Abstract:

This paper will examine the use of tests of critical thinking and problem solving as a basis for admissions decisions onto highly-selective courses, with specific reference to the Thinking Skills Assessment (TSA) and Section 1of the Biomedical Admissions Test (BMAT). As well as describing the sub-skills that may be considered as part of a thinking skills construct, the paper will examine what data can tell us about the validity of such tests, and describe some of the ways in which institutions incorporate them into their admissions processes.

The paper will be divided into two main sections:
1. A conception of thinking skills
The construct used by Cambridge Assessment Admissions Testing to test thinking skills comprises two main strands:
• Critical Thinking, including understanding argument and reasoning using everyday language
• Problem Solving, including numerical and spatial reasoning

Within these two strands, a number of sub-skills are assessed, such as ‘identifying flaws in argumentation’, ‘assessing the impact of additional evidence’, ‘identifying similar patterns or processes’, and ‘finding procedures to solve a problem’. The paper will set out these sub-skills in further detail, and will explore how they combine to produce a single, coherent thinking skills construct.

2. The use of thinking skills in high-stakes selection
The second part of the paper will examine the use of thinking skills in high-stakes admissions tests for a range of different study domains, including Medicine, Engineering, Politics, Philosophy and Economics at a number of universities. We’ll consider what makes an admission test different from qualifications or other summative assessments which include thinking skills. We will also look at the rationale for using tests which include such items, how the items typically perform in Cambridge Assessment Admissions Testing tests, and the extent to which results on the tests correlate with end-of-first-year and final on-course examinations across a range of courses and institutions.

Keywords:

Assessment, problem solving, critical thinking, admissions.