Lectical^® Levels & Benchmarks

About Lectical Levels

(A.K.A. skill levels or orders of hierarchical complexity)

MindLog scores and the developmental score on Lectical Assessments are Lectical Scores. A Lectical Score is a score on the Lectical Scale, which is a refinement of the verbal range of Dr. Kurt Fischer's Skill Scale, a developmental scale that runs from level 1 at birth through level 13 (which is observed in only a tiny fraction of the population). 

In the past, there were two Lectical Assessment Systems—a human version and a computerized version. Today, all scoring is done with the computerized version of the Lectical Assessment System. The names, Lectical Assessment System (LAS) and Computerized Lectical Assessment System (CLAS) now refer to a single computerized scoring system. 

The Lectical Scale is a scale of increasing complexity, so a score on the scale represents the complexity level of a particular performance.

It's possible for people to keep developing on the Lectical Scale for as long as they're learning new things and connecting what they learn to their existing knowledge. 

We use Lectical Scale in several ways. In fact, this scale makes everything we do here at Lectica possible—and it makes our work unique. We use it to:

• study how skills of all kinds develop over time;
• document the development of meaning over the course of the lifespan;
• investigate the effectiveness and psychological impacts of different approaches to learning and teaching;
• study the roles of emotion in learning;
• establish the complexity demands of curricula and roles;
• examine how meaning and the complexity of thought have evolved over time (historically), and

• establish the complexity level of MindLog and assessment responses.

  ---

On this page you will find…

• a video and slide deck about Lectical Levels 6–12;
• a description of the ways in which we represent Lectical Scores;
• a table showing how Lectical Levels relate to educational and workplace demands, with a few descriptions of the decision-making skills associated with different score ranges; and
• an academic description of Lectical Levels with an interactive slide deck.

Continuous improvement and Lectical Scores

The Lectical Assessment System works with our Lectical Dictionary which, like any dictionary, is constantly being revised. 

The Lectical Dictionary is updated continuously, based on what we learn from each assessment taken. This means scores become a tiny bit more accurate over time. This means we can deliver increasingly accurate and useful scores and information, but it it also means that older Lectical Scores are updated from time to time. Fortunately, the vast majority of the time, score adjustments are tiny and have no effect on score interpretation.

A plain English description of Lectica Levels (video)

Another plain English description of Lectical Levels (slides)

A more academic description of Lectical Levels

The following table provides descriptions of Lectical Levels 6-12.

Please note, none of the examples shown below would be evidence of a certain level. The examples represent the kinds of things people performing in a level are likely to say but are not necessarily evidence of the level. To determine Lectical Level we need to see the structure of the larger arguments in which a concept is embedded.

*Skill levels were first described by Dr. Kurt Fischer in 1980.

How we represent Lectical Scores

There are several ways in which we represent Lectical Scores.

• Whole-level scores: These are used primarily in descriptions of Lectical Levels or when making generalizations like, "Adults typically perform in levels 10 and 11."
• Zone scores: Zones represent an entire Lectical Level. Adult zones are abstract linear thinking, systems thinking, and principles thinking, and systems of principles thinking. Zones are most often used when explaining Lectical Levels to the public, as in the illustration below, which provides broad benchmarks for management levels.
• Phase scores: Phase scores represent 1/4 of a Lectical Level. In level 11, the phases are 11a (1100–1124), 11b (1125–1149), 11c (1150–1174), and 11d (1175–1199).
• Decimal scores: Decimals scores (11.34, 10.99, etc.) are primarily used in older academic publications.
• Four-digit scores: Four-digit scores are decimal scores without the period.  This is the most common way we represent Lectical Scores in reports and non-academic publications.

Rough (very) benchmarks for Lectical Levels, roles, & educational attainment

The following table shows how Lectical Levels typically relate to the complexity level of coursework demands in schools and role demands in organizations. It also includes a few examples of decision-making skills people are likely to exhibit in different score ranges. Keep in mind that these are descriptions of skills people demonstrate in assessment responses, not things they say.

During the first 15 years of the 20th century, a rapid expansion of colleges and universities followed the increased demand for college educations that were manufactured by initiatives like No Child Left Behind, in the United States. Many of the students headed for college were not prepared for conventional college curricula, and colleges adapted by introducing programs tailored to the needs of these students. The table below reflects the widened range of expectations for college and graduate programs that resulted.

When using this table as a reference, please keep in mind that several factors play a role in the actual complexity demands of both coursework and roles. In organizations, both size and sector matter. For example, there can be a difference as large as an entire level between similar positions in construction and IT. If you would like more precise estimates for your school or organization, please contact us.

When using this table in educational contexts, keep in mind that in level 11 and above, average annual growth ranges from 0–5 points per year, with slower growth at higher levels.