Differences between the test-taking strategies used by higher and lower proficiency level learners at Japanese high school in answering three types of reading comprehension tests

Abstract

This study examines the differences between the test-taking strategies used by higher and lower proficiency level learners at Japanese high school in answering three types of reading comprehension tests. The participants were 113 second-year and 79 third-year senior high school students. Written recall and retrospective interview were adopted to gather protocols of test-takers. The data were classified and analyzed according to the two lists of test-taking strategies. The main results were (1) both higher and lower levels of students tend to decide what strategies they would use to read the passage and answer the questions based on the types of the reading comprehension sections, (2) higher level students tend to adopt the strategies to find correct choices by understanding the passage, whereas lower level students are inclined to utilize the strategies to acquire correct choices without comprehending the passage (test-wiseness strategies), (3) higher level students tend to use the test-wiseness strategies in answering the integrated type of reading comprehension sections called 'sougou-mondai,' (4) the percentage of reaching correct answers with the use of test-wiseness strategies in most questions of the three types of reading comprehension tests were over 25%.