TOPS 2–Adolescent Virtual Kit (Examiner's Manual and Reading Passages Bundle)

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Diagnose Language-Based Thinking Deficits

Ages: 12-0 through 17-11
Testing Time: 40 minutes

While other tests may assess thinking skills by tapping mathematical, spatial, or nonverbal potential, the TOPS 2–Adolescent assesses critical thinking abilities based on the student's language strategies using logic and experience.

The TOPS 2–Adolescent uses a natural context of problem-solving situations related to adolescent experiences and assesses five different decision-making skill areas critical to academic, problem solving, and social success.

Based on the research of Richard Paul, the TOPS 2–Adolescent emphasizes the integrative disposition of critical thinking by focusing on these cognitive processes:

• understanding/comprehension
• analysis
• interpretation
• self-regulation
• evaluation
• explanation
• inference/insight
• decision-making
• intent/purpose
• problem solving
• acknowledgment

Subtests

The test is comprised of five subtests (18 written passages) that assess a student's performance of these skills. The subtests require the student to pay careful attention to, process, and think about what they hear and read; think about problems with a purpose in mind; resist the urge to be impulsive; and express answers verbally.

• Subtest A: Making Inferences- The student is asked to give a logical explanation about a situation, combining what he knows or can see with previous experience/background information. Students who do well on this subtest make plausible inferences, predictions, or interpretations.
• Subtest B: Determining Solutions- The student is asked to provide a logical solution for some aspect of a situation presented in a passage.
• Subtest C: Problem Solving- This subtest requires a student to recognize the problem, think of alternative solutions, evaluate the options, and state an appropriate solution for a given situation. It also includes stating how to avoid specific problems.
• Subtest D: Interpreting Perspectives- A student who does well on this subtest will evaluate other points of view in order to make a conclusion.
• Subtest E: Transferring Insights- The student is asked to compare analogous situations by using information stated in the passage.

COMPLETE TOPS-2 ADOLESCENT VIRTUAL KIT INCLUDES: Examiner's Manual E-Book and Reading Passages E-Book. (©2007)

Please contact testquestion@proedinc.com for revised normative tables.