Reading Test Prep: Types of Reading Questions

Are you looking for resources to help with your reading test prep? Do you want to review the different types of reading questions your students will encounter on the test to build their confidence? This post shares a free resource for reviewing and practicing different types of reading test prep questions. This free test prep resource will help you prepare your students for several of the types of reading questions they may see on the end-of-the-year reading test, including digital-only questions.

Types of Reading Questions

Testing can be overwhelming for students especially since they will be asked so many different types of questions. As a teacher, it can be tough to prepare your students with strategies to tackle the variety of types of reading questions they will encounter.

This resource has tips and practices to help you and your students feel confident at test time.

These are the types of reading questions covered in this resource:

• Multiple Choice Questions
• Multi-Select Questions
• Constructed Response Tasks
• Multi-Part Tasks
• Digital: Drag and Drop Questions
• Digital: Drop-Down

Note: I recommend using this in conjunction with your regular reading instruction and practice. I also recommend using these types of reading questions throughout the year as part of your regular reading practice and assessment.

Multiple Choice Reading Questions

Multiple choice questions require students to choose an answer to a question from a list of choices.

These types of questions can be tricky for students because they will need to choose a single correct answer from a list full of incorrect answers. Students might be distracted by an incorrect answer, or they can become easily overwhelmed by the number of options to choose from.

Here are some tips for tackling multiple choice reading questions:

• Answer the question in your head before looking at the choices.
• Read all of the choices before choosing your answer.
• Prove that the other choices are wrong before selecting your answer.
• Immediately mark through choices that you 100% know are wrong.
• Look back in the text to find evidence to support the answer you chose.

Multi-Select Reading Questions

With multi-select reading questions, the students will be asked to answer a question by selecting all correct answers from a list of several choices. Often times there is more than one correct response for the students to select.

These questions can be tough for students because most often the question does not specify how many answers from the list are correct.  Students may struggle with how many answers to choose.

Here are some tips for answering multi-select reading questions:

• Answer the question in your head before looking at the choices.
• Read all of the choices before choosing your answers. Remember that more than one answer will be correct.
• If necessary, prove that the other choices are wrong before selecting your answers.
• Immediately mark through choices that you 100% know are wrong.
• Revisit the text to find evidence to support the answer you chose.

Constructed Response Tasks

For constructed response tasks your students will be required to openly respond to questions without provided choices. The students will need to write or type their responses.

These types of questions can be difficult for students because they can have a hard time finding a good way to start their response. Since these are open response tasks, students may also not thoroughly answer all parts of the question.

Use these tips to help conquer constructed response tasks:

• Restate the question in your answer.
• Answer the question in complete sentences.
• Make sure that you answer all parts of the task.
• Do not use pronouns when you first introduce a character in your response.
• If necessary, provide evidence from the text in your response.

Click here to read more about how I teach my students to respond to constructed response reading questions using the RACE strategy.

Multi-Part Tasks

Multi-part tasks or questions will require the students to complete questions that are related and address the same text and skill.

These types of questions can be hard for students because they require multiple steps and often times mix using multiple choice and constructed responses. And if a student struggles with the first part of the task, they may also struggle with the second task.

Tips for answering multi-part questions:

• You may need to use information from the first part’s answer in the other parts.
• You may be asked to select the best answer to defend your answer to the first part.
• If the task is multiple choice, use your strategies for answering multiple choice questions.
• If the task is a constructed response task, use your strategies for answering constructed response tasks.

Digital Drag and Drop Reading Test Prep Questions

For drag and drop questions, students will be dragging and dropping words or sentences to show their answers. They might complete charts by reading statements and dragging and dropping them to the correct headings. They also may be labeling a word, phrase, or sentence by dragging and dropping the label above it, beside it, or under it.

Tips for answering drag and drop questions:

• Read the directions carefully and more than once if needed.
• When you are done, look back at where you dragged and dropped the items to double-check your work.

Here is an example:

Digital Drop-Down Reading Test Prep Questions

For drop-down questions, students will complete sentences or paragraphs by choosing the correct words, phrases, or sentences from drop-down lists.

Tips for answering digital drop-down questions:

• Read the sentence/paragraph and think about what might go in the blank before clicking to see the choices.
• Plug each choice into the sentence/paragraph to see which one makes the most sense.

About the Free Reading Test Prep Resource

This free resource includes printable posters, interactive notebook templates, and practice questions for each type of question (with digital versions of each).

Each poster has a description of the type of reading question and tips for tackling that type of question.

There are also interactive notebook templates so you can choose what works best for your classroom and your students.

Interactive Notebook Templates Included:

• Mini Posters
• Tabs – Types of Questions ONLY (students write definitions and tips underneath)
• Tabs – Types of Questions and Definitions (students write tips underneath)

And finally, there are practice questions for each type of question included. Each type of question has a tips review section and a practice section. The practice section contains a small reading passage and a question of that type to respond to. The digital version includes a Google Slides and a Google Forms version.

Need help assigning Google Slides? Click here.

Need help assigning Google Forms? Click here.

Get the FREE Reading Test Prep Resource!

To get these free Rrading Test Prep Resources, click the gif below and then enter your email address in the pop-up box. The download will be available immedidately and will also arrive in your inbox. In the download, you will find a PDF containing the printable version. Access to the digital test prep resources can be found on page 4.

Want more reading test prep resources for 4-5 grades?

If you need reading test prep resources, check out these from my TPT store. Each resource includes printable and digital versions