RICA Written Examination

The multiple-choice section of the RICA Written Examination includes 70 multiple-choice questions. The multiple-choice questions include both content questions, in which knowledge about reading and reading instruction is directly assessed, and contextualized questions that assess the candidate's ability to apply specific knowledge, to analyze specific problems, or to conduct specific tasks related to reading instruction.

Focused Educational Problems and Instructional Tasks (4 essays, one each for Domains 2, 3, 4, and 5)
In these assignments, the candidate is presented with a problem or task relating to a class, a group of students, an individual student, or an instructional situation. The candidate is asked to consider this information and provide explanations related to appropriate instructional strategies or assessment approaches. The assignments for Domains 3 and 4 each require a typed response of approximately 75–125 words, and those for Domains 2 and 5 each require a typed response of approximately 150–300 words.

Case Study (1 essay)

For this assignment, candidates receive substantial background information about a student and samples of materials illustrating the student's reading performance. Candidates are asked to assess the student's reading performance, describe appro­priate instructional strategies, and explain why these strategies would be effective. The examination includes one case study, which includes content related to all five domains of the revised RICA Content Specifications and requires a typed response of approximately 300–600 words.