ARCA Format

Academic Reading Comprehension Assessment (ARCA™)

Based on groundbreaking domain analysis conducted by the OLA’s former Executive Director, Ahmet Dursun, this state-of-the-art assessment has been designed to measure test takers’ ability to conduct academic research by reading in a secondary research language. Texts are drawn from real-world academic and professional resources and reflect the level of reading comprehension expected for students and professionals working in those areas.

The ARCA measures test takers’ ability to analytically read and synthesize information from scholarly resources, draw inferences from implicitly stated information (e.g., connection between a term and the overall argument, understanding author intent), and convey meaning from the original text with clarity and accuracy. The test is used as the final for all Reading for Research seminars. Seminar participants are matched with texts from their own identified discipline. (Please note: ARCAs are matched to participants’ general disciplinary areas but not to their individual interests or research.) APRI certification cannot be granted without successful completion of the ARCA.

ARCA Procedures

All APRI ARCA tests are administered online, and test takers are monitored live with the help of human proctors.
ARCAs are administered by the Office of Language Assessment during the seminar’s final synchronous meeting; they cannot be rescheduled.
Print dictionaries are permitted for use throughout the test, as well as online dictionaries that have been selected by the instructor and approved by the Office of Language Assessment.
The use of other reference material and generative AI is prohibited.

ARCA Format

Each ARCA consists of three sections. Participants have 2 hours and 10 minutes to complete the exam.

Section	Instructions	Time Limit
Section 1: Reading & Note Taking	ARCA test-takers have access to the text and use of a dictionary. They read the text, making notes for themselves on main claims in the text’s argument(s) and the most important supporting details for those claims using a note-taking pad on the screen. The notes will not be graded. At the end of the 60-minute limit, the text disappears, and the screen auto advances to the next part.	60 mins
Section 2: Summary Protocol	With reference to notes—but NOT to the text itself—test takers summarize the author’s arguments in English in their own words. Test takers should include the most important claims and as much supporting evidence for the claims as they have comprehended. Test takers SHOULD NOT TRANSLATE. Test takers MAY NOT include any information that is not contained in the text. This section will be graded on the accuracy and adequacy of the claims and supporting details. Test takers will NOT be graded on their writing ability. At the end of the allotted time, the screen auto-advances to the next section.	30 mins
Section 3: Questions & Translation/Paraphrase	The original text reappears on the screen for Section 3. With use of the original text, test takers answer three open-ended questions and translate a short passage from the original text into English. For the English ARCA, test takers will paraphrase a short excerpt into their own words. Responses to the questions will be graded on how accurately test takers are able to comprehend and make inferences and understand the author’s rhetorical purposes. The translation/paraphrased text will be graded based on the clarity and accuracy with which the meaning of the original passage is conveyed. At the end of the 40-minute time limit all the responses are autosaved and the test is ended by the test engine.	40 mins

Section

Instructions

Time Limit

Section 1: Reading & Note Taking

ARCA test-takers have access to the text and use of a dictionary. They read the text, making notes for themselves on main claims in the text’s argument(s) and the most important supporting details for those claims using a note-taking pad on the screen.

The notes will not be graded.

At the end of the 60-minute limit, the text disappears, and the screen auto advances to the next part.

60 mins

Section 2: Summary Protocol

With reference to notes—but NOT to the text itself—test takers summarize the author’s arguments in English in their own words. Test takers should include the most important claims and as much supporting evidence for the claims as they have comprehended.

Test takers SHOULD NOT TRANSLATE. Test takers MAY NOT include any information that is not contained in the text.

This section will be graded on the accuracy and adequacy of the claims and supporting details. Test takers will NOT be graded on their writing ability.

At the end of the allotted time, the screen auto-advances to the next section.

30 mins

Section 3: Questions & Translation/Paraphrase

The original text reappears on the screen for Section 3.

With use of the original text, test takers answer three open-ended questions and translate a short passage from the original text into English. For the English ARCA, test takers will paraphrase a short excerpt into their own words.

Responses to the questions will be graded on how accurately test takers are able to comprehend and make inferences and understand the author’s rhetorical purposes. The translation/paraphrased text will be graded based on the clarity and accuracy with which the meaning of the original passage is conveyed.

At the end of the 40-minute time limit all the responses are autosaved and the test is ended by the test engine.

40 mins

Sample Comprehension Exams

The exams listed below are in PDF format. If you are unable to view these files, please download the free reader from Adobe.

*The exams are provided solely for the personal use of students practicing for the ARCA. Unless otherwise indicated, all materials on these pages are copyrighted by the University of Chicago. All rights reserved. No part of these pages, either text or image may be used for any purpose other than personal use. Therefore, reproduction, modification, storage in a retrieval system or retransmission, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical or otherwise, for reasons other than personal use, is strictly prohibited without prior written permission.

HOW TO APPLY