<![CDATA[Background: Four-tier assessments can distinguish answers, reasoning, and confidence, but their use in Islamic Religious Education and sports education remains limited. This study focuses on instrument development and preliminary psychometric evaluation using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS SEM), rather than diagnostic prevalence. Aims: This study aimed to develop a 12-item four-tier assessment covering Akhlaq, Fiqh, Tawhid, and Quranic Studies in sports contexts and to evaluate preliminary first-order measurement evidence. Methods: Using a research and development approach, the instrument was constructed through curriculum document analysis, concept mapping, open-ended pre-testing with 62 students, distractor development, and prototype assembly. A separate sample of 250 sports education students completed the prototype version. The available analysis matrix was examined using first-order PLS-SEM with SmartPLS 4 Pro. Results: All 12 indicators loaded significantly on their intended first-order domains. Composite reliability ranged from 0.754 to 0.777, average variance extracted ranged from 0.507 to 0.537, and heterotrait-monotrait ratios ranged from 0.320 to 0.648. Cronbach's alpha was modest, ranging from 0.510 to 0.569, indicating weak within-domain covariance. Keyed option positions were also strongly unbalanced, creating a position cue that constrains interpretation of the estimates. Conclusion: The study provides preliminary first-order psychometric evidence for a four-tier assessment in an interdisciplinary socio-religious context. Because separate tier responses are not retained, observed diagnostic-category prevalence is not reported. Stronger validation requires raw tier-level responses, a documented scoring transformation, less transparent distractors, balanced key positions, and independent item response theory or Rasch analysis.]]>
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