<![CDATA[Very little research on developing reading assessments has systematically integrated higher-order thinking skills (HOTS) and character building in an original, valid, and reliable reading comprehension test in English. This study addresses that gap by modeling the development of such an instrument through a research and development (R&D) design comprising four stages: preliminary study, development, evaluation-revision, and pre-implementation. Within these stages, a test blueprint based on reading sub-skills and HOTS indicators was created, and Pancasila student profile guided the selection of the four reading texts. The 40 multiple-choice questions were analyzed for readability, reliability, item difficulty, and item discrimination. Participants included 12 undergraduate students enrolled in an English reading course, with feedback from the course lecturer providing face validity through a reviewer checklist. The try-out results showed that the test passed the face validity and reliability check, and the majority of the questions were found to have moderate difficulty (48%) and satisfactorily discriminating (38%). To improve item quality, several questions were revised and their options refined. This study contributes a replicable model for teachers and teacher educators, demonstrating how classroom-based reading assessments can be designed to foster evaluative thinking and character formation. While limited by its small sample size and less stringent item revision criteria, the findings provide practical guidance for assessment design and inform teacher training and professional development programs. Future research could implement the revised test in larger-scale contexts, gather students' perspectives, and examine the relationship between HOTS levels and item difficulty to refine assessment practices further.]]>
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