Cognitive Assessment System.

The Cognitive Assessment System (CAS) (Naglieri & Das, 1997a) is a multidimensional measure of ability based on a cognitive and neuropsychological processing theory called Planning, Attention, Simultaneous, and Successive (PASS) (Naglieri, 1999a, 2005). The PASS theory described by Naglieri and Das (1997b, 2005) is a reconceptualization of intelligence largely, but not solely, based on the neuropsychological work of A. R. Luria (1966, 1973, 1980, 1982). The four processes that make up the PASS theory represent a blend of cognitive and neuropsychological constructs, such as executive functioning (Planning) and selective attention (Attention), including tests that in the past were often arguably described as nonverbal/visual-spatial (Simultaneous) and sequencing/memory (Successive) (Naglieri & Das, 2002). The PASS theory is a different approach to understanding intelligence that not only expands the idea of what ‘‘abilities’’ should be measured, but also stresses the significance of basic psychological or cognitive processes. Additionally, the functions of the brain that encompass the PASS processes are considered the building blocks of ability conceptualized within a cognitive processing framework. While the theory may have its roots in neuropsychology, ‘‘its branches are spread over developmental and educational psychology’’ (Varnhagen & Das, 1986, p. 130). Thus, with its connections to developmental and cognitive processing, the PASS theory offers an advantage in explanatory power over the notion of traditional general intelligence (Naglieri & Das, 2002).