Abstract "Model cognition" is an important component of chemical core literacy. This study defined the concept of model and model cognition, established the constituent elements of cognitive ability of chemical model and its related performance indicators, and designed a questionnaire to probe into the current situation of "model cognition" ability of pre-service teachers. The results showed that the overall level of "model cognition" ability of pre-service teachers was not high; there were significant differences among different grades and no significant difference in gender.
