Macao’s 15-year-olds participated in OECD’s PISA 2009 print reading assessment. The findings are valuable to evaluate the impact of curriculum provision on students’ achievement at the time when they reach final stage of universal basic education. The present study seeks to find out: (1) what reading engagement variables have effects on student’s print reading performance, and (2) through what reading engagement mechanisms females outperform males in print reading performance. Through the use of commonality analyses enjoyment for reading, diversity in reading and metacognitive reading strategies are shown not only having unique but also joint contribution in the explanation of the variance of student’s print reading performance. Through the use of mediation analyses enjoyment for reading, diversity in reading and metacognitive reading strategies are demonstrated to mediate the effect of gender on print reading performance. Why females outperform males in print reading can be accounted for partially in terms of female’s more enjoyment for reading and diversity in reading, alongside their greater familiarity with the more effective use of metacognitive reading strategies as acknowledged by the reading experts than the males. Based on these findings, implications are made to develop gender-inclusive reading instruction programs for the betterment of print reading performance.