Existing literature suggests that recognition of low-frequency words in the passage increases processing time compared to high-frequency words. This characteristic contributes to overall passage difficulty.

This characteristic is sometimes measured using the Lexile Text Analyzer software.

Passage Characteristic: Average Word Frequency

Existing literature suggests that processing time is greatly increased when reading longer sentences in testing passages. This characteristic contributes to overall passage difficulty.

This characteristic is sometimes measured using the Lexile Text Analyzer software.

Passage Characteristic: Average Sentence Length

Overall passage difficulty is dependent on average word frequency and average sentence length of the passage. 

This characteristic is sometimes measured using the Lexile Text Analyzer software, which provides a numerical measure of passage difficulty and reader ability on the same numerical scale.

Passage Characteristic: Overall Passage Difficulty

Referential cohesion is defined as the overlap of words and concepts across sentences, paragraphs, or an entire text. This characteristic has been identified as an important source of variation in text difficulty. 

Existing literature suggests that passages with less overlap between words and concepts are harder to process and comprehend. 

Referential cohesion is often represented by a percentile score, with a higher percentile score indicating more deep cohesion within the passage.

Passage Characteristic: Referential Cohesion

Deep cohesion is defined as the amount of connecting words which are helpful in clarifying relations between events, ideas, and information. This characteristic has been identified as an important source of variation in text difficulty. 

Existing literature suggests that passages with ambiguous sentences with fewer connectives and more coherence breaks are harder to process and comprehend. 

Deep cohesion is often represented by a percentile score, with a higher percentile score indicating more deep cohesion within the passage.

Passage Characteristic: Deep Cohesion

Passages can be split into two "genres" as defined by a specific text structure and format:

- Narrative
- Expository

Passage Characteristic: Genre

- Average Word Frequency
- Average Sentence Length
- Overall Passage Difficulty
- Referential Cohesion
- Deep Cohesion
- Genre

Boston College

Variability in reading comprehension test scores can depend on the variations in passage difficulty. When selecting passages for reading comprehension tests, six different passage characteristics are considered to determine if the passage is suitable for testing purposes.

Reading Comprehension Passage Selection in Standardized Tests

Kulesz, P. A., Francis, D. J., & Barnes, M. A. (2016). The influence of properties of the test and their interactions with reader characteristics on reading comprehension: an explanatory item response study. Journal of Educational Psychology, 108(8), 1078-1097. DOI: 10.1037/edu0000126

The Influence of Properties of the Test and their Interactions with Reader Characteristics on Reading Comprehension: An Explanatory Item Response Study

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