What does the Test of Written Spelling primarily assess?

The Test of Written Spelling primarily focuses on evaluating an individual's capability to accurately spell words that are dictated to them. This assessment centers on the written representation of spoken language, measuring how well a person can translate the auditory input of a word into its correct written form. This necessitates an understanding of the spelling conventions of the language as well as the individual's familiarity with the phonetic and orthographic rules that govern spelling.

While comprehension of written texts, oral language proficiency, and phonological awareness skills are important aspects of language development, they do not reflect the specific emphasis of the Test of Written Spelling. The central aim of this test is to gauge one's direct spelling achievements rather than broader language skills or reading comprehension abilities. Therefore, recognizing the specific focus of the test on spelling gives clarity to why this choice is the most appropriate.