In higher education the main subjects build on the knowledge acquired in high school. Research shows that students entering universities have acquired basic knowledge to different extents. It is very important to be able to apply mathematical knowledge directly. Students often treat practical knowledge separately from theoretical knowledge. They find it difficult to bind these two or see the relation between them. Meaningful learning and understanding is a basic aspect of all kinds of learning, and it is even more important in the case of learning mathematics. When students can provide the solution to something they have not learnt directly, when they can use their knowledge in novel situations, this is a sign of a different quality of knowledge, of a deeper understanding. The aim of this research was to measure students' independent thinking and problem-solving skills, as well as to investigate the way they can actively apply their knowledge when solving problems not directly connected to the curriculum. We have investigated the relationship between the different knowledge areas, and levels (operations, conceptual understanding, problem and exercise solving) in the case of one hundred economic majors at Partium Christian University.