1.3 Part B Reading Format & Official Blueprint

Executive Summary: Part B: Reading is worth 50% of the ELA 30-1 diploma exam and has 70 machine-scored questions, based on shorter texts and excerpts from longer works. Every question is classified two ways in the official blueprint: by reporting category (what reading outcome it measures) and by thinking level (how deeply you must think). Learning both axes shows you where the marks are.

What Part B Assesses

The ELA 30-1 Information Bulletin describes Part B as "an assessment of students' ability to read a variety of literary texts closely." It names five skill areas:

• critical reading and thinking skills
• understanding of vocabulary
• appreciation of tone and literary and rhetorical devices
• understanding of the purpose and effect of writers' choices
• appreciation of human experience and values reflected in literature

These skills are assessed at the level of challenge appropriate for graduating ELA 30-1 students. No dictionary or other reference is allowed, so vocabulary must be worked out from context.

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Text Types You Can Expect

Texts are chosen for their literary merit. They reflect the Programs of Study requirement that at least one-third of texts be Canadian, and they represent a variety of cultural perspectives. The bulletin does not publish a fixed number of selections or a fixed number of questions per genre, so prepare for every text type in the table.

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Linked Readings and Question Order

"Often, at least one reading will be linked to another, usually different, type of text." Linked questions may ask you to:

• identify similar or contradictory ideas across readings,
• identify biases evident in a passage, or
• assess whether a conclusion is appropriate, given the context in which a text was created or the context the passages create together.

A linked reading may offer an interpretation of another text, background information about it, or a parallel treatment of the same theme. The questions also "progress through each selection in a manner intended to guide students with their reading." For both reasons, the bulletin says to read the passages and answer the questions in the order in which they appear.

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The Official Blueprint Matrix

The total is 70 items, worth 50% of the exam. The bulletin notes that item counts "are approximate and will vary depending on the readings chosen."

Reporting Category 1: Construct Meaning (Programs of Study 2.1)

Programs of Study outcome 2.1 is "Construct meaning from text and context." These questions ask what a passage says and means:

• what a word or phrase means in its line,
• what a detail reveals about a character's situation, and
• what idea a paragraph develops.

Background knowledge counts as well, such as the conventions of a genre or information in a headnote. Practice-style stem: "As used in line 14, the word 'austere' most nearly means..."

Reporting Category 2: Forms, Elements, and Techniques (2.2, 2.3.3)

Outcome 2.2 is "Understand and appreciate textual forms, elements and techniques." Outcome 2.3.3 is "Appreciate the effectiveness and artistry of print and nonprint texts." These questions link how a text is built to what it achieves. They cover figurative language, imagery, diction, syntax, structure, point of view, stage directions, and visual composition. Practice-style stem: "The metaphor in lines 6–8 primarily emphasizes the speaker's..."

Reporting Category 3: Self, Culture, and Milieu (2.3.1, 2.3.2)

Outcome 2.3.1 is "Connect self, text, culture and milieu." Outcome 2.3.2 is "Evaluate the verisimilitude, appropriateness and significance of print and nonprint texts." These questions ask about:

• the values and cultural perspectives in a text,
• the context in which it was created or presented, and
• how believable or significant a portrayal is.

Section 8.4 teaches this category in depth.

Thinking Levels

Every item also sits at one thinking level:

• Level A (Form Literal Understandings) asks for information stated in the text.
• Level B (Infer, Apply, and Analyze) is the largest level. It asks you to read between the lines about motives, attitudes, and the effects of techniques.
• Level C (Assess and Form Generalizations) asks you to judge a text as a whole, for example its theme, the text creator's attitude, or the soundness of a conclusion.

A single question combines one category with one level. For example, "The simile in line 20 suggests that the narrator regards the town as..." is Reporting Category 2 at level B.

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What Recent Results Show

The bulletin's commentary on student achievement gives three useful targets:

1. Acceptable standard: Students at this standard can draw inferences from the personality traits, roles, relationships, motivations, attitudes, and values of characters in both straightforward and complex texts.
2. Hardest questions: The most difficult questions tend to require recognizing tone and the effect of literary devices and text features. Students use that recognition to draw inferences or form generalizations about a character's values or a text creator's attitude.
3. Proficiency: More proficient students can identify a text creator's intended main idea even when the theme is implied rather than stated.

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How This Guide Covers Part B