The traditional multiple-choice reading comprehension test of English as a second language, used in the Dutch school-leaving examinations, has been criticized for its apparent lack of construct validity. The Dutch National Institute for Educational Measurement has conducted a number of studies to determine whether there is a different skill involved in answering multiple-choice questions compared to that used in summarizing the same reading passages. The results suggest that differential responses to the different test item types is more a function of the difficulty of the test item type than of the students' skills. However, the summary-type item appeared to measure skills more accurately, especially with higher-ability students. Further research on the use of the summary-type item is planned. (MSE)