Definition
Comprehension questions check students’ understanding of explicit and inferred information from texts, data, images or lived experiences.
Students engage in a process where they:
- demonstrate their grasp of central ideas, details and structures in what they read, view, hear or experience
- interpret meaning in different ways: literal (facts and details), inferential (reading between the lines) and evaluative (judging quality, perspective or relevance)
- identify relationships, infer intent and draw conclusions from evidence
- explain their thinking, rather than just providing the “right answer”.
Design considerations
When designing comprehension questions, use the identified formative focus to consider:
- whether the texts, prompts or stimuli are clear, accessible and directly aligned with the intended learning
- how the questions will check different levels of understanding (for example, summarising key ideas, inferring meaning, interpreting purpose or evaluating perspective)
- what evidence will help identify both current understanding and common misunderstandings.
For you and your students, consider:
- whether the questions allow multiple ways for students to explain or justify their thinking, not just one correct answer
- whether the length, language and complexity of the text or stimulus are appropriate for students’ stage of learning
- what digital tools could enhance assessment design, delivery or analysis.
Aim
Comprehension questions help assess students’ ability to:
- remember facts or terms, or use a skill they’ve learnt
- understand an idea or concept, or how or why a process works
- explain their thinking or connect ideas
- apply their learning in different ways or in new situations.
Timing
Comprehension questions are helpful:
- before teaching to check prior learning or uncover misconceptions
- during the lesson to check student learning and guide teacher response in real time
- after learning when time between lessons is needed to analyse evidence and decide whether to revisit or move forward.
Evidence
Students demonstrate their learning by selecting right or wrong responses or constructing short responses.
In the classroom
These examples show how assessment with comprehension questions can provide evidence of students’ ability to interpret, analyse and evaluate information from texts, visuals or data.
- Cloze activities: students show understanding of vocabulary, sentence structure and overall meaning by completing structured gaps in text.
- Highlighting or selection tasks: students identify the purpose of an image, diagram or design feature by selecting relevant evidence.
- Inference questions: students interpret implied meaning and explain motivations, revealing deeper understanding beyond surface details.
- Matching headings or summaries: students explain the meaning of data in tables, graphs or charts by aligning key ideas with corresponding sections.
- Sequencing tasks: students comprehend the order of events, steps or ideas in a process or narrative by arranging them logically.
- Summarising tasks: students identify the main idea in a passage or visual by retelling it in their own words.
- Tiered questions (literal, inferential, evaluative): students demonstrate understanding in different ways by interpreting facts, reading between the lines, and making judgments.
