Analysis of Cognitive Representation of LOTS, MOTS, and HOTS in the Akidah Akhlak Madrasah Examination

Abstract

This study aims to analyze and map the distribution of cognitive representations of Low Order Thinking Skills (LOTS), Middle Order Thinking Skills (MOTS), and High Order Thinking Skills (HOTS) in the Madrasah Examination (UM) instruments for Akidah Akhlak subject in the 2025/2026 academic year at MA Manba'ul Ulum Kabul. A descriptive quantitative approach with content analysis method was employed. The research subject comprised the master document of blueprints and test items of the Akidah Akhlak examination, gathering a total of 45 items consisting of 40 multiple-choice questions and 5 essays. The data analysis instrument utilized a codification sheet based on the revised Bloom's Taxonomy matrix (Anderson & Krathwohl). The results revealed that the cognitive level distribution included the LOTS domain (Level 1) at 24.44% (11 items), the MOTS domain (Level 2) as the dominant content at 53.33% (24 items), and the HOTS domain (Level 3) at 22.23% (10 items). This empirical data formulation clarifies an empirical research gap in the form of a slight codification mismatch between the teacher's initial document (12 LOTS, 23 MOTS, 10 HOTS) and the researcher's objective verification, which yields a more precise new composition, while simultaneously proving that the construction of the evaluation instrument still meets the ideal proportion standards and aligns with the government curriculum mandate in KMA Number 183 of 2019.