In reading-related assessment terms, which item requires the reader to locate explicit information directly stated in the text?

• A. Literal item
• B. Inferential item
• C. Evaluative item
• D. Applied item

Answer: (A)

The main idea here is distinguishing question types by how you use the text. A literal item asks you to locate information that is directly stated in the passage—things you can point to in the text without needing to infer. So, you’re finding concrete details like exact words, dates, or places that the author writes explicitly.

For example, if the text says, “The ceremony began at ten,” a literal question would be something like, “When did the ceremony begin?” and the answer is explicitly stated as ten.

Other types require different reasoning: inferential items ask you to deduce something not stated outright by using clues from the text; evaluative items involve judging the quality or value of an aspect of the text; applied items require taking information from the text and using it in a new situation. Because literal items rely on information that is plainly stated, they’re the ones that ask you to locate explicit information directly in the text.