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Exam Overview
The Reading Specialist (115) test is a computer-based Oklahoma Subject Area Test (OSAT) in the CEOE program, administered by the Evaluation Systems group of Pearson for the Oklahoma Office of Educational Quality and Accountability. Always confirm current details on the official CEOE website before you register.
Test Design
| Subarea | Competencies | Item type | Share of score |
|---|---|---|---|
| I. Instruction in Foundational Reading and Writing Skills | 0001–0004 | Selected response | 25% |
| II. Instruction in Reading Comprehension and Writing | 0005–0007 | Selected response | 22% |
| III. Assessment, Diagnosis, and Evaluation | 0008–0010 | Selected response | 21% |
| IV. Professional Knowledge, Roles, and Responsibilities | 0011–0013 | Selected response | 17% |
| V. Constructed-Response Assignment | 0014 | Constructed response | 15% |
| Total | 14 competencies | 80 + 1 | 100% |
Exam Facts at a Glance
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Format | Computer-based test (CBT) |
| Questions | 80 selected-response questions (four answer choices each) and 1 constructed-response assignment |
| Appointment time | 4 hours 15 minutes: a 15-minute CBT tutorial and nondisclosure agreement plus 4 hours of testing time |
| Suggested pacing | About 2 hours 40 minutes for the selected-response questions and about 60 minutes for the constructed response, leaving time to review; you manage your own time |
| Reference materials | None provided or allowed |
| Passing score | 240 (scaled score) |
| Test fee | $118 |
| Testing | By appointment during testing windows at Pearson centers in Oklahoma and nationwide |
| Registration | Online through the official CEOE program website |
Content Review Roadmap
The Detailed Content Review follows the five subareas of the official framework. Sections 1–4 prepare you for the selected-response questions; Section 5 prepares you for the constructed-response assignment.
| Section | Framework subarea | Weight | Core topics |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Instruction in Foundational Reading and Writing Skills | 25% | Emergent literacy, phonological and phonemic awareness, phonics, word analysis and morphology, fluency, foundational writing |
| 2 | Instruction in Reading Comprehension and Writing | 22% | Vocabulary and academic language, comprehension processes and strategies, text structure and complexity, writing, research and argument, disciplinary literacy |
| 3 | Assessment, Diagnosis, and Evaluation | 21% | Assessment principles and score types, screening, diagnostic assessment, IRIs and running records, progress monitoring, special populations |
| 4 | Professional Knowledge, Roles, and Responsibilities | 17% | Factors affecting literacy, theory and research, evidence-based practice, coaching and leadership, MTSS, law and ethics |
| 5 | Constructed-Response Assignment | 15% | The assignment, scoring criteria, a planning framework and a model response |
The Constructed-Response Assignment
You receive several exhibits describing one student's reading and writing, for example a marked oral reading record, fluency data and a comprehension transcript. You then identify a significant need, cite evidence for it from the exhibits, describe an evidence-based instructional strategy and explain why it would work. Responses of roughly 300–600 words are scored by trained educators on a four-point scale. Section 5 covers the assignment in detail.
How Scoring Works
Your performance on the selected-response questions (85%) and the constructed-response assignment (15%) is combined and converted to a scaled score. A scaled score of 240 or higher passes. Your score report also shows your performance on each subarea, which is useful for planning a retake if one is needed.
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