Reading
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The HSC minimum standard reading test contains 45 questions. The questions are adaptive where they become harder or easier depending on whether a student is answering questions correctly or incorrectly.
Comprehension
Comprehension refers to the ability to process text, understand its meaning and integrate existing knowledge to make meaning.
In the reading test, students apply comprehension strategies to determine the audience and purpose of texts, interpret explicit and implicit information and recognise the purpose of language devices.
Grammar
Grammar refers to the form, purpose and function of words and their arrangement at sentence and whole-text level in order to make meaning.
In the reading test, students apply their knowledge of grammar to access the meaning of texts and to identify the correct and incorrect use of sentence structure, parts of speech, tense and subject-verb agreement.
Punctuation
Punctuation refers to the marks used in texts that affect the reader’s interpretation and aid understanding.
In the reading test, students apply their knowledge of punctuation to aid them in their understanding of texts and to identify the correct and incorrect use of punctuation marks such as commas, apostrophes and quotation marks.
Spelling
Spelling refers to the encoding of words that enable us to interpret meaning.
In the reading test, students apply their knowledge of spelling to access the meaning of texts and recognise when words have been misspelled.
Vocabulary
Vocabulary refers to the interpretation of familiar and unfamiliar words that are selected to shape meaning in texts.
In the reading test, students demonstrate their understanding of vocabulary by recognising common expressions, understanding that words may have different meanings in different contexts, understanding the impact of specific selections of vocabulary and using strategies to predict the meaning of unfamiliar words.