In a study of the effects of time restrictions and passage access on reading comprehension, 128 college freshmen enrolled in two different developmental reading courses were divided into 4 groups of 32 subjects each. (Tests used to assess reading ability at the college level are usually either power tests with liberal time limits, or speed tests, which are strictly timed. Both provide access to the passage.) Group 1 had no passage access and no time limit; group 2 had no passage access and a 15 minute limit; group 3 had passage access and no time limit; and group 4 had passage access and a 15 minute limit. The results of this study conflict with those of other research, which support the findings that increased time restrictions do not yield higher test scores while passage access does. The two groups who had no time restrictions scored significantly higher than those with a 15 minute limit, and the two groups who had no passage access did just as well as the two groups who were permitted access. Across all groups there were no significant differences between comprehension and retention scores. Several conclusions might be drawn from these results. Developmental college students have problems processing connected discourse and, as a result, their metacognitive abilities are weak. Though unrestricted time limits are often impossible, perhaps unrestricted time on reading tests would be beneficial. More research on developmental college students must be done before accurate conclusions can be drawn. (SRT)