Ordering, Invoicing, and Shipping

Do I need a purchase order number?
Yes, unless your order is prepaid by check or you are using a personal AMEX, VISA or MasterCard IA accepts phone and FAX orders which include a purchase order number. Shipping and billing addresses, if not the same, should be included in the phone or FAX message.

Can I order tests if I'm not a teacher or professor?
Yes. But certain important qualifications and restrictions apply.

Do you accept credit card payments?
Yes. AMEX, VISA and MasterCard.

How quickly are things shipped?
Typically orders for tests, specimen kits, test booklets and answer forms are filled and shipped within five business days from the time a qualifying order is received by mail, phone, or fax. Allow two weeks for scanning, scoring, and basic statistical analysis of CapScore™ response forms.

Can I get rush overnight shipping?
Yes. Rush order service is available for a small charge.

How can I get a copy of one of your instruments to examine?
Specimen Kits for our tools include examination copies of the instruments. Because of the technical background associated with the validity and reliability of these instruments, it is strongly recommended that the persons seeking to evaluate these tools for possible use should do so with the Test Manuals ready at hand. Key factors such as construct validity, content validity, reliability and the like cannot be readily determined by simple inspection. It is out of respect for the idea of thoughtful and well-informed judgment that we do not provide individual copies of the instruments apart from those included in the Specimen Kits.

What if my shipment is lost?
We can give you a its UPS, Fed-EX, or US Postal Service shipment tracing number so you can monitor the progress of your shipment. We have not lost any shipments yet, but at times shipments have been misplaced in university receiving departments or held up in customs offices. Just e-mail or phone us if you think your shipment is late in coming and we'll work with you to find out where it is.

Will the specimen kit include test answers?
No. Insight Assessment never releases answer keys because our tests are often used for high stakes testing. To maintain the integrity of the instruments and their value to all users this is a firm policy. All scoring of all instruments is handled through Insight Assessment.

Paper & Pencil Test Scanning, Scoring

Can I photocopy the test booklets when I need additional copies?
No. Under no circumstances may the assessment tools published by the California Academic Press LLC and Insight Assessment be photocopied. Make sure you order enough test booklets so that each individual tested will have their own booklet. Photocopying test booklets is a violation of copyright laws.

How long are my answer forms valid for scanning and scoring?
Two years from the date of purchase. Answer forms are date stamped.

Does IA score the tests for me?
Yes. When you purchase a batch of answer sheets for any tool or test you receive a complete set of Basic Reporting Service. Your answer sheets, when returned to Insight Assessment, the batch will be scanned, the scores and sub-scores for each test-taker will be calculated, and the statistics describing the performance of the whole batch of test-takers will be derived from the data. You will receive both a written report with all this information about your batch of answer sheets as well as a computer file that contains your data. You can also phone or e-mail us with your questions about test scoring. For reasons of test security, and to maintain the integrity of the testing tools for all our clients, Insight Assessment never releases the scoring keys.

How long does it take for the results to come back after we send our batch of answer sheets to be scanned, scored, and analyzed? Normally you should allow twenty working days for scanning, scoring, and analysis, plus three days in transit to IA and from IA back to you. Rush / Express Service is available for an additional fee.

Can you supply more advanced statistical analyses?
Yes. Premium scoring and analytical reporting services are available. These services include pre-post analyses and inferential statistics, such as correlations, t-tests, ANOVA, and the like. Begin to learn more by visiting Premium Reporting Service.

What is a batch-split run processing fee and how can I avoid it?
When you buy a number of tests and/or answer forms at the same time you are purchasing one scanning, scoring, and analysis our pass. Send in all answer forms and they will be processed at the same time. There is a group indicator field on the answer forms that you can use to distinguish different groups of test-takers from one another for purposes of comparing the scores of different groups. Return the entire batch of answer forms at the same time to receive your scanning, scoring, and analysis services. There is an additional run processing fee for each physically separate group of answer forms you send in.  To avoid this fee, use the group indicator field.

Where can I find out more about IA's paper and pencil test scoring services?
This service is called CapScore™

I need a few more CapScore™ answer sheets; so, can I just make a couple of copies and send them in for scoring?
No. CapScore™ answer sheets are specially designed and encoded so that they can be scanned accurately. Photocopied answer sheets do not scan accurately. Data gathered on photocopied answer sheets must be laboriously hand entered. A special services charge will be added for handling, transposing, scanning and scoring photocopied answer sheets. The additional charges are greater than the cost of having purchased sufficient answer sheets initially. Photocopying answer sheets is a violation of copyright laws and, as such, is subject to prosecution.

What if the answer sheets I send back for scoring are lost in the mail?
Many of our clients make photocopies of their answer forms before they send them back to us for scoring. Just in case the worst happens and your shipment is lost or damaged, keep the photocopies -- our scanners cannot read them -- and send in the originals for scoring. By the way, this worry is just one more reason to switch to e-testing.

Why are fresh clean test booklets important?
Answer sheets are sold with test booklets to insure the quality of the test-taking experience for your test-takers. Extraneous marks or writing of any kind on used booklets may influence the performance of a test-taker and therefore only clean and unmarked test booklets should be used in testing. Used test booklets should be destroyed. For security purposes different printings and versions of our tests replace certain test questions with new ones, change the order of test questions, or scramble item responses, all of which also makes using the most current version of the test booklet important.

On-Line E-Testing

Which IA tests are available on-line?
All of them in English. Some in translation. Contact us for information about authorized translations on line.

Can I put my own tests or survey on-line for my workers, students, or research subjects?
Yes. The e-testing system is extremely versatile. Give us a call to discuss your project.

How long do my test-takers have to wait before they can know their test scores? That decision is yours. If you wish to enable instant scoring, your test-takers an know their individual results as soon as they complete taking the test. Or, if you prefer, you can gather the data on your whole group and share results with individuals when you think it is best.

Can I control assignments and have my test-takers repeat tests?
Yes. As the client site administrator, you determine which tests are assigned to your test-takers, when those tests may be taken, whether or not the tests are timed, whether test-takers may make multiple attempts at the same assignment, or whether a given test should be assigned at a later time for a pretest posttest research design.

How do I get access to my test-takers scores?
As the client site administrator you have your own LOGIN and password which you can use any time to access information about your test-takers, to monitor how your group is doing on the assignments you have made, to access test scores and download those scores for further analysis, or to make new assignments, add test-takers, or manage your account in other ways.

Can I pay for tests as I use them, rather than all at once?
Yes. You can select either full payment in advance for the number of tests you expect your group to attempt, or monthly billing based on the tests your test takers have attempted in that period of time. Either way, if you are using one of our IA tests, beyond the initial orientation and setup charges, you pay only for the tests attempted and submitted by your test-takers.

Can I use on-line testing to give my questionnaire, research survey?
Yes. The IA testing system was designed to permit any number of tests to be given to any number of groups of test takers. If your employee questionnaire, student survey, research tool, or final exam is multiple choice or agree-disagree style, then it can be loaded into the IA testing system.

Do I need any special software to run the IA e-testing system?
When a test-taker logs into the system with the secure login and password he or she has been given, the system will check to be sure that the computer the test-taker is using has Java Webstart installed and running. If not, the system will install this commonly used and very safe piece of software free of charge, whether the test taker is on an Windows or a MAC platform. In most cases Java Webstart is already available and running on newer computers.

For more on e-testing click here.

Tests and other Products or Services

What do different tools measure?
Critical thinking is our target. Critical thinking involves being both willing and able to engage problems in a reflective and thoughtful way. Our tools address both dimensions of critical thinking: critical thinking skills and the motivation or disposition to use those skills.

What's the difference between a skill and a disposition?
A skill is something a person can do, like reading, swimming, singing, or thinking. Skills are more or less well developed within the range of a persons abilities. A person may have the ability to play the piano, but not have developed his or her skill at playing the piano. A disposition is a habitual inclination, like being loving, trustworthy, open-minded, or, on the negative side, biased, imprudent, or cowardly. A person may or may not be disposed to use some of their skills. A person, for example, might be skilled at painting walls and woodwork, but not be inclined to take on that chore. We can test a person's skills by asking them to perform tasks that require the use of those skills. We can assess a person's disposition by asking the person about their beliefs, preferences, and values. This is not to say that creating and validating these kinds of tests and measures does not, itself, require a good deal of skill, and knowledge. To explore the relationship between being skilled at critical thinking and being disposed at critical thinking, download a copy of "The Disposition Toward Critical Thinking:Its Character, Measurement, and Relationship to Critical Thinking Skill" free from from our Articles, Technical Reports, and Resources.


Do you have a critical thinking test for nursing and health sciences? Yes, the Health Sciences Reasoning Test.

Do you have a critical thinking test for business? Yes, the Business Critical Thinking Skills Test, and the Business Reasoning Test target skills. The Business Attitude Inventory targets a number of attitudinal characteristics of interest to employers.

Do you have a critical thinking test for the legal profession? Yes, the Legal Studies Reasoning Profile. The LSRP combines a number of important personal style, attitudinal and skills measures.

Do you have things for elementary school, junior high, or high school students?
Yes. The California Measure of Mental Motivation (CM3) comes in several different forms each designed for a different K-16 level. For reasoning skills there is the California Critical Thinking Skills Test Form M-20 and the Test of Everyday Reasoning (TER) depending on grade level.

How long do the tests take to administer?
Each test's Specimen Kit includes information on how to administer that particular test. Generally speaking, skills tests can be administered in a 50 minute period, disposition and motivation inventories generally take 20 minutes. But times can vary by context.

How do different forms of a test relate to each other?
For exact details see the specific information given in the descriptions of each test; and expanded on in the Test Manual with each test's Specimen Kit. Our skills tests are members of the California Critical Thinking Family of tests. All our critical thinking measures of skills and dispositions are based on the expert consensus conceptualization of critical thinking articulated in the APA Delphi Report.

To measure critical thinking, which instruments should I use?
For a quick overview and recommendations for which test is intended for which test-takers click here. This depends on the age and educational level of the test-takers. It is wise to use a skills test and a disposition measure in conjunction with each other, unless your objective is to assess only the skills dimension or only the dispositional dimension.

Can I make copies of the examination copy of a supplied in the Specimen Kit?
No. The tool included in the specimen kit is for inspection only. Once you decide to use the instrument you must purchase additional test booklets. A single instrument is required for each individual to be tested in a given administration. Photocopying test booklets is a violation of copyright laws. For purposes of test security it is important that people not make unauthorized copies of the tests and that they maintain the examination copy and the bundles of test booklets purchased in a secure place. However, for test security reasons and to maintain the integrity of our tests for all our clients and users, the answer keys are never distributed.

If we don't want tests, are there other ways to evaluate work products or workplace contributions for critical thinking?
Yes. There is the Holistic Critical Thinking Scoring Rubric and the Professional Judgment Rating Form.

Do you score the tests for me?
If you use our e-testing system, the tests are scored automatically as they are taken. If you use the paper and pencil answer sheets and test booklets then you will be using the CapScore™ scannable answer sheets. Send these in for scoring and analysis after you have administered the test.

Do you offer any suggestions for how to teach critical thinking?
Yes. Visit our Teaching Tips. Our lead consultants have made many presentations and offered workshops on teaching for and about thinking at hundreds of educational institutions and conferences in the USA and throughout the world.

Project Design and Assistance

Do I need to use different forms of the CCTST to do a pretest and posttest?
No. It is not necessary to use different forms of the CCTST to pretest and posttest. Valid pretest/posttest designs can be implemented using just one of the forms. If you are not sure about how to do this, give us a phone call to talk about your project and its design. Students report remembering the questions, because they are interesting, but not remembering how they answered the questions -- because they have to reason out the answers.

What test score reports do I receive?
All testing includes Basic Reporting, which is the score of each scale on the test and basic descriptive group statistics, namely mean, median, high score, low score, standard deviation, and the like. Premium Reporting service includes inferential statistics, such as t-test, correlations, ANOVA, and the like.

Can we use the results from your tests in our accreditation or performance funding process?
At the college, community college, professional school level regional and national accrediting agencies recognize the data gathered with our testing tools for purposes of educational outcomes assessment and accreditation. States with performance funding mandates, e.g. Tennessee, have approved certain of our tools for use in their funding processes.

How can your products help me with personnel evaluations?
By using IA's reasoning skills tests and motivation inventories you can gather objective data as part of a comprehensive set of data that can be used, judiciously, for purposes relating to personnel processes, such as hiring.

Our company wants to give a survey to our employees, can you handle the printing, scanning, scoring, and analysis of results? Yes. IA can make your survey available to your workers using our e-testing system. With e-testing you can have access to your group's test results as soon as your test takers complete your survey. Our e-testing system is a secure module accessed by your test takers via the Internet. As the client site administrator, you would have special high-level access to all responses and test taker information. Or, if you prefer a paper and pencil approach, IA can design CapScore™ response forms for your survey instrument, and CapScore™ can scan, score, and analyze the data gathered by your survey. Contact us to discuss your project.