Jane S. Halonen
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use of such reasoning strategies as generalization, reasoning to the best explanation,
deduction, values reasoning, and reasoning by analogy.
Critical Thinking Test (1989)
ACT CAAP Operations (85), PO Box 1688, Iowa City, IA 52243
Target: Students at the end of their second year in college, though probably usable at
other levels.
Format: Multiple-choice items based on text readings: identifying conclusions,
inconsistency, and loose implications; judging direction of support, strength of reasons,
and representativeness of data; making predictions; noticing other alternatives; and
hypothesizing about what a person thinks.
Ennis–Weir Critical Thinking Essay Test (1985), by Robert H. Ennis and Eric Weir
Critical Thinking Press and Software, PO Box 448, Pacific Grove CA 93950
Target: General use
Format: Incorporates getting the point, seeing the reasons and assumptions, stating
one’s point, offering good reasons, seeing other possibilities (including other possible
explanations), and responding to and avoiding equivocation, irrelevance, circularity,
reversal of an if–then (or other conditional) relationship, overgeneralization, credibility
problems, and the use of emotive language to persuade.
Web site: http://faculty.ed.uiuc.edu/rhennis/tewctet/Ennis-Weir_Merged.pdf
ICAT Critical Thinking Essay Test (1996)
The International Center for the Assessment of Thinking, PO Box 220, Dillon Beach,
CA 94929
Target: General use
Format: Provides eight criteria (to be shown to students in advance and also to be used
for grading by trained graders). Students respond to an editorial (selected by test admin-
istrator) by writing an essay summarizing it, identifying its focus, and commenting on
its strengths and weaknesses.
Web site: http://www.criticalthinking.org/about/internationalCenter.shtml
Measure of Academic Proficiency and Progress (MAPP)
Educational Testing Service
Target: College but specifically helpful for general education assessment
Format: It allows institutions to measure proficiency in reading, writing, critical
thinking, and mathematics; no need for separate tests and multiple administrations.
Reading and critical thinking are measured in the context of the humanities, social
sciences and natural sciences.
Web site: http://www.ets.org/portal/site/ets/menuitem.1488512ecfd5b8849a77b13bc3921509/
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