Test on Objectives   

Measuring reader "understanding" is delicate, since it may be partial, outside the boundaries of testing instruments, or in a cognitive form that is different from those imagined by the author. Meaningful testing requires a clearly defined map of objectives, as well as a clear measure of what it means for the reader to have obtained those objectives. Testing should take place in a variety of forms, allowing readers to express understanding as they have constructed it. Thorough testing may make more demands on the reader than they are willing to oblige. This is why skill-trainers often make testing an integral part of reading the text. Too much testing, however, leads to a narrow, task-oriented reading of the text, with little motivation to create the mental structures that are necessary for long-term memory.