Critical thinking is a very important part of this portion of the exam. In this section, students will be given a passage to read. Then they will be asked a series of questions based on this passage. Types of questions for this portion are based on the student's ability to make inferences about the text from context clues. Some of the questions will require skimming the text for code words to answer the question, as well as forming conclusions based on understanding of the text.
Reading comprehension questions will ask basic questions about a passage to test the reader's overall understanding. Possible questions in this portion might include who the narrator is, what the purpose of the passage was, the plot or conflict noted in the passage. Students will choose among multiple-choice responses.
Another skill tested on the FCAT will involve synthesizing information to form conclusions about a passage or collection of information. These skills will involve making comparisons. This skill can be demonstrated in analogies, choosing synonyms or antonyms to test understanding and pulling from multiple sources of information to select the right answer. This portion is as much about getting the answers correct as it is about understanding how to use the information provided.
Some research skills for the FCAT will not involve reading paragraphs or story excerpts. Instead, they will require the student to draw information from data tables and graphs. Students will need to make inferences based on this information. For example, the student might be asked to note the most common response to a question based on the numbers given in a data table. Students will then use this information to form conclusions and respond to multiple-choice questions.