• August 6th, 2022
The ultimate guide to your next assessment

INTRODUCTION

The questions in the assessment are designed to test different skills in what is termed ‘Critical Thinking’ (CT) and Communication.
The assessed CT skills are:

  • Analysis
  • Evaluation
  • Interpretation
  • Creative thinking
  • Reasoning
  • Problem-solving (given that it uses the skills of CT).

Communication questions will focus on the following:

  • the ability to summarise a passage (so understanding its general theme);
  • understanding the purpose of references made by the author;
  • the ability to place the passage in a wider context or theme;
  • understanding how the passage is relevant to given questions;
  • the ability to complete a passage with a further sentence.

ITEM SKILL AND SUB-SKILL CATEGORIES

ANALYSIS

A1: Identification of what has been concluded in a given argument
A2: Identification of what is assumed (implicitly taken to be true) in a given argument
A3: Identification of the structure of the reasoning used in a given argument, by selecting parallel structures

EVALUATION

E1: Assessment of the relationship between premises and inferences
E2: Assessment of correlation/causation issue in a given passage
E3: Assessment of generalisation in a given passage
E4: Assessment of either (or both) the use of inadequate and/or irrelevant evidence in a given passage
E5: Assessment of the use of an analogy in a given passage

INTERPRETATION

Int1: Assessment of the use of a term in a given passage
Int2: identifying the significance that an author gives to some evidence
Int3: Identifying an alternative possible significance of evidence used in a passage

CREATIVITY

C1: Identification of possible explanations for given evidence
C2: Identification of a hypothesis that would be relevant to a given scenario
C3: Identification of a possible consequence from a given hypothesis linked to a passage
C4: Identification of ways in which given evidence could be connected
C5: Identification of how given additional evidence could affect an argument

PROBLEM-SOLVING

P1: Identification or definition of a problem developed in a given passage
P2: Selection of evidence which would be relevant to solving a problem in a given passage
P3: Identification of a possible solution to a problem beyond that given
P4: Identification of data which could/would be relevant to a solution to a given problem
P5: Identification of a similar problem to that which is given

REASONING

R1: Identification of correct missing words from a given argument
R2: Identification of what would be best concluded from a given passage
R3: Identification of a possible counter-argument in response to a given argument

COMMUNICATION

Comm1: summarising
Comm2: understanding purpose of specific reference
Comm3: identification of relevance to wider theme/issue
Comm4: understanding function of text
Comm5: understanding connection within a text
Comm6: identification of appropriate continuation of text
Comm7: connecting meanings of term used in text