Selecting Your Critical Thinking Assessment (It's Easy!)
Hint: You don’t need to know the assessment names to get started.
Insight Assessment offers a suite of research-based critical thinking assessments designed for different purposes, populations, and contexts.
This page will help you understand what each assessment measures and how to choose the option—or combination of options—that best fits your goals.
(Skip this step and let an expert help you select your assessment)
Step 1: What do you need to measure?
Insight Assessment instruments measure different aspects of critical thinking. Understanding what you want to measure is the first step in choosing the assessment that best fits your goals.
Critical Thinking Skills
Skills assessments score reasoning abilities such as analysis, evaluation, inference, and decision-making.
Common uses include: program evaluation, research studies, admissions support, workforce readiness
Critical Thinking Mindset
Measures attitudes, motivations, and habits of mind related to engaging in critical thinking, including open-mindedness, truth-seeking, and confidence in reasoning.
Common uses include: Student development, professional growth, readiness assessment
CT Skills and Mindset
Using skills and dispositions assessments together provides a more complete picture of an individual’s critical thinking ability and readiness to apply it in real-world contexts.
Common uses include: Holistic evaluation, longitudinal studies, development programs
Step 2: Who are you assessing?
Insight Assessment instruments are calibrated for specific populations and use contexts. Select the population that best matches your assessment needs.
- College-Level Students & Young Adults
- Graduate and Professional Program Candidates
- K-12 Students
- Current or Future Employees
Undergraduate Students and Young Adults
For assessing young adults and current or prospective students in 2- and 4-year programs
Assessments for measuring the critical thinking of undergraduate students and young adults
California Critical Thinking Skills Test (CCTST)
Skills Test
Insight Assessment’s legacy tool that measures all the core reasoning skills needed for reflective decision-making.Â
- Measures core reasoning skills like analysis, evaluation, and inference
- Calibrated for 2- and 4-year college students
- Frequently used for accreditation, benchmarking, and program evaluation
California Critical Thinking Disposition Inventory (CCTDI)
Mindset Assessment
Insight Assessment’s legacy tool that measures all the core reasoning mindset dispositions needed for reflective decision-making.Â
- Complements skills assessments to give a full picture of student readiness
- Measures the mindset to apply critical thinking in real-world situations
- Assesses internal motivators like open-mindedness and truth-seeking
- Widely used by colleges to evaluate student dispositions
College Student Success (CSS)
Skills & Mindset
measures the personal attributes and reasoning skills which enable a person to achieve success as a college student.
- Calibrated for re-entry students, undergraduates, and high schoolers
- Supports student success, retention, advising, and placement
Test of Everyday Reasoning (TER)
Skills Test
Measures all the core reasoning skills needed for reflective decision-making and provides
- Measures core reasoning skills like analysis, evaluation, and inference
- Calibrated for 2- and 4-year college students
- Frequently used for accreditation, benchmarking, and program evaluation
STEM Thinking
Skills Assessment
Used as high stakes assessment in high schools, 2-year, and 4-year programs, the STEM Thinking assessment is used to identify students who excel in scientific and technical contexts. Â
- Includes spatial logic, algebra, and scientific reasoning
- Used in STEM admissions and training programs
- Calibrated for advanced student placement
- Identifies areas of strengths and room for growht in both individual students and district settings
Quant-Q
Skills Assessment
Legacy tool for measuring numeracy skills and data-based decision making, the Quant-Q is used by institutions around the world to identify individuals who excel in mathematical contexts.Â
- Leading tool to assessment quantitative reasoning
- Calibrated for both high achieving adolescents and adults
- Covers pattern recognition, probability, and optimization
- Used in STEM programs, advising, and curriculum review
Assessments for Graduate and Professional 2-year Programs
Business Critical Thinking Skills Test (BCTST)
Skills Test
Measures the personal attributes and reasoning skills which enable a person to achieve success as a college student.
- Used in undergrad, MBA, and international business programs
- Percentile norms for AACSB and ACBSP available
Health Science Reasoning Skills Test (HSRT, +, AD)
Skills Test
The #1 critical thinking assessment for health science admissions in the United States, evaluates critical reasoning skills for associate degree, undergraduate, and graduate health programs.
- Gold standard in clinical reasonsing assessment
- Provides evidence for currirculum effectiveness
- Percentile norms available 2-year and 4-year programs
Legal Studies Reasoning Profile
Skills & Mindset
Measures the personal attributes and reasoning skills which enable a person to achieve success as a college student.
- Calibrated pre-law, paralegal, and law school programs
- Supports readiness evaluation and curriculum benchmarking
Military Defense Critical Thinking Inventory
Skills Test
Measuring critical thinking of future military officers.
- Assess critical thinking in high-stakes settings
- Built for cadets, service academy students, and officer candidates
- Supports leadership development in defense contexts
Assessments for K-12 Populations
KRISTAL Suite
K-12 Skills and Mindset
Built to expand on the success of Educate Insight, KRISTAL is the most comprehensive assessment of students cognitive, creative, and critical thinking capabilities and mindset attributes.
- Calibrated assessments for students K-12
- Includes new, state of the art scales for assessing students
- Identifies strengths and targets room for student growths
- Designed for both individual assessment and large-scale implementation
Educate Insight
K-12 Skills and Mindset
Insight Assessment’s legacy K-12 tool that measures all the core skills and mindset attributes of K-12 students
- Calibrated assessments for students K-12
- Identifies strengths and targets room for student growths
- Designed for both individual assessment and large-scale implementation
STEM Thinking
Skills Assessment
Used as high stakes assessment in high schools, 2-year, and 4-year programs, the STEM Thinking assessment is used to identify students who excel in scientific and technical contexts. Â
- Includes spatial logic, algebra, and scientific reasoning
- Used in STEM admissions and training programs
- Calibrated for advanced student placement
- Identifies areas of strengths and room for growht in both individual students and district settings
Quant-Q
Skills Assessment
Legacy tool for measuring numeracy skills and data-based decision making, the Quant-Q is used by institutions around the world to identify individuals who excel in mathematical contexts.Â
- Leading tool to assessment quantitative reasoning
- Calibrated for both high achieving adolescents and adults
- Covers pattern recognition, probability, and optimization
- Used in STEM programs, advising, and curriculum review
Assessments for your team
Business Professional
INSIGHT Skills and Mindset
Insight Assessment’s legacy tool that measures all the core reasoning skills needed for reflective decision-making.Â
- Evaluates reasoning and mindset in managerial/professional roles
- Ideal for HR, recruiters, and training consultants
- Identifies strengths and targets room for growth
Business Executive
INSIGHT Skills and Mindset
Insight Assessment’s legacy tool that measures all the core reasoning mindset dispositions needed for reflective decision-making.Â
- Measures decision-making skills and executive mindset
- Built for C-Suite and senior leadership assessments
- Guides leadership development and succession planning
Business Staff
INSIGHT Skills and Mindset
Measures the personal attributes and reasoning skills which enable a person to achieve success as a college student.
- For frontline and support roles with problem-solving duties
- Used for hiring, screening, and team-based development
- Highlights practical workplace judgment and ethics
Health Professional
INSIGHT Skills and Mindset
The #1 critical thinking assessment for health science admissions in the United States, evaluates critical reasoning skills for associate degree, undergraduate, and graduate health programs.
- Designed for clinicians and diagnostic healthcare professionals
- Measures reasoning used in assessing symptoms and treatment
- Used in med schools, nursing, and allied health programs
Health Staff
INSIGHT Skills and Mindset
measures the personal attributes and reasoning skills which enable a person to achieve success as a college student.
- Calibrated for re-entry students, undergraduates, and high schoolers
- Supports student success, retention, advising, and placement
First Responder
INSIGHT Skills and Mindset
Measures all the core reasoning skills needed for reflective decision-making and provides
- Measures judgment, prioritization, and fast-thinking in crisis settings
- For EMS, fire, and emergency personnel training or hiring
- Benchmarks readiness and ethical reasoning under pressure
Science and Engineering
INSIGHT Skills and Mindset
Measures the personal attributes and reasoning skills which enable a person to achieve success as a college student.
- Assesses logic, innovation, and problem-solving in STEM industries
- Built for engineers, analysts, and technical professionals
- Supports hiring, promotion, and applied decision-making in complex systems
Defense Professional
INSIGHT Skills and Mindset
Measuring critical thinking of future military officers.
- Assess critical thinking in high-stakes settings
- Built for cadets, service academy students, and officer candidates
- Supports leadership development in defense contexts
Educator
INSIGHT Skills and Mindset
Measures the personal attributes and reasoning skills which enable a person to achieve success as a college student.
- Assesses critical thinking and mindset in teaching professionals
- Built for K–12 educators, instructional leaders, and education consultants
- Informs hiring, training, and professional development in schools
Law Professional
INSIGHT Skills and Mindset
Measuring critical thinking of future military officers.
- Evaluates legal reasoning, argument analysis, and interpretive skill
- Designed for attorneys, legal analysts, and compliance professionals
- Supports hiring and readiness for complex legal environments
Support
INSIGHT Skills and Mindset
Measures the personal attributes and reasoning skills which enable a person to achieve success as a college student.
- Measures workplace judgment and accountability in administrative roles
- For coordinators, assistants, dispatchers, and support personnel
- Supports hiring, training, and performance review across sectors