The problems inherent in the use of norm-referenced achievement tests in evaluating reading comprehension may be alleviated through the use of a criterion-referenced, cloze type test. The Degrees of Reading Power (DRP) Test, published by the College Entrance Examination Board (1980), was designed to measure students' ability to understand English prose written at different levels of difficulty. A modified cloze procedure is used in which each passage includes seven sentences with one word deleted. This study investigated the applicability and research potential of the DRP Test for a sample of 100 hearing impaired college students at Gallaudet College. The distribution of scores on the DRP scale of prose difficulty were used to evaluate the degree of compatibility between text difficulty and student reading level. Comparisons were made with DRP test score distributions for hearing students at different grade levels. DRP scores were correlated with several factors including degreeof hearing loss, age at onset of deafness, articulation ability, and years of experience in sign communication. Further research is needed to establish the relationship between prose difficulty and level of comprehension on the DRP scale for deaf subjects; nevertheless, the DRP Test is held to be a valuable instrument for the assessment of reading achievement in hearing impaired students. (DWH)