Report Viewer

NINDS CDE Notice of Copyright
Comprehensive Test of Phonological Processing (CTOPP)
Availability
Please visit this website for more information about the instrument:
Classification
Supplemental: Cerebral Palsy (CP), Neuromuscular Disease (NMD) and Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)
Short Description of Instrument
The Comprehensive Test of Phonological Processing, Second Edition (CTOPP-2) (Wagner et al., 2013) assesses phonological awareness, phonological memory, and rapid naming as a measure of reading ability. Two levels of the test are available for ages 4-6 and ages 7-24. The test consists of 10 core and two supplemental subtests. Nine core and one supplemental subtest are for ages 4 to 6; seven core and both supplemental subtests are for ages 7 to 24. Four core subtests are timed.
 
The CTOPP-2 is a substantial modification of the first edition (CTOPP), and includes new normative data, items added to eliminate the floor effects, items added to extend the age range, and a phoneme isolation subtest.
 
Administration: Paper-and-pencil, individual, face-to-face, requires examiner training
Accessibility: CFCS level II-III. Completion Time: 30 minutes. Ages: 4:0-24:11.
Comments/Special Instructions
The CTOPP-2 is designed to identify individuals who perform significantly below their peers, according to national norms, with the purpose of providing students from kindergarten through college who need instructional activities to increase their phonological skills. (Wagner et al., 1999)
 
Five Composites include: Phonological Awareness Component Scores (PACS); Phonological Memory Component Scores (PMCS); The Rapid Symbolic Naming Composite Score (RSNCS); Rapid Non-Symbolic Naming Composite Score (RNNCS) and The Alternate Phonological Awareness Composite Score (APACS)
Twelve Subtests include: (Wagner et al., 2013)
    • Elision(20 items): measures the ability to remove phonological segments from spoken words to form other words.
    • Blending Words (20 items): measures the ability to synthesize sounds to form words.
    • Sound Matching (20 items): measures the ability to select words with the same initial and final sounds.
    • Phoneme Isolation (18 items) measures the ability to isolate individual sounds within words.
    • Blending Nonwords (18 items): measures the ability to synthesize sounds to form nonwords.
    • Segmenting Nonwords (20 items): measures the ability to segment nonwords into phonemes.
    • Memory for Digits (21 items) measures the ability to repeat numbers accurately.
    • Nonword Repetition (18 items): measures the ability to repeat nonwords accurately.
    • Rapid Digit Naming (72 items) measures the ability to rapidly name numbers.
    • Rapid Letter Naming (72 items) measures the ability to rapidly name letters.
    • Rapid Color Naming (72 items) measures the ability to rapidly name colors. 
    • Rapid Object Naming (72 items) measures the ability to rapidly name objects. 
Scoring and Psychometric Properties
The composite standard scores for Phonological Awareness Quotient (PAQ), Phonological Memory Quotient (PMQ), and Rapid Naming Quotient (RNQ) have a mean of 100 and a standard deviation of 15. Subtest standard scores have a mean of 10 and a standard deviation of 3. Percentiles and standard scores as well as age and grade equivalents are provided with the examiner's manual.
 
Both versions are individually administered, with the core subtests taking approximately 30 minutes total. Supplemental tests may also be administered. The test should be administered by trained examiners.
 
Scoring/Interpretation: The CTOPP-2 has 5 composites (M = 100; SD = 15) (Tennant, 2014): Phonological Awareness Composite Score (PACS), Phonological Memory Composite Score (PMCS), Rapid Symbolic Naming Composite Score (RSNCS), that can be calculated for all ages, Rapid Non- Symbolic Naming Composite Score (RNNCS) that is calculated for ages 4 to 6, and the Alternate Phonological Awareness Composite Score (APACS) calculated for ages 7 to 24.
 
Scoring Options: Computerized scoring assistant or manual scoring.
 
Psychometric Properties:  The sample used to norm the CTOPP-2 included  a standardized sample of 1,900 individuals ranging in age from 6 through 24 years. The demographic characteristics of the sample are representative of the U.S. population as those reported in the Statistical Abstract of the United States.
 
CTOPP-2 subtests and composites reliability was demonstrated by average internal consistency coefficients presented for the subtests that exceed .80 for all except Nonword Repetition with an average alpha of .77. For the composites the average internal consistency coefficients were all .85 or higher. Validity of The CTOPP-2 subtests and composites validity was demonstrated by correlations to measures directly related to the constructs measured by the CTOPP-2. Averaged subtests' coefficients range from .49 (moderate) to .84 (very large); those for the composites range from .65 (large) to .76 (very large) in magnitude. (Wagner et al., 2013)
Rationale/Justification
Strengths: This instrument is one of the few comprehensive measures of phonological processing that is available for an extended age range including preschoolers; however, there are floor effects on some of the subtests at the lower ages.
 
Weaknesses: The CTOPP is not designed to monitor student performance progress or to make informed instructional decisions. (Wagner et al., 1999a)
References
Key References:
Wagner RK, Torgesen J K, Rashotte C A, Pearson NA. (2013). Comprehensive Test of Phonological Processing - Second Edition (CTOPP-2). Austin, TX: PRO-ED. Available from: https://www.proedinc.com/Products/13080/ctopp2-comprehensive-test-of-phonological-processingsecond-edition.aspx  Accessed: 12 December 2023.
 
Wagner RK, Torgesen JK, Rashotte CA. Comprehensive Test of Phonological Processing (CTOPP). Assessment for Intervention. 1999a;31(2):81-3.
 
Wagner, R., Torgesen, J., and Rashotte, C. (1999b). Comprehensive Test of Phonological Processing. Examiner's Manual. Pearson Assessments: San Antonio, TX.
 
Additional References:
 
Ewing-Cobbs, L., Prasad, M., Swank, P., Kramar, L., Cox, C., Fletcher, J., Barnes, M., and Zhang, X. Arrested development and disrupted callosal microstructure following pediatric traumatic brain injury: relation to neurobehavioral outcomes. Neuroimage. 2008;42(4):1305-1315.
 
Hintze J, Ryan AL, Stoner G. Concurrent Validity and Diagnostic Accuracy of the Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills and the Comprehensive Test of Phonological Processing. School Psychol Rev. 2003;23(4):541-56.
 
Mitchell J. Comprehensive Test of Phonological Processing. Assessment for Effective Intervention, 2001;26(3):57-63.
 
Tennant KE. Test Review: R. K. Wagner, J. K. Torgesen, C. A. Rashotte, & N. A. Pearson. (2013). Comprehensive Test of Phonological Processing-Second Edition (CTOPP-2). Austin, TX: PRO-ED. J Psychoeduc Assess. 2014;32(7):678-681.
 
 
Document last updated October 2024