The Malaysia Education Blueprint 2013-2025 requires assessment of Higher-Order Thinking Skills (HOTS). The objective of this study is to develop and validate an assessment instrument measuring both HOTS and Mathematical Thinking (MT) skills in Malaysian Form 4 students studying quadratic functions, according to KSSM standards. The development of the assessment instrument began with (1) theoretical alignment between Bloom’s Taxonomy and Mason’s MT; (2) development of items based on KSSM content standards; (3) expert validation by five Malaysian mathematics education specialists using the Content Validity Index (CVI); and (4) pilot testing with 20 Form 4 students from Johor schools. Expert validation yielded excellent content validity with I-CVI scores ranging from 0.80 to 1.00. Pilot testing demonstrated high internal consistency, with Cronbach's alpha values of 0.89 for HOTS and 0.87 for MT. The final instrument comprises three parts: Calculator Proficiency (5 items), HOTS Assessment (4 items), and MT Assessment (4 items), with scoring rubrics aligned to KSSM standards. This study presents the first systematically validated instrument integrating Bloom's Taxonomy and Mason's MT framework for Malaysian Form 4 students studying quadratic functions. The validated tool equips teachers with reliable resources to assess advanced thinking, supports evidence-based instructional decisions, and contributes to national educational initiatives.
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