Comprehension Skills: Making the Connection

Adults use their comprehension skills to understand information or situations that they encounter. Comprehension skills are used every day, not just on tests. You use comprehension skills when you

• Read an article in the newspaper
• Draw conclusions about products based on consumer information
• Summarize what you saw on a television show the night before
• Make inferences or predictions based on a news report

Without comprehension skills, students cannot move up the critical thinking hierarchy to application or analysis. All critical thinking skills build on knowledge and comprehension.

Approximately 20% of the questions on the GED Language Arts Reading, Social Studies, and Science tests assess students’ ability to comprehend information. Comprehension is an important skill for students on the GED Tests as well as in everyday life.