Two studies addressed the effects of failure in reading test performance. In experiment 1, 36 students in 3 intact reading and study skills courses at an upstate New York community college completed a questionnaire, were administered an "unsolvable" reading test, were either given no feedback or "failure feedback," an assessment and placement test, and a cognitive interference questionnaire. In experiment 2, similar subjects from the same community college were restrained from engaging in off-task cognitions to test whether performance decrements following failure would be reversed. Results indicated that students who attributed failure to universal causes exhibited performance deficits and increased off-task thoughts following the unsolvable tests. Results also indicated that instruction that discouraged students from engaging in off-task thoughts eliminated the detrimental effects of universal attributions of failure. Findings suggest that instructions to restrain from off-task thoughts can reduce performance deficits in reading tests. (Contains 23 references and 2 tables of data.) (RS)