Reading Comprehension Test
Read one short original passage at your natural pace, answer six questions, and get the two numbers that only mean something together: comprehension and speed. Free, in your browser, nothing stored.
Choose a passage
Four original passages, written for this test. Every question is answerable from the text alone — no outside knowledge helps.
Every formula, benchmark source, and limitation is documented on the methodology page. Nothing you type here is stored or sent anywhere — the math runs in your browser.
Questions, answered honestly
What is a good comprehension score?
On this test, 70% is the line that matters: below it, whatever speed you posted mostly measured skimming, and above roughly 85% you're reading with genuinely solid understanding. Keep the scale honest, though — six questions on a roughly 300-380-word passage is a snapshot, not a clinical assessment, so treat one result as a data point and a repeated pattern as the truth.
Why does a comprehension test also measure speed?
Because the two numbers only mean something together. Speed without comprehension is skimming — research on eye movements puts the ceiling for genuine reading with understanding around 400 to 500 WPM, and the measured adult average is about 238 WPM. A comprehension score without a pace hides whether you earned it in one minute or ten, so this test times your reading and grades your understanding, then interprets both honestly.
Are the passages original?
Yes — all four were written specifically for this test, about invented places, an invented craft, and an invented study. They are fully self-contained: every answer is stated in or inferable from the text, so outside knowledge can't help or hurt, and everyone who takes the test faces exactly the same material.
Why do I only see the explanations after grading?
The test measures first and teaches second. Showing correct answers or explanations before you submit would contaminate the score — you'd be grading recognition, not comprehension. After grading, every question comes with an explanation of why the right answer is right and what the tempting wrong option misses, which is where the actual learning happens.
Can I retake it?
As often as you like — it's free and nothing is stored. One honest caveat: retaking the same passage inflates the score, because you already know the questions. For a fair re-measurement, pick a different level, and expect some natural variation between attempts — short tests wobble.
ReadingFast trains both together: short daily drills with a comprehension check on every session, plus a paced reader for your own books and documents — so a faster number is one your understanding actually earned.
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