Civics Test Design and Development

Cognitive Skill Level Descriptions for Grade 8 Civics MCAS Items

Each Grade 8 Civics MCAS item is aligned to one of the following cognitive skill levels, based on the Revised Bloom's Taxonomy:

• Understanding / Level 1
• Applying / Level 2
• Analyzing & Evaluating / Level 3

Assessment staff have described these cognitive skill levels for the types of items developed for the Grade 8 Civics MCAS test.

These descriptions are not an exhaustive list. How an item is written, including the stem and the options (key and distractors), may contribute to the cognitive skill level assigned to the item. The cognitive skill level may also depend on student experiences, such as certain civic contexts they are familiar with. In addition, the grade level at which the question is being asked is also a consideration. A cognitive skill level is assigned to each item based on how the majority of Massachusetts students will interact with the item. The cognitive skill level assigned to each item is reviewed by an Assessment Development Committee (group of educators who review MCAS items for a particular content area and grade level).

Current Cognitive Skill Level Descriptions

• Grade 8 Civics Cognitive Skill Level Descriptions

Last Updated: August 24, 2023