RICA: Study Guide & Practice Test

Introduction to the RICA Exam

The Reading Instruction Competence Assessment, usually just called RICA, is a credentialing exam in the state of California. This exam is meant to assess if candidates are proficient in the skill of teaching children how to read. RICA is a required assessment for future teachers planning to obtain licensure in Special Education or Multiple Subject Teaching. Candidates have the option to take the RICA Written Examination OR the RICA Video Performance Assessment. This article will focus on the RICA Written Examination.

As of July 26, 2021, the format of the written exam has changed and is now divided into three subtests (changed from the prior format of five domains of questions). The three subtests still maintain the same content domains as the prior version of the exam. Additionally, as of August 26, 2021, RICA is now offered online.

Subtest 1: Word Analysis and Fluency

The content on this portion of RICA is related to Word Analysis (Domain 2) and Fluency (Domain 3). This subtest of the exam consists of 35 multiple-choice questions and 2 constructed response questions. Approximately 27 questions are dedicated to word analysis, while approximately eight questions are dedicated to fluency. There are additionally two written-response questions in this subtest.

RICA test prep for word analysis should include a focus on the five competencies that are tested in these questions. These competencies include questions on phonics, developing phonemic awareness in students, letter recognition and alphabet skills, sight words, terminology and word recognition, and developing spelling and or memory skills related to reading.

When studying fluency, candidates should focus on developing fluency and the ways to identify, assess, and promote it in students. These concepts comprise the two competencies tested in the Fluency domain.

Practice questions in this category might look like this:

• When reading the word "trip," a student pronounces the word as "tripe." Which of the following interpretations of this word-reading error is most likely?
• A first-grade teacher would like to include silent-reading time into her reading instruction to promote fluency. What information about fluency should she keep in mind when planning this silent reading time?

Test-takers are allowed a total of 75 minutes for this subtest.

Subtest 2: Vocabulary, Academic Language and Background Knowledge; Comprehension

Subtest 2 of RICA pertains to Vocabulary, Academic Language, and Background Knowledge (Domain 4) and Comprehension (Domain 5). There are a total of 35 multiple choice questions in this section, plus two written-response questions.

This subtest tests six competencies, including using vocabulary, academic language, and background knowledge to promote students' reading development, understanding how to assess reading comprehension and promote it, and developing research and study skills in students.

When doing RICA test prep for this subtest, candidates should understand the types of questions that will appear on the exam. Questions in this section might look like this:

• A middle school teacher wants to improve her students' scientific vocabulary. Which of the following academic strategies is likely to be the most effective?
• Explain why the following instructional strategy is likely to be effective in promoting development of vocabulary, academic language, and background knowledge.

Like the first subtest, Subtest 2 has a time limit of 75 minutes.

Subtest 3: Planning, Organization, and Managing Reading Instruction Based on Ongoing Assessment

The final subtest of the RICA Written Examination correlates with Domain 1: Planning, Organizing, and Managing Reading Instruction Based on Ongoing Assessment. Two competencies are tested in this subtest over the course of 25 multiple choice questions and one 300 to 600-word response to a case study.

The content in this subtest of RICA pertains to planning, organizing, and managing the reading instruction of students. Essentially, in this section candidates have to prove that they know how to teach students to read and they know how to implement that knowledge in the classroom. Questions in this section might look like this:

• When creating a lesson plan meant to promote specific reading skills, which of the following activities connects the student's reading and speaking skills?

The case study will look a little different than the written assessments on the first two subtests. All case studies are different, but most contain assessments and documents from a fabricated 'student file' and require the test-taker to answer questions pertaining to the student's reading development and the strategies they would implement to promote this student's literacy.

Despite the shortest number of multiple choice questions, this subtest is the longest of the three, with a time limit of 90 minutes. RICA test prep for this subtest should focus heavily on the case study as it will take up the majority of the allotted time.

Practice tests give you a better idea of the topics you have mastered and those you should keep studying.

RICA Exam Study Guide

RICA can be taken at a testing center. As of August 26, 2021, RICA can also be taken online at home. Future teachers can register for this exam through their California Educator Credentialing Assessments account.

RICA is not available in other languages as by nature it is an exam meant to assess English language learning.

Computer-Based Testing

When candidates take RICA via Computer-Based Testing (CBT) at a test center, they can choose to take one, two, or all three subtests at once. Test-takers are permitted restroom breaks, but any time spent on breaks is considered part of the total time allotted. An additional fifteen minutes are provided to the test-taker to allow time to sign a nondisclosure agreement and complete a CBT tutorial.

CBT test dates for RICA are available for scheduling year-round, Mondays through Saturdays. Candidates should check with their desired test location to determine availability for appointments. If a test date at a certain location fills up, test-takers will have to select a different date or location.

Results are available within a month of the test date. For a complete schedule of test result release dates, test-takers should check with the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing.

Online Proctoring

If students opt to take the test at home, the RICA exam will be proctored via webcam feed. Since the exams are administered in separate sessions, all three subtests must be scheduled separately. Candidates are able to schedule appointments for online-proctored exams for one-week testing windows each month. For a full list of testing windows, candidates should check the California Education Credentialing Assessments.

Even though the exam location is the candidate's home, there are strict rules that test-takers must follow. No breaks are allowed during the duration of an online-proctored subtest, but an additional fifteen minutes are provided to the test-taker to allow time to sign a nondisclosure agreement and complete a tutorial.

Test results are available within three weeks of testing.

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What are the fees for the RICA exam?

The structure of fees for the RICA exam has recently changed. As of July 26, 2021, the cost is $57 per subtest. That means upon completing all three subtests, test-takers will have spent $171, no matter whether they have tested at a test center or by online proctor. This is the same total price as the prior version of RICA -- however, due to this change, if a test-taker needs to retake a subtest of the exam, they will only have to pay $57 in fees rather than $171 to retake the entire exam.

Fees can be paid via credit card, debit card, or check card.

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What are the testing policies and rules of the RICA exam?

In order to take the RICA, candidates must follow all the rules of test participation for their test center (whether it's in person or online). Test results may be voided if students attempt to bring outside materials into the testing room, cheat or plagiarize in any way, or disrupt the testing environment for other test-takers.

Additionally, for online-proctored tests, test-takers must agree to stay within webcam view and remain seated in a room where they are the only person present and are free from distractions.

Mumbling/talking to oneself is prohibited during the RICA, as well as possession of cell phones, calculators, other electronic devices, or study materials.

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RICA Test Prep

Learning how to study for the RICA is integral to a candidate's success and completion of their preliminary California teaching credential. There are several types of RICA study materials candidates may find useful when preparing to sit for the exam:

• Online study guides
• RICA practice tests with domain-specific practice questions
• RICA test prep courses
• Practice case studies

When candidates understand what type of content and questions will appear on the exam, they can better prepare to pass on the first try. Content like this can be found online through Pearson, the company that administers the test, as well as online study sites. Using a RICA study guide like this one can be the first step towards successful completion of this exam.

Is the RICA test hard to pass?

We won't sugarcoat it: yes. The RICA is a notoriously difficult exam to pass on the first try, which is why learning how to study for the RICA is so important.

The passing score for the RICA is 220, a score only 62.2% of candidates passed on the first try in the years 2015-2020. However, the exam can be retaken as many times as possible until a passing score is achieved. Candidates do not have to retake subtests they've already passed and can instead register for only subtests they still need to pass.

Candidates should utilize a RICA study guide to become familiar with the content they'll encounter when they sit for this difficult exam.

Take a RICA Practice Test Online

Exam Instructions:

Complete the practice test below to test your knowledge of RICA.
Choose your answers below. Complete the 15 questions then click "See Results."

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1. Within the image, which of the following serves as a subtitle?

   

   • ''Conferences''

     Correct Answer
   • ''Professional Development Opportunities''

   • ''People partake in professional development to expand their understanding of a skill or industry.''

   • ''Certifications allow for professionals to learn specific skills and become officially qualified to apply such skills in their workplace.''

2. Per California's Reading Language Arts (RLA) Framework, teachers can develop a variety of activities with varied approaches to ensure their students' vocabulary development. Which of the following would align with a contextual approach?

   • When introduced to new words, students are given the dictionary definitions of the words and then have to write their own definitions for those words.

   • When introduced to new vocabulary words, students are tasked with repeating the words and writing down the words several times.

   • When introduced to new vocabulary words, students are tasked with finding patterns and commonalities between the words.

   • When introduced to new vocabulary words, students are given texts that include the new words.

     Correct Answer

3. Words like snow, Nor'easter, lake-effect, flurries, frost, cold, and frigid are all terms that could be taught together to help students gain which vocabulary skill?

   • meaning from context

   • dictionary use

   • text connector identification

   • content related vocabulary use

     Correct Answer

4. A teacher is developing a learning center focused on the concept of theme and purpose. To ensure the effectiveness of the learning center, the teacher should do which of the following first?

   • assemble theme and purpose resources that will be used by students within the learning center

   • identify the learning objectives that will be associated with theme and purpose within the learning center

     Correct Answer
   • establish that students will work in heterogenous groups within the center to bolster their understanding of theme and purpose

   • introduce the theme and purpose learning center to the students to motivate and excite them

5. Readers' Theater is an activity that helps students to improve which of the following?

   • reading rate

   • prosody

     Correct Answer
   • articulation

   • decoding

6. A teacher tracks her observations associated with student fluency rates. Based on the Oral Fluency Assessment, who has the lowest fluency rate?

   

   • Henrique

   • Portia

   • Vicky

   • Theo

     Correct Answer

7. A three-year-old is at Stage 1 of spelling development. The child understands what writing is and can write symbols on a page. Which of the following skills will the child need to acquire in order to reach Stage 3 of spelling development?

   • The child will need to be able to recognize phonetic patterns in words and naturally spell words without having to sound out each letter.

   • The child will need to be able to recognize some sounds but lack some understanding in relation to formal phonetic awareness.

   • The child will need to be able to use phonetic skills to sound out and appropriately spell multi-syllabic words.

   • The child will need to have the phonetic skills to recognize some letter-sound correspondence with some inaccuracies when sounding out words.

     Correct Answer
8. Students are given the following activity based on the first part of Rudyard Kipling's ''How the Rhinoceros Got His Skin.'' They fill in the blanks based on context clues for the student. Upon review of the responses, the teacher recognizes that the students replaced the words with a 46% accuracy rate. Based on this, the teacher should recognize that:

   

   • the reading is at an appropriate reading level for the students as long as they have support when reading the rest of the story.

     Correct Answer
   • the students would benefit from being given more time to read the passage so as to fully analyze it.

   • the reading is at a challenging level, and students would benefit from reading something a bit easier.

   • the students need a lesson in using context clues via explicit instruction.

9. To determine her class's overall reading level, a third-grade teacher is planning a group reading inventory to give as a whole-class activity. What is the first step in developing this type of activity?

   • choosing a chapter book that students can read in a set amount of time

   • choosing a reading activity of around 500 words

     Correct Answer
   • prompting students to write a list of general questions that could relate to anything they read

   • writing a list of 10 to 20 general questions that could relate to any reading

10. In reading development, automaticity generally develops when which of the following occurs?

    • when students are at proficient reading levels

    • when students do not need to decode the words they are reading

      Correct Answer
    • when students begin to acquire vocabulary that is at grade level

    • when students do not need to encode the words they are reading

11. Which of the following options is appropriate for a student with phonological processing disorder?

    • Offer the student a scribe.

    • Offer additional time on assessments.

    • Offer the student a learning site that is free from auditory and other distractions.

    • All of these are appropriate accommodations.

      Correct Answer
12. What are some activities you can use to help teach high frequency words?

    • Practice

    • Games

    • Music

    • All of these are ways to teach high frequency words.

      Correct Answer
13. Which term refers to a writing assignment that requires students to record their thoughts or opinions on reading passages?

    • reading journal
      Correct Answer
    • report
    • essay
    • interview
14. When students apply the skills related to literary response and analysis, students must use the following as the main source:

    • the actual text they read

      Correct Answer
    • their opinion

    • the teacher's examples

    • a literary criticism of the text they read

15. Which of these statements is NOT TRUE about reporting learning progress to students and parents?

    • Summative documentation often requires a parent signature.

    • Recent legislation has placed greater emphasis on educational communication.

    • Formative communication can be very casual in nature.

    • An open house is not a valid means of reporting learning progress.

      Correct Answer