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Tests & Surveys


The California Critical Thinking Skills Test (CCTST)

The California Critical Thinking Skills Test (CCTST) is a 45-minute, 34-item, multiple choice instrument used to assess one’s ability to analyze, infer, explain, evaluate, and interpret information.  To meet a standard set by the Tennessee Higher Education Commission (THEC), senior students are tested using the CCTST to gauge how well they are equipped with the basic skills necessary to make them fully participating citizens in Tennessee and the world.  Additionally, results from the CCTST can be used to support program assessment at the University.

Beginning in 2020-2021, the CCTST is now only offered as an online instrument.  Given that the test is web-based and self-proctored, the CCTST can be taken anytime, anywhere; it can be scheduled as an in-class activity or set up as an asynchronous module to be taken by a given deadline.  It is completely up to the college/department/course to decide.

Additional information on the CCTST and annual summary reports can be found on the Employee Hub.


NSSE, BCSSE, & FSSE

The National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) is a survey of first year students and seniors examining what students say they do, as well as what they perceive their institutions emphasize in the area of student engagement.

A companion survey, the Beginning College Survey of Student Engagement (BCSSE), asks incoming freshmen about experiences they had in high school that prepare them for higher education, as well as what their expectations are for their first year in college.

The Faculty Survey of Student Engagement (FSSE) is a complimentary survey to the NSSE and asks faculty, instructors, and graduate students who teach for their feedback on their perceptions of student engagement as well as instructional strategies and practices.

Additional information on the NSSE, BCSSE, and FSSE can be found on the Employee Hub.