One hundred and ninety-one first years and eighty-four fourth-years in a co-educational comprehensive school took either vocabulary test P or Q. The tests were divided into equated subtests, P1 and P2, Q1 and Q2, the subtests being given either in auditory or in visual form. The experimental design was counterbalanced, in order to verify subtest equivalence and absence of order effects. The hypothesis was confirmed that auditory presentation of stimulus words constitutes an easier task than visual presentation. The further hypothesis that this difference is greater for the younger and the less able subjects was partially confirmed.
