The OC Reading test: format and strategies for Year 4 students
The OC Reading test has 14 multiple-choice questions to answer in 40 minutes. Three of the questions have several parts, which brings the total to 33 answers. Texts include fiction and non-fiction such as poetry, magazine articles, reports and extracts from books. Practise reading carefully, finding evidence in the text and ruling out options that go beyond it.
The Reading test is one of three equally weighted sections in the NSW OC placement test. It has fewer questions than many parents expect, but the texts are demanding and the questions reward careful thinking. Details here follow the NSW Department of Education, so check that site for the current year.
Format at a glance
- 14 multiple-choice questions, three of them with several parts (33 answers in all).
- 40 minutes, on a computer.
- A mix of fiction and non-fiction texts, including poems, articles, reports and book extracts.
What the questions test
- Literal understanding: finding what is stated.
- Inference: working out what is meant but not said, such as a character's feelings.
- Vocabulary in context: choosing the meaning that fits the sentence.
- Purpose and structure: why the writer wrote it, and how the text is organised.
Strategies to teach
- Read the text once for the main idea, then read the question carefully.
- Go back to the text for evidence. If you cannot point to a line, the answer is a guess.
- Rule out options that are too extreme, off-topic or only partly supported.
- For multi-part questions, make sure every part is answered before moving on.
- With about 40 minutes for 14 questions, there is time to read properly, so do not rush.
At home
Read together every day, from stories to science articles and poems. Ask "how do you know?" and "what does that word mean here?" Practise a few papers on screen, because that is how the test is delivered.
Common questions
How many questions are in the OC Reading test?
The NSW Department of Education describes 14 questions, three of which have more than one part, so students give 33 answers in 40 minutes.
What kinds of text appear?
The department lists fiction and non-fiction, including poetry, magazine articles, reports and book extracts.
How can a child build reading stamina?
Daily reading of varied texts, with a short chat about each, builds stamina better than test drills alone. Add occasional timed passages as the test nears.