DIRECTIONS: Read the item and select the best response.

When differentiating between verbs and nouns in ASL, for example CUT and SCISSORS, the signer makes which of the following distinctions?

Choose an answer

1. signing verbs abruptly and signing nouns continuously
2. signing verbs with the palm up and signing nouns with the palm down
3. signing verbs in the signing space and signing nouns above the signing space
4. signing the movement for verbs once and the movement for nouns more than once

AnswerEnter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded

Correct Response: D.

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Competency 5—Knowledge of the design, development, and implementation of the Individual Family Service Plan, IEP, Transition Individual Education Plan, and Communication Plan

DIRECTIONS: Read the item and select the best response.

According to the Florida Administrative Code, a student who is D/deaf or hard of hearing may be provided specialized instruction or services as an exceptional student only after the

Choose an answer

1. student has been properly evaluated, determined eligible, and placed as prescribed by the State Board of Education Rules.
2. student’s parents or guardians have provided documentation of legal U.S. citizenship as prescribed by the State Board of Education Rules.
3. student’s parents or guardians have waived their rights to due process regarding placement options as prescribed by the State Board of Education Rules.
4. student has failed to show satisfactory progress in the general education setting without accommodations as prescribed by the State Board of Education Rules.

AnswerEnter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded

Correct Response: A.

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Competency 5—Knowledge of the design, development, and implementation of the Individual Family Service Plan, IEP, Transition Individual Education Plan, and Communication Plan

DIRECTIONS: Read the item and select the best response.

In addition to the audiological, social-emotional, and academic evaluations of students over age 7, which of the following must also be considered in determining eligibility for ESE services based on Florida Rule 6A-6.0313, under the category of Deaf or Hard of Hearing?

Choose an answer

1. anecdotal behavioral data
2. results of Usher’s syndrome screening
3. parent or guardian placement preferences
4. student need for special education services

AnswerEnter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded

Correct Response: D.

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Competency 5—Knowledge of the design, development, and implementation of the Individual Family Service Plan, IEP, Transition Individual Education Plan, and Communication Plan

DIRECTIONS: Read the item and select the best response.

An interpreter whose communication skills include transliterating can

Choose an answer

1. sign and simplify what was spoken.
2. interpret conceptually what was spoken.
3. sign and mouth the English words that were spoken.
4. interpret and paraphrase the English words that were spoken.

AnswerEnter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded

Correct Response: C.

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Competency 5—Knowledge of the design, development, and implementation of the Individual Family Service Plan, IEP, Transition Individual Education Plan, and Communication Plan

DIRECTIONS: Read the item and select the best response.

Which of the following statements most accurately describes the primary difference between a due process hearing and a state complaint procedure as per the regulations for Part B of the IDEA?

Choose an answer

1. A due process hearing complaint is filed for a student with a single disability, whereas a state complaint is filed for a student with multiple disabilities.
2. A due process hearing complaint is required to be resolved within 60 days of filing the complaint, whereas a state complaint can be resolved within an unspecified period of time.
3. A due process hearing complaint may only be filed by the parents or guardians or public agency, whereas a state complaint may be filed by any individual, agency, or organization.
4. A due process hearing complaint is filed when there is a violation of early intervention provisions and services, whereas a state complaint addresses a violation of provisions involving postsecondary students with disabilities.

AnswerEnter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded

Correct Response: C.

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Competency 5—Knowledge of the design, development, and implementation of the Individual Family Service Plan, IEP I E P , Transition Individual Education Plan, and Communication Plan

DIRECTIONS: Read the item and select the best response.

A new student who is D/deaf or hard of hearing deaf or hard of hearing  has a home language of Spanish. The student relies on speechreading in Spanish for receptive communication. Which of the following considerations should the teacher of students who are D/deaf or hard of hearing deaf or hard of hearing  address in the student’s Communication Plan?

Choose an answer

1. referring the new student to the ESOL specialist
2. providing visual cues and cognates for vocabulary
3. organizing a buddy system to welcome the new student
4. developing a trusting, personal relationship with the family

AnswerEnter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded

Correct Response: B.

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Competency 6—Knowledge of formal and informal assessments

DIRECTIONS: Read the item and select the best response.

Based on the following audiogram and using the conventional three-frequency averaging method, select the correct interpretation of pure tone average for the right ear by air conduction.

The audiogram graph displays a 6 by 13 grid. The horizontal axis is along the top of the graph and starts at 125 and ends at 8000. The tick marks are labeled from left to right at 125, 250, 500, 1000, 2000, 4000, 8000.
The vertical axis is on the the left side of the graph and the numbers increase in the downward direction. The numbers start at 0 and end at 130. The tick marks start at the top left corner and move downward labeled in increments of 10; 0, 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90, 100, 110, 120, 130.
There two lines on the graph that consist of line segments.
The graph of the one line is identified by a circle with an X inside at the following points. The points are indicated by an ordered pair (horizontal coordinate, vertical coordinate). Straight line segments connect these points.
(125, 10)
(250, 20)
(500, 50)
(1000, 80)
(2000, 80)
(4000, 90)
(8000, 70)
The other line is identified with an X at the following points. Straight line segments connect these points.These points are also indicated by an ordered pair (horizontal coordinate, vertical coordinate).
(125, 17)
(250, 20)
(500, 30)
(1000, 60)
(2000, 60)
(4000, 60)
(8000, 60)
The two graphs intersect at the point (250, 20).

Choose an answer

1. 50 dB
2. 60 dB
3. 70 dB
4. 80 dB

AnswerEnter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded

Correct Response: C.

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Competency 6—Knowledge of formal and informal assessments

DIRECTIONS: Read the item and select the best response.

The screening most frequently used to detect hearing loss in newborns or infants is

Choose an answer

1. tympanometry.
2. speech reception threshold.
3. auditory brain stem response.
4. behavior observation audiometry.

AnswerEnter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded

Correct Response: C.

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Competency 6—Knowledge of formal and informal assessments

DIRECTIONS: Read the item and select the best response.

A teacher of students who are D/deaf or hard of hearing is assessing the receptive vocabulary of a 4-year-old student who is hard of hearing and whose only mode of communication is spoken language. Which of the following instruments would be the most appropriate to use for this task?

Choose an answer

1. Ling Six Sound Test
2. Early Speech Perception Test
3. Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test, Fifth Edition
4. BRIGANCE^® Inventory of Early Development III

AnswerEnter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded

Correct Response: C.

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Competency 6—Knowledge of formal and informal assessments

DIRECTIONS: Read the item and select the best response.

Which of the following statements most appropriately describes the primary advantage of teachers using video relay service with parents or guardians who are D/deaf deaf  and use ASL when communicating about their child who is D/deaf or hard of hearing deaf or hard of hearing ?

Choose an answer

1. Teachers will be able to have direct interaction with the parents or guardians.
2. Teachers and parents or guardians can communicate on any device when necessary.
3. Parents or guardians can see the teacher even if the teacher does not have a video phone.
4. Teachers and parents or guardians are able to communicate more effectively in their preferred manner.

AnswerEnter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded

Correct Response: D.

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Competency 7—Knowledge of instructional strategies, accommodations, and modifications

DIRECTIONS: Read the item and select the best response.

Which of the following actions should a teacher of students who are D/deaf or hard of hearing deaf or hard of hearing  take in order to ensure that all students have access to safety notifications within the classroom?

Choose an answer

1. requesting a messenger come to the class for important safety information
2. confirming that the classroom and restroom are ADA A D A  compliant with fire alarm strobe lights
3. scheduling the students in classrooms with windows so that they can be aware of situations
4. disconnecting the public address system as the announcements interfere with the FM Systems

AnswerEnter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded

Correct Response: B.

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Competency 7—Knowledge of instructional strategies, accommodations, and modifications

DIRECTIONS: Read the item and select the best response.

Which of the following accommodations or modifications would be most effective for a high school student who is D/deaf or hard of hearing deaf or hard of hearing  and who has difficulty focusing on and processing auditory instruction during large-group on-screen visual presentations?

Choose an answer

1. the use of a sound field FM System
2. the use of interpreters next to the screen
3. the use of peer note-takers to provide notes after class
4. the use of computer-assisted real-time transcription on the screen

AnswerEnter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded

Correct Response: D.

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Competency 7—Knowledge of instructional strategies, accommodations, and modifications

DIRECTIONS: Read the item and select the best response.

Which of the following statements describes the primary benefit of using a Total Communication approach for providing instruction to a student who is D/deaf or hard of hearing deaf or hard of hearing  and whose preferred mode of communication is Signed English?

Choose an answer

1. Total Communication quickly develops proficiency in English.
2. Total Communication encourages the use of residual hearing.
3. Total Communication has a one-to-one correspondence with English.
4. Total Communication involves spoken language supported with manual signs.

AnswerEnter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded

Correct Response: D.

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Competency 7—Knowledge of instructional strategies, accommodations, and modifications

DIRECTIONS: Read the item and select the best response.

As part of a social studies lesson focusing on the Thirteen Colonies, a teacher of students who are D/deaf or hard of hearing deaf or hard of hearing  wants to assess the prior knowledge of the students. Which of the following strategies would most effectively assess students' prior knowledge?

Choose an answer

1. flowchart
2. Cornell notes
3. think-pair-share activity
4. Know, Want to Know, Learn organizer

AnswerEnter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded

Correct Response: D.

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Competency 7—Knowledge of instructional strategies, accommodations, and modifications

DIRECTIONS: Read the item and select the best response.

Which of the following strategies would be most effective in promoting the development of self-advocacy in a 1st-grade student who is D/deaf or hard of hearing deaf or hard of hearing ?

Choose an answer

1. including the student in the development of the IEP I E P 
2. asking the student to begin thinking about goals for the future
3. using role-play activities with the student to illustrate how to ask for help when needed
4. having the student keep a written journal about the student's feelings about hearing loss

AnswerEnter to expand or collapse answer.Answer expanded

Correct Response: C.

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