Problematising the equivalence of the test results of performance-based critical thinking tests for undergraduate students

• The data were analysed using both the individual level and group level analysis.
• A third of the students performed better on the MCQ than on the CLA.
• One fourth performed better on the CLA than the MCQ.
• Ten percent of students had completely opposite test results.
• Thorough Processing and Superficial Processing groups were identified.

This article compares the test results of two different performance-based assessments of critical thinking: a constructed-response task from the Collegiate Learning Assessment (CLA) and a multiple-choice questionnaire (MCQ). These tests ostensibly measure the same critical thinking skills, such as analysing, interpreting and evaluating information and problem solving. The study utilised a mixed-method approach to explore the differences in students’ (n = 330) test scores. The results showed that the correspondence between the CLA and the MCQ was fully comparable in 45.5% of the students’ test performances. Ten percent of the students had completely opposite test results. Explanations for the inconsistent results are discussed in detail.