Fifty fifth‐grade students read passages at three readability levels from four content areas. They answered vocabulary, literal, and interpretive/applied questions based upon each passage, Significan differences in comprehension were, found across ability levels and across content areas. Students performed better, as might be expected, on literature and social studies passages than on mathematics and scientific materials. Teachers and test makers are encouraged to include a number of passages from a variety of content areas in informal and standardized tests.