Exploring internal structure of a performance-based critical thinking assessment for new students in higher education

Critical thinking is a combination of complex cognitive skills. It important for the successful acquisition disciplinary skills in higher education and thus, it valuable competency new student. The nature critical leads to challenges its assessment even performance assessments such as CLA + International (Collegiate Learning Assessment). aim with this study examine internal associations students education. sample consisted 1469 first-year 18 institutions Finland. An open-ended task multiple-choice tasks were used assess six measures thinking, namely analysis problem solving, writing effectiveness, mechanics, scientific quantitative reasoning, reading critiquing an argument. Exploratory confirmatory factor analyses analyse data. A latent component indicated by derived from was identified. did not form factorial structure. Multiple-choice questions are problematic they focus on individual instead holistic use Implications development discussed.