The cognitive equivalence of reading comprehension test items via computerized and paper-and-pencil administration

The cognitive equivalence of computerized and paper-and-pencil reading comprehension tests was investigated using verbal protocol analysis. It was hypothesized that participants taking the computerized tests would have a greater load on their working memory, which would affect their cognitive processes and test-taking strategies. The results indicated that the only significant difference between the computerized and paper-and-pencil tests was in the frequency of identifying important information in the passage. There was no evidence of any differences in search strategies or in overall test-taking strategies on the computerized and paper-and-pencil tests. The results suggest that computerized and paper-and-pencil reading comprehension tests may be more cognitively similar than originally thought. In fact, some of the findings indicate that computerized tests may encourage more construct-relevant behaviors than paper-and-pencil tests.