This article reports a study on test-taking strategies utilized by low and high proficiency
female participants in an open-ended reading comprehension test. Based on purposive
sampling, 10 students were selected from one tertiary institution. The study seeks to
explore the test-taking strategies employed by female students of two levels of
proficiency. Verbal reports from these participants were obtained via the retrospective
protocol and playback sessions. The data provided information on participants’ thinking
process and revealed how they arrived at their answers and the reasons for their choice of
answers. The data were transcribed verbatim and analyzed qualitatively whereby patterns
of strategies were identified and categorized. On the whole the results showed both levels
employed almost the same total number of strategies, 24 and 22 for the high and low
proficiency participants respectively. The conclusions were drawn upon the results of the
data provided by limited number of participants and thus thrust aside the claim of
representativeness in terms of test-taking strategy studies. However, the study allows a
peek on the types of test-taking strategies utilized by students in the study which may
also be employed by students in general
