This study aims to develop a high-level thinking ability instrument of physics subject of senior high school students and measure higher order thinking skills (HOTS) senior high school students of thermodynamic materials in Nganjuk, Indonesia. The study was conducted in three stages, including initial development, trials, and measurements. The initial development stage includes compilation, review, and validation. Validation performed includes content validation by experts. Problems developed in two packages of questions A and B, in which each package consisted of 20 questions, with anchor items as much as 5 items. The measurement results showed that thermodynamic HOTS test kits have obtained empirical evidence fit with partial credit model. The difficulty level of thermodynamic HOTS is in the range of -2.0 to +2.0. The difficulty levels of the most difficult tests in the sequence are aspects of analyzing, evaluating, and creating. The reliability of HOTS has met the high categorical requirements, and based on the total information function of HOTS thermodynamics is appropriately used to measure the HOTS of learners with capability -2.3 to +1.6. The result of the students’ response to the ability to analyze is highest, then followed by the ability to