CWRA+ is an innovative assessment designed explicitly for the twenty-first-century student. Unlike many standardized tests, which measure students' abilities to memorize numbers, dates, and facts, CWRA+ measures critical-thinking and written-communication skills (such as analysis and problem solving, scientific and quantitative reasoning, critical reading and evaluation, critiquing an argument, as well as writing effectiveness and mechanics).
CWRA+ provides objective evidence that students have
- mastered critical-thinking skills throughout high school,
- have become independent thinkers, and
- are capable of coming up with creative solutions to complex problems.
Particularly for high school juniors or seniors, such evidence can play an important role in illustrating to colleges and universities that students are prepared to succeed.
In order to accurately assess students’ strengths, CWRA+ consists of two parts. The main component is the Performance Task—a multi-step problem that requires students to think critically while analyzing a real-world scenario and developing a viable yet creative solution.
The second component of CWRA+ consists of a range of selected-response questions aimed at measuring quantitative and scientific reasoning, the ability to critically read and evaluate information, and the ability to recognize logical fallacies. When combined with the scores from the Performance Task, the result is a reliable and valid measurement of critical-thinking skills that are in high demand, not just in college, but among employers.