<![CDATA[Student diversity in terms of learning readiness, learning preferences, cognitive abilities, and ways of responding to learning difficulties requires teachers to design learning that is responsive to individual needs. This study aims to analyze the learning needs profile of students as a basis for designing differentiated learning in Social Studies (IPS) at SMPN 50 Surabaya. The study employed a descriptive approach using data from cognitive and non-cognitive diagnostic assessments involving 30 students. The assessment covered learning preferences, physical and learning readiness, strategies for dealing with learning difficulties, and initial cognitive abilities based on the SOLO taxonomy. The findings showed that students demonstrated diverse learning preferences. Eleven students (36.7%) preferred auditory/verbal learning through direct teacher explanations and contextual examples, 11 students (36.7%) preferred collaborative discussion, six students (20.0%) preferred visual and digital media, and two students (6.6%) preferred kinesthetic activities. Students' physical and learning readiness was categorized as very high, with an average score of 3.87 out of 4.00, while all students (100%) reported being physically and mentally ready to participate in IPS learning. In dealing with learning difficulties, 11 students (36.7%) preferred discussing problems with peers. The cognitive assessment also indicated that students had varying levels of thinking ability, including students who demonstrated extended abstract thinking and students who still required scaffolding. These findings indicate that student profiling provides an important empirical basis for determining differentiated content, learning processes, grouping, peer support, and learning products. Therefore, diagnostic assessment should be positioned as an integral part of responsive and student-centered IPS learning design.]]>
