To determine the effects of noise intensities found in vocational shops and laboratories on student reading comprehension and task completion time, a study was conducted involving 94 students from 6 schools. The students were randomly assigned to either a control group or an experimental group and given the task of reading and answering questions. The control group worked under quiet classroom conditions of approximately 55 decibels while the experimental group worked under conditions of 110 decibels, a noise level often found in a vocational laboratory. The findings of the study indicated that as noise intensities increased, reading comprehension decreased and the time required to complete the assigned task increased. These findings suggest that vocational instructors should take measures to reduce noise levels in shops and laboratories. (FL)