Correlation Investigation: The Cognitive Reflection Test and the Math National Evaluation scores

The aim of the paper is to assess the relationship between the Cognitive Reflection Test (CRT) scores and the Math National Evaluation scores. The CRT measures the general tendency of most students to choose the easy, but wrong answer instead thinking in order to discover the correct answer. To the author?s knowledge, this is the first analysis of the relationship between CRT scores and Math scores at secondary school level. Quantitative methods were used: statistical analyze and econometric methods, using SPSS, the Pearson correlation. A critical assessment of the literature review was made too. Two versions of CRT were used: the original CRT and the long CRT (LCRT), including 10 items from other CRT alternatives. It was proved that there is a significant, strong and positive correlation between the Math National Evaluation scores and the Cognitive Reflection Test scores, in both versions, the original CRT and the 10 items Long Cognitive Reflection Test. More, it was proved that both CRT and LCRT are predictors not only for students? performance on national evaluation, but on another types of external evaluation, like simulation, as well as on internal evaluations too, like semestrial evaluation. Also, the results proved that the students who previously made this type of problems obtained better results than the ones who were never exposed to these tests. As a recommendation, optional courses focused on logical reasoning could have a positive impact on Math National Evaluation scores. The main limitation of the paper is that the participants were only from the Eastern part of Romania.