An assessment of critical thinking skills for grades 10 and above is now available online. The International Critical Thinking Basic Concepts and Understanding Online Test assesses the initial understanding of basic critical thinking concepts and principles. Published by the Foundation for Critical Thinking, it approaches critical thinking as a transdisciplinary system of interconnected concepts, principles, and understandings. The assessment focuses on the five essential dimensions of critical thinking as defined by Dr. Richard Paul:

• the analysis of thought.
• the assessment of thought
• the dispositions of thought
• the skills and abilities of thought
• the obstacles or barriers to critical thought.

The test is a three-part, 100 item test designed for use at the high school level (grade 10) and above (college, university, graduate level). It takes 30-45 minutes to complete.

A multiple choice item, for example, reads: One main requirement of critical thinking is

• To articulate arguments as well as possible
• To identify every aspect of another person's thinking
• To analyze thinking into its most basic components
• All of the above
• None of the above

There are also true and false and other short answer items. For example, "Critical thinking and creativity entail two distinctly different processes." And. "One should not analyze sympathetically points of view that are revolting and obviously wrong."

The assessment costs $6 to twelve dollars per student, with variations for volume. Each student can take the assessment up to eight times in four years. The Foundation recommends taking the test from 2 to 4 times a year in a pre-test / post-test schedule.

Students receive a summary of their results. Students see questions answered correctly. Administrators can also allow them to see references for finding the answers (typically in a book titled Critical Thinking: Tools for Taking Charge of Your Learning and Your Life.). Administrators can also give access to scores on:

• basic critical thinking insight
• element or component part of thinking
• intellectual standard
• intellectual trait or virtue
• obstaclea to critical thinking

Numerous other resources on teaching and assessing critical thinking are available from the Critical Thinking Foundation. For the online test of basic critical thinking skills, click here.