The present study investigates how skilled and less skilled readers answered a
gap-filling (or rational deletion cloze) test in order to examine whether such tests
can measure text-level processing ability. Twelve Japanese EFL students (six skilled
and six less skilled readers) completed a gap-filling test while thinking aloud
about their test-taking processes. Their verbal protocols were categorized according
to the classification of cloze item types developed by Bachman (1985). Results
showed that both skilled and less skilled readers used text-level information more
frequently than other types of information. The skilled readers, however, used
text-level information more frequently than the less skilled readers. Qualitative
analysis of the protocols revealed further differences in the use of different types
of information between the groups. Although there were several cases where the items
were answered correctly with local grammatical clues and extra-textual background
knowledge, overall, the gap-filling test generated text-level processing and
differentiated well between skilled and less skilled readers. The present study,
therefore, supports the claim that a gap-filling test can be used as a test to
measure higher order processing ability.
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