International Journal of Social Learning (IJSL)
Vol. 6 No. 3 (2026): August

Development of a Cognitive Assessment Instrument Based on Higher Order Thinking Skills (HOTS): A Comprehensive Literature Review

Sri Wulan (Universitas Negeri Semarang)
Dyah Rini Indriyanti (Universitas Negeri Semarang)
Sri Ngabekti (Universitas Negeri Semarang)
Ani Rusilowati (Universitas Negeri Semarang)
Sutikno Madnasri (Universitas Negeri Semarang)



Article Info

Publish Date
27 Aug 2026

Abstract

This Systematic Literature Review (SLR) aims to map trends, development methods, and the feasibility of Higher Order Thinking Skills (HOTS)-based cognitive assessment instruments for the 2019–2025 period. Using the PRISMA 2020 approach, 31 relevant articles were selected from academic databases for analysis using Biblioshiny and VOSviewer. The review results indicate a dominant shift to Complex Multiple Choice (41.7%) and Structured Essay (33.3%) formats. The Research and Development (R&D) method, using the ADDIE model, has become the primary instrument for assessing critical thinking and problem-solving skills (C4–C5) across various disciplines. Although the developed instrument has demonstrated high validity and reliability through expert testing and Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA), this study identifies crucial challenges in the field. The findings indicate low teacher pedagogical readiness (80.6%) and low student learning completion rates during the implementation stage, underscoring the need to strengthen educators' capacity to implement HOTS-based assessments effectively.

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Journal Info

Abbrev

ijsl

Publisher

Subject

Arts Education Environmental Science Social Sciences Other

Description

IJSL: International Journal of Social Learning (e-ISSN 2774-4426|p-ISSN 2774-8359) is a double blind international peer reviewed and open access journal to disseminating all information contributing to the understanding and development of social learning. The aim is to publish conceptual and ...