KRISTAL: K-12 Reasoning & Imagination Scales for Thinking and Learning
K-12 Reasoning and Imagination Scales for Thinking and Learning (KRISTAL) measures critical and creative thinking skills and learning mindset in students from kindergarten through twelfth grade. These assessments provide a comprehensive view of students’ cognitive skills and attributes, equipping educators with data to support curriculum development, gifted program identification, and individual student growth.
Designed for both individual assessment and large-scale implementation, KRISTAL enables schools and districts to identify students’ strengths, pinpoint areas for improvement, and make data-driven decisions.
Each assessment delivers student-specific insights as well as aggregated reports at the classroom, school, division, and district levels, ensuring a research-backed and equitable approach to identifying advanced academic potential.
Seamless Testing. Results You Can Trust.
Administration
Likert-style and multiple choice questions administered online with a secure, cloud-based, user-friendly, WCAG Level AA Compliant interface.
The mindset evaluation is administered first, followed by the skills portion. By default, both assessments are timed, this feature can be disabled.
Why Choose KRISTAL?
- Individual & Group Insights – Identify students’ strengths and areas for improvement through detailed individual reports. Aggregate data by grade level, school site, or district to support curriculum planning and program evaluation.
- Data-Driven Decision Making – Empower educators with meaningful data to shape instruction and enhance student success.
- Versatile Applications – Used by teachers, school districts, private and public schools, education consultants, program developers, government agencies, researchers, and homeschool organizations.
Equip students with the critical thinking skills they need to thrive—discover the power of KRISTAL today.
Learning Mindset and Thinking Skills by Grade Level
KRISTAL provides a comprehensive evaluation of students’ critical and creative thinking through both a learning mindset assessment and a thinking skills assessment, designed to be developmentally appropriate for each grade level. These assessments help educators understand students’ readiness to engage in creative and critical thinking and their ability to apply reasoning skills effectively.
For Grades K-2 in addition to an OVERALL Thinking Mindset score and an OVERAL Reasoning Skills score, KRISTAL at this level reports on five specific learning mindset attributes. At the K level KRISTAL also reports 3 focused reasoning skills, with a fourth skill added for grades 1-2.
Learning Mindset: Not timed. 38 simple Yes/No items.
Reasoning Skills: Not timed. Multiple choice questions woven into age-appropriate story scenarios. At the K level there are 2 stories with 10 questions in each. At the Grade 1-2 level there are 3 stories with 8 questions each.
K, 1, and 2 students can click audio buttons to hear questions and answer choices read aloud.
Learning Mindset
- OVERALL MINDSET
- Mental Focus
- Imagination
- Cognitive Integrity
- Learning Orientation
- Creative Problem-Solving
Reasoning Skills
- OVERALL SKILLS
- Visualization
- Analysis
- Inference
- Evaluation (1-2 only)
All scores on all metrics are reported numerically and qualitatively.
The specific grade level K-2 mindset attribute metrics score range is 20-50. The OVERALL MINDSET score range is 100-250. The mindset qualitative categories are Opposes, Emerging, and Affirms
The OVERALL SKILLS score and each more specific skill metric for grade level K-2 scores range from 60-100. The skillset qualitative categories are Not demonstrated, Emerging, Moderate, Strong, and Advanced.
For Grades 3-6, in addition to an OVERALL Thinking Mindset score and an OVERAL Reasoning Skills score, KRISTAL at this level reports on six specific learning mindset attributes and seven focused reasoning skills.
Learning Mindset: 30 minutes, 55 Likert-style agree-disagree items.
Reasoning Skills: 50 minutes, 24 multiple choice questions.
Learning Mindset
- OVERALL MINDSET
- Mental Focus
- Imagination
- Cognitive Integrity
- Learning Orientation
- Creative Problem-Solving
- Scholarly Rigor
Reasoning Skills
- OVERALL SKILLS
- Visualization
- Analysis
- Inference
- Numeracy
- Evaluation
- Deduction
- Induction
All scores on all metrics are reported numerically and qualitatively.
The specific grade level 3-5 mindset attribute metrics score range is 20-50. The OVERALL MINDSET score range is 120-300. The mindset qualitative categories are Opposes, Emerging, and Affirms
The OVERALL SKILLS score and each more specific skill metric for grade level 3-5 scores range from 160-200. The skillset qualitative categories are Not demonstrated, Emerging, Moderate, Strong, and Advanced.
For Grades 6-8, in addition to an OVERALL Thinking Mindset score and an OVERAL Reasoning Skills score, KRISTAL at this level reports on six specific learning mindset attributes and eight focused reasoning skills.
Learning Mindset: 30 minutes, 55 Likert-style agree-disagree items.
Reasoning Skills: 50 minutes, 28 multiple choice questions.
Learning Mindset
- OVERALL MINDSET
- Mental Focus
- Imagination
- Cognitive Integrity
- Learning Orientation
- Creative Problem-Solving
- Scholarly Rigor
Reasoning Skills
- OVERALL SKILLS
- Interpretation
- Visualization
- Analysis
- Inference
- Numeracy
- Evaluation
- Deduction
- Induction
All scores on all metrics are reported numerically and qualitatively.
The specific grade level 6-8 mindset attribute metrics score range is 10-60. The OVERALL MINDSET score range is 60-360. The mindset qualitative categories are Strongly Opposes, Opposes, Indifferent, Affirms, and Strongly Affirms.
The OVERALL SKILLS score and each more specific skill metric for grade level 6-8 scores range from 260-300. The skillset qualitative categories are Not demonstrated, Emerging, Moderate, Strong, and Advanced.
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For Grades 9 – 12, in addition to an OVERALL Thinking Mindset score and an OVERAL Reasoning Skills score, KRISTAL at this level reports on nine specific learning mindset attributes and ten focused reasoning skills.
Learning Mindset: 30 minutes, 84 Likert-style agree-disagree items.
Reasoning Skills: 55 minutes, 45 multiple choice questions.
Learning Mindset
- OVERALL MINDSET
- Organization
- Imagination
- Cognitive Integrity
- Curiosity
- Open-Mindedness
- Ingenuity
- Foresight
- Judgment
- Confidence
Reasoning Skills
- OVERALL SKILLS
- Interpretation
- Visualization
- Analysis
- Invention
- Inference
- Numeracy
- Evaluation
- Explanation
- Deduction
- Induction
All scores on all metrics are reported numerically and qualitatively.
The specific grade level 9-12 mindset attribute metrics score range is 10-60. The OVERALL MINDSET score range is 90-540. The mindset qualitative categories are Strongly Opposes, Opposes, Indifferent, Affirms, and Strongly Affirms.
The OVERALL SKILLS score and each more specific skill metric for grade level 9-12 scores range from 360-400. The skillset qualitative categories are Not demonstrated, Emerging, Moderate, Strong, and Advanced.
Percentile Scores
For our education clients we provide national benchmark percentiles for the OVERALL skills score in addition to the numerical and qualitative score. Using this information, educators are better able to target their curricular and instructional efforts at the specific skills most in need of strengthening.
Get Started with KRISTAL Today
Empower Your Students with Stronger Thinking Skills
KRISTAL provides educators with valuable insights into students’ critical thinking skills and mindset attributes, helping to support their growth at every stage. Ready to bring KRISTAL to your school or district?
