Insight Assessment was established as The California Academic Press in 1986 by Dr. Peter A. Facione

He led the Delphi Research Project which resulted in an international expert consensus definition of the term “critical thinking.”  He has demonstrated empirically that the core cognitive skills and dispositional habits of mind of critical thinking could be assessed, taught, and learned.

In 1990, The California Academic Press published its first critical thinking skills test, and in 1992, we published the world’s first assessment of critical thinking dispositions.  Since that time research has continued on the development of a broader array of reasoning assessment tools and on expanding what is known about critical thinking, problem-solving, and decision-making. The focus of this research has been on integrating humanistic and scientific approaches with the expressed purpose of achieving practical gains.

The aim is to assist people in becoming better thinkers by knowing how thinking works, how improvements in thinking can be learned, how mistakes in thinking can be identified and avoided, and how one can use meta-cognition as well as objective assessment information to improve one’s own thinking.

• In 1992, Dr. Facione published his influential essay about the meaning and importance of critical thinking, Critical Thinking: What It Is and Why It Counts.
• In the 1990s the core CCTST and CCTDI were adopted by thousands of customers domestically and around the world driving the company to focus on quality culturally accurate translations.
• In 2001, Insight Assessment was created as a wholly owned subsidiary of the California Academic Press to distribute industry specific tools to businesses, universities, schools and colleges, health care agencies, military, and government agencies to better serve a growing international customer base. With its superior technology and internationally respected testing instruments, today Insight Assessment is a world leader in reasoning skills and thinking mindset assessment.
• In 2006 we introduced critical thinking mindset assessments for grades 3-9, completing the full K-12 spectrum of reasoning skills and mindset assessments with the EDUCATE INSIGHT series in 2017.
• In 2012, Insight Assessment launched the INSIGHT series of employee assessment tools, specifically calibrated for organizational workplace environments and targeting executive, professional, staff, and support personnel in a wide range of industry sectors.
• 2013. In order to better serve our customers, we moved our headquarters to larger offices in San Jose, California. When the pandemic hit in 2020, we went 100% remote.
• In 2016, we added app based test administration to our browser and paper solutions. Test takers were able to access our test instruments via smart devices as well as desktops. We retired the app in 2022 and today deliver training and assessment worldwide 100% online, browser-based, in multiple languages, double-encrypted.

• Mini-Courses, approved CEU packs, quizzes and servery tools focused on specific aspects of reasoning, decision-making, and leadership. 100% online. Available to individuals for purchase directly from our Store at Insight Basecamp.In 2023, we launched new set of personal and professional self-development

  
  

Today our assessments and self-development learning tools are used by clients in 70+ countries in 20+ languages to improve critical thinking, decision making and leaderships.

First, as The California Academic Press from 1986 through 2001, and now as Insight Assessment and Insight Basecamp, we proudly offer the world class instruments to measure and train those core critical thinking skills and habits of mind essential for reflective human problem solving and thoughtful, fair-minded decision making.  In English and in authorized translations, these high quality instruments are in use with professionals, new hires, candidates, and students at every educational level by businesses, universities, schools, and government agencies.

Advancing Thinking Worldwide