The HCTSR is a rating measure that can be used to assess the observable critical thinking demonstrated by presentations, reports, essays, projects, classroom discussions, panel presentations, portfolios, and other ratable events or performances. Students and instructors have found the HCTSR ideal for learning to make critical thinking operational in a wide variety of educational contexts.

The HCTSR provides criteria for assigning a rating at one of four levels ranging from strong to weak critical thinking. Instructionally, the use of the HCTSR facilitates an understanding of the language of critical thinking in everyday conversation and practices the rater in the evaluation of classroom level learning outcomes assessment of critical thinking.

Permission for use: HCTSR, © 1994, by Peter A. Facione and Noreen C. Facione. Published by Insight Assessment / The California Academic Press. Permission is hereby granted to copy the HSRT to use this tool for teaching, assessment or other educational and noncommercial purposes. No part of the HCTSR may be altered. Appropriate author and publisher citation is required. Other permissions, e.g. to reproduce the HCTSR for sale in course packages, books, or on-line can be obtained by contacting Insight Assessment / The California Academic Press. Students and instructors may download a free PDF copy of the HCTSR for personal, noncommercial uses.

Advisory Note: The HCTSR is not a standardized measure of critical thinking. It is a qualitative tool best used for developmental purposes. The validity and reliability of HCTSR ratings rest on the ability of the rater to recognize and discriminate between varying examples of reasoning processes. As with all rubrics, the training and calibration of raters in the use of this tool is required to establish valid and reliable ratings (Kappa statistic).