<![CDATA[Objective: Higher Order Thinking Skills (HOTS) constitute a fundamental competency in postgraduate education because they enable students to analyze, evaluate, and generate innovative solutions to complex educational problems. Grounded in the Revised Bloom’s Taxonomy, this study aims to examine the cognitive maturity of third-semester Master of Islamic Religious Education students by mapping their cognitive performance across levels C1–C6 in responses to Final Semester Examination questions. Theoretical framework: The study is theoretically grounded in the Revised Bloom’s Taxonomy, which conceptualizes cognitive development as progressing from remembering (C1) and understanding (C2) to applying (C3), analyzing (C4), evaluating (C5), and creating (C6). Literature review: Previous studies have consistently reported that university students tend to demonstrate proficiency at lower cognitive levels while encountering difficulties in higher-order thinking, particularly in analysis, evaluation, and creation. Method: This study employed a document and content analysis approach by examining the examination answer sheets of 15 postgraduate students. Each response was systematically coded according to the cognitive processes of the Revised Bloom’s Taxonomy, while quantitative descriptive analysis was used to determine the percentage distribution of cognitive levels, supported by qualitative interpretation of students’ reasoning, analytical depth, and argument quality. Results: The findings reveal that 73% of students remained within lower-order cognitive levels (C1–C3), demonstrating competencies in remembering, understanding, and applying concepts. Only 27% achieved the analytical level (C4), whereas none demonstrated evaluation (C5) or creation (C6). These findings indicate that postgraduate students’ cognitive maturity remains below expectations and is influenced by instructional practices emphasizing factual knowledge and procedural understanding rather than analytical, evaluative, and creative thinking. Implications: The study implies that postgraduate learning should integrate active learning strategies, authentic assessment, and HOTS-oriented question design to cultivate higher cognitive competencies. Strengthening these dimensions contributes directly to Sustainable Development Goal 4 by improving educational quality and preparing graduates capable of critical reasoning and innovative problem-solving. Novelty: The novelty of this research lies in providing an empirical cognitive maturity profile of Islamic Religious Education postgraduate students through systematic examination analysis, offering evidence-based recommendations for redesigning postgraduate instruction and assessment toward higher-order thinking development.]]>
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