The cognitive approach to education and instruction is discussed, with a focus upon achievement test question processing. A model of multiple-choice processing is discussed and used to develop a proposed model of recall processing. Each model is tested by the means of investigating the use of retrieval cues in processing each type of question. The reading comprehension of twenty male and female undergraduates was measured with a multiple-choice test, and that of another twenty subjects was measured with a recall test. The questions in each test were designed to test the importance of cue location and availability in achievement test question processing. The results indicated that for multiple-choice tests, the optimal strategy may be one of processing the whole item, stem and alternatives, especially if specific semantic cues appeared in the alternatives. These results support the chosen model of multiple-choice processing. The analysis of the recall responses indicated that the processing can occur successfully with general context cues only; however, performance is better with the use of general context and specific class cues. Such an interpretation was used to modify the suggested model of recall processing. (Author)