The study examined the relations of cognitive style (field independence) to reading comprehension test performance for 48 prelingually, profoundly deaf adolescents. Ss read passages and answered comprehension questions consisting of two Information Types (text-explicit, text-implicit), Lookback Conditions (lookback, no-lookback), and Question Formats (multiple-choice, free-response). Analyses conducted for composite test scores and separate test components revealed significant interactions between cognitive style and several reading comprehension test facets, most notable those involving memory and restructuring of information (e.g., items which incorporated no-lookback). Implications are drawn for researchers and practitioners concerned with optimal assessments of cognitive and linguistic skills for deaf students. (Author/CL)