critical thinking test answer

Critical Thinking test

By 123test team . Updated May 12, 2023

Critical Thinking test reviews

This Critical Thinking test measures your ability to think critically and draw logical conclusions based on written information. Critical Thinking tests are often used in job assessments in the legal sector to assess a candidate's  analytical critical  thinking skills. A well known example of a critical thinking test is the Watson-Glaser Critical Thinking Appraisal .

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The test comprises of the following five sections with a total of 10 questions:

• Analysing Arguments
• Assumptions
• Interpreting Information

Instructions Critical Thinking test

Each question presents one or more paragraphs of text and a question about the information in the text. It's your job to figure out which of the options is the correct answer.

Below is a statement that is followed by an argument. You should consider this argument to be true. It is then up to you to determine whether the argument is strong or weak. Do not let your personal opinion about the statement play a role in your evaluation of the argument.

Statement: It would be good if people would eat vegetarian more often. Argument: No, because dairy also requires animals to be kept that will have to be eaten again later.

Is this a strong or weak argument?

Strong argument Weak argument

Statement: Germany should no longer use the euro as its currency Argument: No, because that means that the 10 billion Deutschmark that the introduction of the euro has cost is money thrown away.

Overfishing is the phenomenon that too much fish is caught in a certain area, which leads to the disappearance of the fish species in that area. This trend can only be reversed by means of catch reduction measures. These must therefore be introduced and enforced.

Assumption: The disappearance of fish species in areas of the oceans is undesirable.

Is the assumption made from the text?

Assumption is made Assumption is not made

As a company, we strive for satisfied customers. That's why from now on we're going to keep track of how quickly our help desk employees pick up the phone. Our goal is for that phone to ring for a maximum of 20 seconds.

Assumption: The company has tools or ways to measure how quickly help desk employees pick up the phone.

• All reptiles lay eggs
• All reptiles are vertebrates
• All snakes are reptiles
• All vertebrates have brains
• Some reptiles hatch their eggs themselves
• Most reptiles have two lungs
• Many snakes only have one lung
• Cobras are poisonous snakes
• All reptiles are animals

Conclusion: Some snakes hatch their eggs themselves.

Does the conclusion follow the statements?

Conclusion follows Conclusion does not follow

(Continue with the statements from question 5.)

Conclusion: Some animals that lay eggs only have one lung.

In the famous 1971 Stanford experiment, 24 normal, healthy male students were randomly assigned as 'guards' (12) or 'prisoners' (12). The guards were given a uniform and instructed to keep order, but not to use force. The prisoners were given prison uniforms. Soon after the start of the experiment, the guards made up all kinds of sentences for the prisoners. Insurgents were shot down with a fire extinguisher and public undressing or solitary confinement was also a punishment. The aggression of the guards became stronger as the experiment progressed. At one point, the abuses took place at night, because the guards thought that the researchers were not watching. It turned out that some guards also had fun treating the prisoners very cruelly. For example, prisoners got a bag over their heads and were chained to their ankles. Originally, the experiment would last 14 days. However, after six days the experiment was stopped.

The students who took part in the research did not expect to react the way they did in such a situation.

To what extent is this conclusion true, based on the given text?

True Probably true More information required Probably false False

(Continue with the text from 'Stanford experiment' in question 7.)

The results of the experiment support the claim that every young man (or at least some young men) is capable of turning into a sadist fairly quickly.

• A flag is a tribute to the nation and should therefore not be hung outside at night. Hoisting the flag therefore happens at sunrise, bringing it down at sunset. Only when a country flag is illuminated by spotlights on both sides, it may remain hanging after sunset. There is a simple rule of thumb for the time of bringing down the flag. This is the moment when there is no longer any visible difference between the individual colors of the flag.
• A flag may not touch the ground.
• On the Dutch flag, unless entitled to do so, no decorations or other additions should be made. Also the use of a flag purely for decoration should be avoided. However, flag cloth may be used for decoration - for example in the form of drapes.
• The orange pennant is only used on birthdays of members of the Royal House and on King's Day. The orange pennant should be as long or slightly longer than the diagonal of the flag.

Conclusion: One can assume that no Dutch flag will fly at government buildings at night, unless it is illuminated by spotlights on both sides.

Does the conclusion follow, based on the given text?

(Continue with the text from 'Dutch flag protocol' in question 9.)

Conclusion: If the protocol is followed, the orange pennant will always be longer than the horizontal bands/stripes of the flag.

Please answer the questions below. Not all questions are required but it will help us improve this test.

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Critical Thinking Test: Sample Questions with Explanations (2024)

Employers value and seek candidates who demonstrate advanced critical thinking skills. They often administer critical thinking tests as part of their hiring process. Critical thinking tests can be very difficult for those who don’t prepare. A great way to start practicing is by taking our critical thinking free practice test.

What Does The Critical Thinking Test Include?

The Critical Thinking Test assesses your capacity to think critically and form logical conclusions when given written information. Critical thinking tests are generally used in job recruitment processes, in the legal sector. These tests measure the analytical critical thinking abilities of a candidate.

Why Is Critical Thinking Useful?

Critical thinking is put into action in various stages of decision-making and problem-solving tasks:

• Identify the problem
• Choose suitable information to find the solution
• Identify the assumptions that are implied and written in the text
• Form hypotheses and choose the most suitable and credible answers
• Form well-founded conclusions and determine the soundness of inferences

What is Watson Glaser Test and what Critical Thinking Skills it Measures?

The most common type of critical thinking test is the Watson-Glaser Critical Thinking Appraisal (W-GCTA). Typically used by legal and financial organizations, as well as management businesses, a Watson Glaser test is created to assess candidates’ critical thinking skills.

The test consists of 10 questions to be answered in 10 minutes approx (although there is no timer on the test itself). Our test is slightly harder than the real thing, to make it sufficiently challenging practice.

You need to get 70% correct to pass the test. Don’t forget to first check out the test techniques section further down this page beforehand.

Questions          25

Pass percentage          70%.

The test is broken down into five central areas:

• Assumptions
• Interpretation

Critical Thinking Course

• 1 BONUS Interview Prep Video Guide Buy this Course: Get full access to all lessons, practice tests and guides.

The Five Critical Thinking Skills Explained

1. recognition of assumption.

You’ll be presented with a statement. The statement is then followed by several proposed assumptions. When answering, you must work out if an assumption was made or if an assumption was not made in the statement. An assumption is a proclamation that an individual takes for granted. This section of the tests measures your ability to withhold from forming assumptions about things that are not necessarily correct.

• 1: Assumption Made
• 2: Assumption Not Made

Although the passage does state that Charlie’s fundraising team is doing its best so that the charity event can meet its goal, nowhere did it state that their team is leading the event.

2. Evaluation of Arguments

You will be presented with an argument. You will then be asked to decide whether the argument is strong or weak. An argument is considered strong if it directly connects to the statement provided, and is believed to be significant.

No, participation awards should not be given in every competition because studies have shown that this would cause the participants to put in less effort because they will get a prize no matter what the outcome is.

• 1: Strong Argument
• 2: Weak Argument

This is a strong argument as it provides evidence as to why participation awards should not be given in every competition

3. Deductions

In deduction questions, you will need to form conclusions based solely on the information provided in the question and not based on your knowledge. You will be given a small passage of information and you will need to evaluate a list of deductions made based on that passage. If the conclusion cannot be formed for the information provided, then the conclusion does not follow. The answer must be entirely founded on the statements made and not on conclusions drawn from your knowledge.

In a surprise party for Donna, Edna arrived after Felix and Gary did. Kelly arrived before Felix and Gary did.

• 1: Conclusion Follows
• 2: Conclusion Does not Follow

For questions like this, jot down the clues to help you out. Use initials as a quick reference.

K | F&G | E

Looking at the simple diagram, “K”, which stands for “Kelly,” arrived before Edna “E” did. The answer is A.

4. Interpretation

In these questions, you are given a passage of information followed by a list of possible conclusions. You will need to interpret the information in the paragraph and determine whether or not each conclusion follows, based solely on the information given.

A number of students were given the following advice:

“The use of powerful words is a technique, which makes you a better writer. Your choice of words is very important in molding the way people interaction with the article. You should use powerful words to spice up your article. Power words should be used liberally to enhance the flavor of what you write! ”

In the fourth sentence, it is stated, “Power words should be used liberally to enhance the flavor of what you write!”

Thus, if you were to write an essay, using powerful words can give more flavor to it.

5. Inferences

An inference is a conclusion made from observed or supposed facts and details. It is information that is not apparent in the information provided but rather is extracted from it. In this section, you will be provided with a passage of information about a specific scene or event. A list of possible inferences will then be given, and you will need to decide if they are ‘true’, ‘false’, ‘possibly true’, ‘possibly false’, or whether it is not possible to say based on the information provided.

With the advancement of technology, the need for more infrastructure has never been higher. According to the plan of the current U.S. Administration, it aims to put a $1 trillion investment on improving infrastructure, a portion of which will include priority projects and technologies that can strengthen its economic competitiveness such as transportation, 5G wireless communication technology, rural broadband technologies, advanced manufacturing technologies, and even artificial intelligence.

It stated that it expects to work with Congress to develop a comprehensive infrastructure package, which is expected to have a budget of $200 billion for certain priorities.

• 2: Probably True
• 3: Not Enough Information
• 4: Probably False

Although it was mentioned in the passage that the U.S. government is to allocate $200 billion on certain priorities, it did not specify if these certain priorities were for ‘transportation, 5G wireless communication technology, rural broadband technologies, advanced manufacturing technologies, and artificial intelligence’ or if the aforementioned priorities will have a different allocation.

What we can be sure of, however, is that at least a portion of the $1 trillion infrastructure budget will be used on the mentioned priorities regardless, meaning that there is a chance that $200 billion will be used on those aforementioned areas.

Improve Your Score with Prepterminal’s Critical Thinking Course

The Critical Thinking test is difficult, but not impossible to overcome with practice. At PrepTerminal our psychometric test experts have developed a critical thinking preparatory test to provide you with the material you need to practice for your critical thinking test. Prepare with us to increase your chance of successfully overcoming this hurdle in the recruitment process.

Prepterminal’s preparatory critical thinking course features a structured study course along with critical thinking practice tests to help you improve your exam score. Our course includes video and text-based information presented in a clear and easy-to-understand manner so you can follow along at your own pace with ease.

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Critical Thinking Test: Online Preparation & Free Practice Questions – 2024

• Information
• Free Example Questions

What Is Critical Thinking?

Critical thinking is a form of decision making and reasoning using data and observations. Someone who is a strong critical thinker can find quality solutions efficiently and can evaluate issues objectively.

What Is a Critical Thinking Test?

Critical thinking tests provide companies valuable insight into the leadership, reasoning, and overall capabilities of candidates. Because strong critical thinking skills are highly sought after, the critical thinking test can be applicable to any field and discipline across multiple levels of expertise from recent graduate to executive. However, it is commonly administered to those applying for criminal justice and business-related occupations.

Job seekers with upcoming critical thinking tests will be evaluated on more than their ability to rationalize, critical thinking tests also measure the following subsets:

• Organizing & Planning
• Strategizing
• Decision Making
• Problem Solving

The format of the critical thinking uses hypothetical scenarios to assess candidates. The scenarios are typically relevant to the field you are interested in to assess your knowledge of the role. There will also be general questions concerning more basic issues or problems that commonly occur in a workplace environment.

The critical thinking test is multiple-choice with thirty minutes to complete the assessment. Candidates will receive a notification stating whether or not they passed within a week of completion.

How Is the Critical Thinking Test Scored?

The critical reasoning test is scored based on your raw score and your percentile in comparison with your norm group. It’s important to note that these will not be the same number.

A norm group is a collection of scores from individuals in your field at your level of experience. The percentile score is used to alert employers if you exceed, meet or miss the benchmark for the average expectations of candidates. You will be rated on a scale of one to one hundred with fifty consisting of the mean and median scores.

A raw score is simply the number of correct answers. The critical thinking test comprises your raw score based on the performance in the following areas:

• Recognizing Assumptions The candidate must be able to understand when a statement is made with no supporting evidence and how this can affect a decision. Further, candidates are asked to identify these discrepancies, whether they are stated explicitly or implicitly, and assess its relevance to the given scenario.
• Evaluating Arguments Candidates must evaluate arguments without considering inferences or being subjective. Beyond that, candidates must assess the supporting evidence, the structure of the argument and the degree of its influence. It is very important to dismiss emotions for this portion of the critical thinking test.
• Drawing Conclusions Drawing conclusions puts a large emphasis on reasoning. In this section, it’s important to assess all of the available evidence and data to form a plausible conclusion that accurately applies to all the given information. Employers also want to see candidates that will consider all possible solutions rather than making the evidence fit a desired narrative.

Employers will receive all of this information in a performance report construed by the assessment company. Employers will also be given insight into your overall potential, job knowledge, creativity and job performance per the report.

Where Will I Take a Critical Thinking Test?

Critical thinking tests are non-proctored online assessments that are typically sent via email after an initial screening. For some occupations, the company may ask that the candidate take the critical thinking test again on-site either before their final interview or during an assessment day. The most common test candidates are asked to take is the Watson Glaser Critical Thinking Appraisal (WGCTA) created by the popular assessment company, Pearson . This assessment company is on their third edition with new scoring and subsets described above. The WGCTA gained popularity because of its ability to assess a candidate’s potential alongside their aptitude. Another established assessment is the SHL Critical Reasoning Battery that contains sixty questions with a thirty-minute time limit. Both of the aforementioned critical thinking tests are multiple choice.

How to Prepare for the Critical Thinking Test?

The critical thinking test is difficult to study for because the test is designed to assess your bare knowledge and raw skills. In order to prepare successfully, it is important to focus on the areas of the test that you can equip yourself for. One aspect of the test that demands preparation is the time limit. Many candidates’ scores are negatively impacted because they skip or guess too many of the questions in an attempt to beat the clock. If you want to optimize your chances of achieving a good score, use online practice tests to acquaint yourself with the time constraint and the general theme of the questions. By utilizing the online practice tests, you can find the pace that works best for you. Another helpful way to prepare is running through sample questions. This way, you can warm-up your brain and gain an understanding of the expectations that both the test and the company have of you.

Free Sample Questions to Practice

• Look over her past quizzes to see what she missed.
• Set aside more time during the week to review the material for the quiz.
• Get to class on early Wednesday and briefly look over the chapters.
• Get a good night’s sleep.
• Parents should find an alternative way to get their kids to school next week.
• The premiums must be over-priced.
• Collective bargaining is no longer a feasible solution.
• Their employers are being unreasonable.
• People in Hawaii dislike living on an island.
• Colder climates induce more happiness than warmer climates.
• The high scores on the Alaska survey were produced by people who enjoy snow.
• People in Hawaii should move to Alaska.
• Jenny’s credit card was declined at the mall.
• Jenny’s bank keeps charging her $30 overdraft fees.
• Jenny’s check bounced when she attempted to purchase a new TV.
• Jenny spends more money than she makes.
• Lori has thirty cans of soda in a refrigerator in her garage and another fourteen sitting on the counter. Lori does not have anymore cans of soda. Therefore, Lori has 44 cans of soda.
• The accounting department loves math. My friend works in the accounting department. My friend loves math.
• Everyone southbound on the freeway yesterday was late to work. Jackie was southbound on the freeway. Jackie was late to work.
• Adrian lives in either Springfield, California, or Springfield, Illinois. If he lives in Illinois, then he is an American.

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Free Critical Thinking Practice Test with Questions, Answers, and Explanations

The questions on this free Critical Thinking practice test are a true representation of the questions you'll face on the actual Critical Thinking Aptitude Test.

These Critical Thinking sample questions were specifically chosen from our full Critical Thinking test practice pack to help improve your score and ace your pre-employment process.

Good Luck !

Free Critical Thinking Practice Questions

1. United Bank is concerned about the increasing media coverage of suspicions of corruption among its top management staff. The VP of finance was accused of embezzling ten million dollars, for which the maximum penalty is eight years in prison. The bank's attorneys advised management to offer him a plea bargain according to which he will admit to the crime, return the money plus compensation, and serve one year of community service. The VP of finance is reluctant to accept, pleading his innocence. If the VP of finance is found guilty of the charge and the judge gives him the maximum sentence, the VP of finance can be sentenced to a jail term of eight years.

A. True B. Probably True C. Insufficient Data D. Probably False E. False

Answer: The correct answer is 'True'.

The passage says: 'for which the maximum penalty is eight years in prison'. If there is a possible penalty of eight years in prison for the felony the VP is charged with, and he is found guilty, then it is possible that he would be sentenced for this period. As the statement uses the word 'can' it recognizes this is only one possibility of many. Therefore, the statement is true.

2. A new study proves that scores on cognitive ability tests, which include critical thinking tests, are strongly related to success in both civilian and military jobs, and predict outcomes in all jobs. The added value of these tests, the authors conclude, is that they predict both what an individual can do right now, as well the extent to which an individual is likely to learn and develop. Nowadays, occupational psychologists use cognitive ability tests more often than in the past.

Answer: The correct answer is 'Insufficient Data'.

The passage presents information about a new possible utility for cognitive ability tests in the occupational consultancy area. Yet, we lack information about the extent of past and present use of these tests; hence, it is impossible to determine and even to assume whether the statement is correct or not. Therefore, the correct answer is 'Insufficient Data'.

3. Following a reduction in the number of applicants, the college has been asking students to evaluate faculty teaching performance for the last two years. The college's management announced that the purpose of these evaluations is to provide information to faculty about teachers' strengths and weaknesses, and to help higher management make decisions about pay raises and promotions to reward the better teachers. Last week, Professor Burke, a recently retired senior lecturer at the college, wrote a letter in which he objected to these evaluations, claiming they compromise academic standards.

The college management does not care about academic excellence at all.

Answer: The correct answer is 'Probably False'.

This is a very definitive assertion that cannot be derived from the text. Even if the purpose of the evaluation is student satisfaction rather than trying to promote academic standards, it is very unlikely that the management does not care about academic level at all. Remember, you can use common sense and world knowledge when deciding between 'Probably' and 'Insufficient Data'.

We offer full preparation for the Watson Glaser Critical Thinking Appraisal .

If you are slated to take the Watson Glaser, make sure you come prepared with one of the best practice courses available!

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Evaluation of Arguments - This section asks you to evaluate arguments. There is a question followed by an argument. The argument appears to be valid, however, you have to decide whether it is a strong argument or a weak argument, meaning that it should be both important and relevant to the question. You can find more Evaluation of Arguments sample questions in the following guide or purchase JobTestPrep's full Watson Glaser preparation .

4. Retailer groups opposed to Visa and MasterCard’s $7.25 billion settlement of a lawsuit over merchant credit card fees said they have garnered support from about 1,200 businesses covered by the deal. These groups urged U.S. District Judge in Brooklyn not to grant initial approval to the settlement, however, the ruling will probably be in its favour. That could end seven years of litigation over an alleged conspiracy by the card companies and banks to fix the fees that retailers are charged when customers pay with cards.

The judge thinks that a conspiracy between the credit card companies has not occurred.

There are possible reasons for the judge to rule in favour of a settlement that have nothing to do with the judge’s own opinion on the case, like wanting to avoid further costs for both sides in an already long and expensive process. The text simply does not provide any information regarding the judge’s beliefs. Therefore, the answer is 'Insufficient Data'.

5. Virtual employees, or employees who work from home via computer, are an increasing trend. In the US, the number of virtual employees has increased 39% in the last two years and 74% in the last five years. Employing virtual workers reduces costs and makes it possible to use talented workers no matter where they are located globally. Yet, running a workplace with virtual employees might entail miscommunication and less camaraderie, and can be more time-consuming than face-to-face interaction. Today, a majority of the employees in the US are virtual employees.

The passage describes an increasing trend of virtual employment hiring. Yet, it is not specified how prevalent has this trend become in comparison to the entire work force. There is no confirmation or contradiction of the statement, and the first tendency may be to choose 'insufficient data'. However, in this section of the test, you are allowed to use common sense to choose the right answer. By applying logic to the answer choices, you can surmise that there are many jobs which cannot be done virtually, and that despite the increasing popularity of this trend, it is unlikely that a majority of employees in the US are virtual.

Therefore, the correct answer is 'Probably False'.

6. We forecast that completion of the development of supercomputers will be followed by a shortage of people who know how to make use of all this computing power. Proposed Assumption: It's only a matter of time until the development of supercomputers will be completed.

A. Assumption Made B. Assumption Not Made

Answer: Assumption not made.

The forecast does not relate to more than a hypothetical scenario (the completion of supercomputers development). It is neither certain that such a scenario will occur, nor that it is only a matter of time until it will. For example, 'we forecast that an alien invasion will force the nations of this world to work together' does not assume an alien invasion is bound to happen at some point.

Recognising Assumptions - In these types of exercises, you must recognize whether an assumption is justifiable or not. The exercises usually consist of a statement followed by an assumption about it. Your job is to identify whether this assumption is supported by the statement. Check out these Recognising Assumptions questions . Other Critical Thinking practice preps include Hogan , Watson Glaser , and RANRA .

7. Wife to husband: Our joint income is lower than it could be. But soon I will begin to work at an additional part-time job, and I will earn extra income. Proposed Assumption: The couple's expenses have increased significantly lately.

Answer: Assumption is not made.

There may be many reasons for the wife's wish to increase her household's incomes.

8. A career at DX Electronics is the best choice—it is the most stable workplace.

Proposed Assumption:

Most of DX Electronics' employees are satisfied with their current company management.

The above text does not relate to employee satisfaction in any way. It might make sense that a workplace’s employees must be satisfied for it to be stable, but one does not have to make this assumption to make this statement.

9. Ethics committee member: 'This person was the proctor at the exam during which the two students were caught allegedly cheating. Yet she claims to recognize the student who was giving the answers but not the student who was getting the answers. Therefore, the proctor's testimony should be excluded.' Proposed Assumption: If a proctor claims to recognize both parties involved in cheating, then the proctor's testimony should be included.

Answer: Assumption not made. The passage gives a reason to disqualify a proctor’s testimony, but it does not say the absence of that reason should automatically qualify the testimony. For example: If you are not an American citizen, you cannot run for president. However, if you are an American citizen, it does not necessarily mean you can run for president. There are other conditions, such as your age and the amount of time you have been an American resident.

10. About 330 marketing professionals attended this year’s Media Innovations Forum. This indicates that social media engagement is a substantial feature of brand marketing plans. Proposed Assumption: The extent of attendance in professional media forums is not negligible.

Answer: The assumption is made. Premise 1: Spotting attendance in professional forums allows one to recognise a trend or behaviour in a certain industry. Premise 2: The Media Innovations Forum is important enough to indicate trends in the marketing industry. Conclusion: Social media engagement is a substantial feature of brand marketing plans In other words: According to the above, attendance in professional forums must be significant, or else how can one use it to justify or recognise a noticeable trend in the marketing world? Remember, you are not asked to judge whether the assumption is justified, only whether the speaker had made it.

When dealing with an inference question , you must draw conclusions from observed or assumed facts. You are presented with a short text containing a set of facts with an inferred statement. On the basis of what you've read, you need to make an assessment of this statement's validity.

11. You are nervous if you are stuck in traffic. Everyone stuck in traffic is anxious.

If you are stuck in traffic, you are both anxious and nervous.

A. Conclusion follows B. Conclusion does not follows

Answer: Conclusion follows.

Stuck in traffic = A, nervous = B, anxious = C. According to the premises, if A -> B, and every A -> C, which also means A -> B + C.

The conclusion states A -> B + C.

The conclusion is the combination of the two premises; therefore, it follows.

12. In a certain recycling company that generously rewarded workers for each new client they brought in, it was found that 15 percent of the workers brought in three or more new clients last year. Among workers who had bribed clients to get their business, 25 percent brought in three or more new clients last year.

The workers that had not used bribes earned more money than the ones who did, because the bribers also lost money in the process of bringing in clients.

Answer: Conclusion does not follow. Though it makes sense, that conclusion does not follow beyond a reasonable doubt. Altogether, the workers who had used bribes may have brought more clients than those who had not, so their reward was greater even after subtracting the cost of the bribes. In addition, neither the reward nor the bribe discussed are necessarily cash-related incentives. One might bribe someone by offering free tickets to the theatre owned by his family, or give away something that is not material in nature.

13. When I go to work in the morning, I usually leave my house at 7:00 am and take the bus into the city. On rare occasions, however, I stay overnight at my aunt’s house and take the underground to work.

My workplace is in the city.

Answer: Conclusion does not follow. Although it is stated that the narrator takes the bus into the city when he goes to work, we cannot deduce, beyond a reasonable doubt, that his workplace is actually in the city. The city could just be a stop on the way to the workplace.

14. Studies conducted over the last 60 years show adult obesity and the direct medical cost thereof have increased steadily worldwide. The last decade has the highest rates of both these trends.

Adult obesity and the direct medical cost thereof have increased because fast food has become more prevalent worldwide.

Answer: Conclusion does not follow. From our general knowledge, one may infer that this statement is correct. However, it does not follow from the passage since the passage contains no indication whatsoever concerning fast food. Although fast food could be a good reason for the above-mentioned problems, there may be other reasons as well, so the conclusion does not follow.

Deduction - In this section, you must evaluate information and decide whether the conclusions drawn are justified. Based on the information you have read, a statement of facts is presented followed by a conclusion. Analyse whether the conclusions follow or contradict the statement. Improve your skills with more Deduction questions or purchase the full Watson Glaser preparation . Other Critical Thinking practice preps include Hogan , Watson Glaser , and RANRA .

15. I have a nine-month-old baby at home, and she usually agrees to be put to bed, where she falls asleep promptly. But every time her grandparents visit in the evening, she cries when I put her to bed, and she continues to cry for an hour.

My baby reacts to some changes in routine by refusing to go to sleep quietly.

Answer: Conclusion does not follow. This is a generalization which the passage does not imply. It may be the case, but there could also be many other reasons why the baby will not fall asleep easily. For example, whenever the grandparents visit, the house is noisier, so the baby cannot sleep. It is not possible to conclude beyond a reasonable doubt what the reason for the baby’s problem is.

Interpretation - Here, you evaluate the strength of different arguments in support of a particular topic. Presented to you is a short paragraph, which should be taken as fact. There is a suggested conclusion following this paragraph, which must be verified beyond a reasonable doubt. There are two options: Conclusion follows, and conclusion does not follow. Challenge yourself with more Watson Glaser Interpretation questions . Other Critical Thinking practice preps include Hogan , Watson Glaser , and RANRA .

16. Should the US government welfare program exchange the current system of food stamps, which act like cash, for a list of approved foods?

Argument: No. While fraudulent schemes using food stamps are well known and can therefore be prevented, the fraudulent schemes that undoubtedly will be used with a list of approved foods are unknown and therefore cannot be prevented.

A. Strong argument B. Weak argument

Answer: Strong argument. This argument is both important and related to the issue. If fraudulent schemes related to food stamps are currently being successfully prevented, it would not promote the general welfare of the people to change the system to one with unknown dangerous of fraud.

17. Should employees who have over five years of experience in the company be bound by law to give employers an advance notice of 60 days upon resignation?

Argument: No. Labour laws such as this one that protect employers discourage employees, making them less efficient in the workplace.

Answer: Strong argument. If you consider this argument as true, as you are required to, then this argument is strong. It is relevant to the question of whether there should be a law forcing employees to give two months’ notice before they can resign, and it is important, stating that such laws would only render employees less motivated and productive. Therefore, the argument is strong.

18. When grading tests, should teachers consider that some of their students have native-born parents and other students have immigrant parents?

Argument: No. Although some teachers may be sympathetic to students from immigrant families with financial difficulties, their grading should reflect the students’ work and abilities, regardless of ethnic or financial background.

Answer: Strong argument. Whether you agree with this argument or not, you must regard it as true. As such, it is strong. It both relates to the question directly, and raises an important claim, that grades should reflect someone’s merits, and not take into account factors such as ethnicity or socioeconomic background.

19. Should the government close ageing and polluting power stations even if the result is more energy imports?

Argument: No; importing is highly expensive, and the world-wide financial crisis has had a major impact on the government's ability to pay for such expensive schemes.

Answer: Strong argument. Like the argument in the previous question, the argument addresses one of the main issues presented in the statement—importing energy. More specifically, it addresses the reduced financial ability of the government to execute energy imports due to a world crisis. Therefore, it offers a reliable reason as to why it is probably not desirable to close local power plants.

20. Should the government allow rehabilitated convicted criminals the right to expunge their criminal record after a waiting period of five years?

Argument: Yes; expunging criminal records reduces social stigma and helps rehabilitated criminals assimilate better in society.

Answer: Strong argument. This argument is both directly related to the question and is important. It gives a substantiated reason for why expunging criminal records would have a positive effect. Therefore, it is a strong argument.

In the Critical Thinking Watson Glaser PrepPack , you will find the largest selection of practice tests, study guides and tutorials. We offer straightforward expert explanations as well as predictive score reports that show your skill level and progress. With our materials, you will be able to significantly boost your potential within a short period of time, thereby improving your chances of being hired.

Answer Index

Continue Practicing for the Critical Thinking Exam

Access more Critical Thinking Test practice tests and other valuable critical thinking test prep materials so that you take the test while being as prepared as possible:

• The Watson Glaser Practice Course -  2 full-length Watson Glaser practice test simulations and 23 extra practice drills to sharpen your abilities.
• The Complete Clifford Chance Assessment Preparation   - Prepare with 3 RANRA-style practice tests, 2 Watson Glaser-style full practice assessments and 300 practice questions and drills.
• Linklaters Watson Glaser Test - 1 Diagnostic Test, 6 Full-length Watson Glaser Simulations, 23 Specialized Practice Tests for All Five Watson Glaser Sections.
• Hogan Lovells Watson Glaser Assessment  - Full-Length Watson Glaser Simulations, Inference Drills, Deduction Drills, Arguments Drills, Interpretation Drills, Assumptions Drills.
• Combination of RANRA Watson Glaser Tests - 3 RANRA-style, 29 Watson Glaser-style, and 12 Numerical Exercises practice tests.

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Critical Thinking Tests

• 228 questions

Critical thinking tests, sometimes known as critical reasoning tests, are often used by employers. They evaluate how a candidate makes logical deductions after scrutinising the evidence provided, while avoiding fallacies or non-factual opinions. Critical thinking tests can form part of an assessment day, or be used as a screening test before an interview.

What is a critical thinking test?

A critical thinking test assesses your ability to use a range of logical skills to evaluate given information and make a judgement. The test is presented in such a way that candidates are expected to quickly scrutinise the evidence presented and decide on the strength of the arguments.

Critical thinking tests show potential employers that you do not just accept data and can avoid subconscious bias and opinions – instead, you can find logical connections between ideas and find alternative interpretations.

This test is usually timed, so quick, clear, logical thinking will help candidates get the best marks. Critical thinking tests are designed to be challenging, and often used as part of the application process for upper-management-level roles.

What does critical thinking mean?

Critical thinking is the intellectual skill set that ensures you can process and consider information, challenge and analyse data, and then reach a conclusion that can be defended and justified.

In the most simple terms, critical reasoning skills will make sure that you are not simply accepting information at face value with little or no supporting evidence.

It also means that you are less likely to be swayed by ‘false news’ or opinions that cannot be backed with facts – which is important in high-level jobs that require logical thinking.

For more information about logical thinking, please see our article all about logical reasoning .

Which professions use critical thinking tests, and why?

Typically, critical thinking tests are taken as part of the application process for jobs that require advanced skills in judgement, analysis and decision making. The higher the position, the more likely that you will need to demonstrate reliable critical reasoning and good logic.

The legal sector is the main industry that uses critical thinking assessments – making decisions based on facts, without opinion and intuition, is vital in legal matters.

A candidate for a legal role needs to demonstrate their intellectual skills in problem-solving without pre-existing knowledge or subconscious bias – and the critical thinking test is a simple and effective way to screen candidates.

Another industry that uses critical thinking tests as part of the recruitment process is banking. In a similar way to the legal sector, those that work in banking are required to make decisions without allowing emotion, intuition or opinion to cloud coherent analysis and conclusions.

Critical thinking tests also sometimes comprise part of the recruitment assessment for graduate and management positions across numerous industries.

The format of the test: which skills are tested?

The test itself, no matter the publisher, is multiple choice.

As a rule, the questions present a paragraph of information for a scenario that may include numerical data. There will then be a statement and a number of possible answers.

The critical thinking test is timed, so decisions need to be made quickly and accurately; in most tests there is a little less than a minute for each question. Having experience of the test structure and what each question is looking for will make the experience smoother for you.

There are typically five separate sections in a critical thinking test, and each section may have multiple questions.

Inference questions assess your ability to judge whether a statement is true, false, or impossible to determine based on the given data and scenario. You usually have five possible answers: absolutely true, absolutely false, possibly true, possibly false, or not possible to determine.

Assumptions

In this section, you are being assessed on your ability to avoid taking things for granted. Each question gives a scenario including data, and you need to evaluate whether there are any assumptions present.

Here you are given a scenario and a number of deductions that may be applicable. You need to assess the given deductions to see which is the logical conclusion – does it follow?

Interpretation

In the interpretation stage, you need to read and analyse a paragraph of information, then interpret a set of possible conclusions, to see which one is correct. You are looking for the conclusion that follows beyond reasonable doubt.

Evaluation of Arguments

In this section, you are given a scenario and a set of arguments that can be for or against. You need to determine which are strong arguments and which are weak, in terms of the information that you have. This decision is made based on the way they address the scenario and how relevant they are to the content.

How best to prepare for a critical thinking test

The best way to prepare for any type of aptitude test is to practice, and critical thinking tests are no different.

Taking practice tests, as mentioned above, will give you confidence as it makes you better understand the structure, layout and timing of the real tests, so you can concentrate on the actual scenarios and questions.

Practice tests should be timed. This will help you get used to working through the scenarios and assessing the conclusions under time constraints – which is a good way to make sure that you perform quickly as well as accurately.

In some thinking skills assessments , a timer will be built in, but you might need to time yourself.

Consistent practice will also enable you to pinpoint any areas of the critical thinking test that require improvement. Our tests offer explanations for each answer, similar to the examples provided above.

Publishers of critical thinking tests

The watson glaser critical thinking test.

The Watson-Glaser Critical Thinking Appraisal (W-GCTA) is the most popular and widely used critical thinking test. This test has been in development for 85 years and is published by TalentLens .

The W-GCTA is seen as a successful tool for assessing cognitive abilities, allowing recruiting managers to predict job success, find good managers and identify future leaders. It is available in multiple languages including English, French and Spanish.

The test itself can be used as part of an assessment day or as a screening assessment before an interview. It consists of 40 questions on the 5 sections mentioned above, and is timed at 30 minutes. Click here for more information on Watson Glaser tests .

SHL critical reasoning test

SHL is a major aptitude test publisher, which offers critical thinking as part of its testing battery for pre-employment checks.

SHL tests cover all kinds of behavioural and aptitude tests, from logic to inference, verbal to numerical – and with a number of test batteries available online, they are one of the most popular choices for recruiters.

Cornell critical thinking test

The Cornell critical thinking test was made to test students and first developed in 1985. It is an American system that helps teachers, parents and administrators to confidently predict future performance for college admission, gifted and advanced placement programs, and even career success.

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5 Example critical thinking practice questions with answers

In this section, you need to deduce whether the inferred statement is true, false or impossible to deduce.

The UK Government has published data that shows 82% of people under the age of 30 are not homeowners. A charity that helps homeless people has published data that shows 48% of people that are considered homeless are under 30.

The lack of affordable housing on the sales market is the reason so many under-30s are homeless.

• Definitely True
• Probably True
• Impossible to Deduce
• Probably False
• Definitely False

The information given does not infer the conclusion given, so it is impossible to deduce if the inference is correct – there is just not enough information to judge the inference as correct.

The removal of the five-substitution rule in British football will benefit clubs with a smaller roster.

Clubs with more money would prefer the five-substitute rule to continue.

• Assumption Made

Assumption Not Made

This is an example of a fallacy that could cause confusion for a candidate – it encourages you to bring in any pre-existing knowledge of football clubs.

It would be easy to assume the assumption has been made when you consider that the more money a club has, the more players they should have on the roster. However, the statement does not make the assumption that the clubs with more money would prefer to continue with the five-substitute rule.

All boys love football. Football is a sport, therefore:

• All boys love all sports
• Girls do not love football
• Boys are more likely to choose to play football than any other sport

In this section we are looking for the conclusion that follows the logic of the statement. In this example, we cannot deduce that girls do not love football, because there is not enough information to support that.

In the same way the conclusion that all boys love all sports does not follow – we are not given enough information to make that assumption. So, the conclusion that follows is 3: boys are more likely to choose football than any other sport because all boys like football.

The British Museum has a range of artefacts on display, including the largest privately owned collection of WWII weaponry.

There is a larger privately owned collection of WWII weaponry in the USA.

• Conclusion Follows

Conclusion Does Not Follow

The fact that the collection is in the British Museum does not make a difference to the fact it is the largest private collection – so there cannot be a larger collection elsewhere.

The Department for Education should lower standards in examinations to make it fairer for less able students.

• Yes – top grades are too hard for lower-income students
• No – less fortunate students are not capable of higher standards
• Yes – making the standards lower will benefit all students
• No – private school students will suffer if grade standards are lower
• The strongest argument is the right answer, not the one that you might personally believe.

In this case, we need to assess which argument is most relevant to the statement. Both 1 and 4 refer to students in particular situations, which isn’t relevant to the statement. The same can be said about 2, so the strongest argument is 3, since it is relevant and addresses the statement given.

Sample Critical Thinking Tests question Test your knowledge!

What implication can be drawn from the information in the passage?

A company’s internal audit revealed that departments with access to advanced analytics tools reported higher levels of strategic decision-making. These departments also showed a higher rate of reaching their quarterly objectives.

• Strategic decision-making has no link to the achievement of quarterly objectives.
• Access to advanced analytics does not influence a department's ability to make strategic decisions.
• Advanced analytics tools are the sole reason for departments reaching their quarterly objectives.
• Departments without access to advanced analytics tools are unable to make strategic decisions.
• Advanced analytics tools may facilitate better strategic decision-making, which can lead to the achievement of objectives.

After reading the passage below, what conclusion is best supported by the information provided?

• Job satisfaction increases when employees start their day earlier.
• Starting early may lead to more efficient task completion and less job-related stress.
• Workers who start their day later are more efficient at completing tasks.
• There is a direct correlation between job satisfaction and starting work early.
• The study concludes that job-related stress is unaffected by the start time of the workday.

Based on the passage below, which of the following assumptions is implicit?

• Inter-departmental cooperation is the sole factor influencing project completion rates.
• The increase in project completion rates is due entirely to the specialized team-building module.
• Team-building exercises have no effect on inter-departmental cooperation.
• The specialized team-building module may contribute to improvements in inter-departmental cooperation.
• Departments that have not undergone the training will experience a decrease in project completion rates.

What is the flaw in the argument presented in the passage below?

• The assumption that a casual dress code is suitable for all company types.
• High-tech companies have a casual dress code to increase employee productivity specifically.
• The argument correctly suggests that a casual dress code will increase employee morale in every company.
• Morale and productivity cannot be affected by a company's dress code.
• A casual dress code is more important than other factors in determining a company's success.

Which statement is an inference that can be drawn from the passage below?

• Telecommuting employees are less productive than on-site workers.
• The reduction in operational costs is directly caused by the increase in telecommuting employees.
• Telecommuting may have contributed to the decrease in operational costs.
• Operational costs are unaffected by employee work locations.
• The number of telecommuting employees has no impact on operational costs.

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Critical Thinking Tests Tips

The most important factor in your success will be practice. If you have taken some practice tests, not only will you start to recognise the way questions are worded and become familiar with what each question is looking for, you will also be able to find out whether there are any parts that you need extra practice with.

It is important to find out which test you will be taking, as some generic critical thinking practice tests might not help if you are taking specific publisher tests (see the section below).

2 Fact vs fallacy

Practice questions can also help you recognise the difference between fact and fallacy in the test. A fallacy is simply an error or something misleading in the scenario paragraph that encourages you to choose an invalid argument. This might be a presumption or a misconception, but if it isn’t spotted it can make finding the right answer impossible.

3 Ignore what you already know

There is no need for pre-existing knowledge to be brought into the test, so no research is needed. In fact, it is important that you ignore any subconscious bias when you are considering the questions – you need logic and facts to get the correct answer, not intuition or instinct.

4 Read everything carefully

Read all the given information thoroughly. This might sound straightforward, but knowing that the test is timed can encourage candidates to skip content and risk misunderstanding the content or miss crucial details.

During the test itself, you will receive instructions that will help you to understand what is being asked of you on each section. There is likely to be an example question and answer, so ensure you take the time to read them fully.

5 Stay aware of the time you've taken

This test is usually timed, so don’t spend too long on a question. If you feel it is going to take too much time, leave it and come back to it at the end (if you have time). Critical thinking tests are complex by design, so they do have quite generous time limits.

For further advice, check out our full set of tips for critical thinking tests .

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Critical Thinking Tests FAQs

What are the basics of critical thinking.

In essence, critical thinking is the intellectual process of considering information on its merits, and reaching an analysis or conclusion from that information that can be defended and rationalised with evidence.

How do you know if you have good critical thinking skills?

You are likely to be someone with good critical thinking skills if you can build winning arguments; pick holes in someone’s theory if it’s inconsistent with known facts; reflect on the biases inherent in your own experiences and assumptions; and look at problems using a systematic methodology.

Reviews of our Watson Glaser tests

What our customers say about our Watson Glaser tests

Jozef Bailey

United Kingdom

April 05, 2022

Doesn't cover all aspects of Watson-Glaser tests but useful

The WGCTA uses more categories to assess critical thinking, but this was useful for the inference section.

April 01, 2022

Just practicing for an interview

Good information and liked that it had a countdown clock, to give you that real feel in the test situation.

Jerico Kadhir

March 31, 2022

Aptitude test

It was OK, I didn't understand personally whether or not the "cannot say" option was acceptable or not in a lot of the questions, as it may have been a trick option.

Salvarina Viknesuari

March 15, 2022

I like the test because the platform is simple and engaging while the test itself is different than most of the Watson Glaser tests I've taken.

Alexis Sheridan

March 02, 2022

Some of the ratios were harder than I thought!

I like how clear the design and layout is - makes things very easy (even if the content itself is not!)

Cyril Lekgetho

February 17, 2022

Mental arithmetic

I enjoyed the fact that there were multiple questions pertaining to one passage of information, rather than multiple passages. However I would've appreciated a more varied question type.

Madupoju Manish

February 16, 2022

Analytics are the best questions

I like the test because of its time schedule. The way the questions are prepared makes it easy to crack the original test.

Chelsea Franklin

February 02, 2022

Interesting

I haven't done something like this for ages. Very good for the brain - although I certainly experienced some fog whilst doing it.

[email protected]

January 04, 2022

Population/exchange rates were the hardest

Great test as it felt a bit time pressured. Very different types of questions in terms of difficulty.

faezeh tavakoli

January 02, 2022

More attention to detail + be more time conscious

It was asking about daily stuff we all deal with, but as an assessment it's scrutinising how we approach these problems.

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What Is the Watson Glaser Critical Thinking Test?

What does the watson glaser test assess, what is the watson glaser red model, how to prepare for the watson glaser test, free practice watson glaser test questions, frequently asked questions, final thoughts, watson glaser critical thinking practice test 2024.

Updated May 16, 2024

The Watson-Glaser Critical Thinking Test, often referred to as the Watson-Glaser test, is a widely used assessment tool designed to evaluate an individual's critical thinking skills.

It is commonly administered as part of the hiring process for various professional and managerial positions, particularly in fields where critical thinking and problem-solving abilities are highly valued, such as law, finance and management.

Practice the Watson Glaser Test with TestHQ

The Watson-Glaser Critical Thinking Test assesses a range of cognitive skills and critical thinking abilities.

Specifically, the test is designed to evaluate a person's capacity to think critically, analyze information, and make reasoned and informed judgments.

The Watson-Glaser RED Model is a framework used in the Watson-Glaser Critical Thinking Test to assess and evaluate critical thinking skills.

The RED Model is a structured approach that helps individuals and organizations understand and apply critical thinking principles.

It stands for Recognize, Evaluate, and Draw Conclusions.

Begin with a thorough review of critical thinking principles, logical reasoning and argument evaluation. Explore sample questions and practice tests provided by reputable sources to gain insight into the types of questions you'll encounter.

Next, sharpen your reading comprehension skills by regularly reading complex texts and analyzing their content critically.

Consider seeking guidance from professional test prep materials, courses, or tutors if available. They can provide valuable insights and strategies for success.

Statement: In the UK, some schools are state-funded. All state-funded schools need to follow the National Curriculum. Therefore, no private schools follow the National Curriculum.

Is the Watson Glaser Test hard?

The difficulty of the Watson-Glaser Critical Thinking Test can vary from person to person, depending on their individual critical thinking skills, familiarity with the content and level of preparation.

What is covered in the Watson Glaser Test?

The Watson-Glaser Test typically covers the following key areas:

• Inference Skills
• Recognition of Assumptions
• Deductive Reasoning
• Interpretation of Information
• Evaluation of Arguments
• Problem-Solving
• Decision-Making

How is the Watson Glaser Test scored?

Each question in the Watson-Glaser Test is assigned a specific point value. Test takers earn points for each correct answer. The number of points awarded for each question may vary depending on the difficulty level of the question.

The total score is calculated by summing the points earned for all the questions on the test.

What are the best tips to ensure success in the Watson Glaser Test?

Understand the types of questions you will encounter, such as inference questions, assumption recognition and argument evaluation.

Use practice materials and sample questions to develop your critical thinking skills and become accustomed to the test format.

Read each question carefully to ensure you understand what is being asked.

Understand why certain answers are correct or incorrect.

How long does the Watson Glaser Test take?

The Watson-Glaser Test is typically administered with a time limit. The total test duration can vary but is often around 30 to 40 minutes for the full test. However, this can vary depending on the version and purpose of the test

Can I do the Watson Glaser Test more than once?

Whether or not you can take the Watson-Glaser Critical Thinking Test more than once depends on the policies and requirements of the organization or employer that is administering the test.

The Watson-Glaser Critical Thinking Test is a valuable tool that plays a pivotal role in assessing an individual's critical thinking skills and abilities.

This standardized assessment, recognized and utilized by a wide range of employers and educational institutions, provides valuable insights into one's capacity to think critically, evaluate arguments, recognize assumptions and draw logical conclusions.

Success on the Watson-Glaser Test is attainable through practice, familiarity with the test format and a sound understanding of critical thinking principles.

It is a testament to the importance of critical thinking in today's complex and rapidly evolving world.

By honing these essential skills, individuals not only enhance their performance on the test but also empower themselves to make better-informed decisions, solve problems effectively and thrive in various academic and professional pursuits.

You might also be interested in these other PRT articles:

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A Critical Thinking test, also known as a critical reasoning test, determines your ability to reason through an argument logically and make an objective decision. You may be required to assess a situation, recognize assumptions being made, create hypotheses, and evaluate arguments.

What questions can I expect?

Questions are likely based on the Watson and Glaser Critical Thinking Appraisal model, which contains five sections designed to assess how well an individual reasons analytically and logically. The five sections are:

Arguments : In this section, you are tested on your ability to distinguish between strong and weak arguments. For an argument to be strong, it must be both significant and directly related to the question. An argument is considered weak if it is not directly related to the question, of minor importance, or confuses correlation with causation, which is the incorrect assumption that correlation implies causation.

Assumptions : An assumption is something taken for granted. People often make assumptions that may not be correct. Being able to identify these is a key aspect of critical reasoning. A typical assumption question will present a statement and several assumptions, and you are required to identify whether an assumption has been made.

Deductions : Deduction questions require you to draw conclusions based solely on the information provided in the question, disregarding your own knowledge. You will be given a passage of information and must evaluate whether a conclusion made from that passage is valid.

Interpretation : In these questions, you are given a passage of information followed by a proposed conclusion. You must consider the information as true and decide whether the proposed conclusion logically and undoubtedly follows.

Inferences : Inference involves drawing conclusions from observed or supposed facts. It is about deducing information that is not explicitly stated but implied by the given information. For example, if we find a public restroom door locked, we infer that it is occupied.

Critical Thinking example:

Read the following statement and decide whether the conclusion logically follows from the information given.

Statement: Every librarian at the city library has completed a master’s degree in Library Science. Sarah is a librarian at the city library.

Conclusion: Sarah has completed a master’s degree in Library Science.

Does this conclusion logically follow from the statement?

Answer Options:

Explanation: Select your answer to display explanation.

The statement establishes that every librarian at the city library has completed a master’s degree in Library Science. Since Sarah is identified as a librarian at this library, it logically follows that she has completed a master’s degree in Library Science. The conclusion is a direct inference from the given information.

Where are Critical thinking tests used?

Critical thinking tests are commonly used in educational institutions for admissions and assessments, particularly in courses requiring strong analytical skills. In the professional realm, they are a key component of the recruitment process for roles demanding problem-solving and decision-making abilities, and are also utilized in internal promotions and leadership development. Additionally, these tests are integral to professional licensing and certification in fields like law and medicine, and are employed in training and development programs across various industries.

Practice Critical Thinking Test

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Watson Glaser Tests

Prepare for your next Watson Glaser test with tailor-made practice tests and questions.

• What Is A Watson Glaser Assessment?

Watson Glaser Critical Thinking Appraisal is a well known aptitude assessment that is published by TalentLens . It was first created by American psychologists Watson and Glaser in the 1920s and has over 80 years of scientific development and research backing its methodology.

Critical thinking is a sought after skill for employers and is one of the four C's, which indicate competencies expected from most employers:

• Critical thinking
• Communication
• Collaboration

It shows that someone is capable of assessing a situation while considering different perspectives and differentiating facts and opinions to reach a rational solution.

• The Structure Of Watson Glaser Critical Thinking Assessments

The assessment is designed to be quick, consistent, and effective. It breaks down critical thinking into five subsets, which all require different kinds of analytical thought and create a more complete picture of someone's critical thinking abilities. The test has 40 questions and candidates are given a maximum of 30 minutes to complete it, meaning that you must average 45 seconds per question.

Making Correct Inferences

Inference is about understanding the veracity of a conclusion and being able to decipher facts. For these types of questions you will be presented with a short passage and then a list of inferences, from which you will have to answer on whether you think they are true, probably true, probably false, false, or insufficient data. Many people find inference questions difficult as they draw conclusions without enough information, or do not use common knowledge to help them answer.

Recognising Assumptions

This section is similar to the inference questions in that it asks you about the validity of conclusions based on the statements of information given. However, there is less complexity to the answers - you will just have to decide whether the statement is making an assumption and is not necessarily true. Recognising assumptions is a part of critical thinking as it shows your ability to analyse and separate fact from fiction, as well as taking into consideration multiple perspectives rather than the common expectation.

Making Deductions

A deduction is made from following the information to a logical conclusion, which is usually phrased as if the conclusion 'follows' or 'does not follow' the statement. With deduction questions, you only have a choice of yes the answer is logical or no the answer is not, there is not a scale of logic unlike with inferences, which allow for more possibilities.

Interpretation

Interpretation is very similar to deduction as it asks you to process information and then come to a logical conclusion based on the evidence given. You should assume that everything in the statement is true for the purposes of the assessment and work from there, showing that you can identify key information and use it to make an informed decision.

Evaluating Arguments

This section requires you to analyse a statement and determine the strength of the arguments based on this statement. You will have to decide whether the arguments are 'weak' or 'strong' by assessing qualities such as relevancy to the topic, how realistic the statement is, and if it provides a meaningful contribution to the argument.

• Tips To Pass Watson Glaser Critical Thinking Tests

1. Only Use The Information Contained In The Test

When it comes to this kind of test, you might be tempted to use the knowledge that you have on a subject that is not given on the test, but this is not how they are designed. Beyond common knowledge that almost everyone would know, you should only take into account what is written in the question or you will not show the skills that the test is looking for.

2. Watch The Time Limit

You only have 30 minutes for the test, which means that you have an average of 45 seconds per question. Some questions may take more or less time than this, but if you get stuck then it is better to move on and come back. You are marked on how many questions you answer, not on how quickly you complete the test, so answering more questions will help to give you a better chance at scoring higher.

3. Practice Example Tests

For any test, the best way to improve your performance is practicing . As the Watson Glaser focuses on more abstract skills related to critical thinking, it can be a lot more difficult than other aptitude tests for technical skills. Through practice, you can become familiar with the structure of the questions and what is expected of you to answer them correctly.

4. Understand Logical Fallacies

A logical fallacy is a flaw in an argument, which undermines its validity and is also called a non sequitur meaning it does not follow the logic. If you can quickly identify holes in an argument such as false comparisons and disconnects between the proof and the information, then you will be much more effective at determining correct conclusions and deductions.

5. Read The Questions Carefully

The abstract nature of these questions means it is very important to take your time and read the questions carefully. How you are expected to approach the information will be in the wording of the question and will tell you exactly how to apply your critical thinking, otherwise you may interpret the information in the wrong way.

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• Watson Glaser Tests Sample Questions

Watson Glaser Tests Tips

Watson glaser tests faqs, more publisher tests.

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Sample Watson Glaser Tests question Test your knowledge!

A health magazine published an article stating that eating late at night leads to weight gain. However, some dietitians argue that total calorie intake is the primary factor for weight management, regardless of meal timing. Which statement would best challenge the magazine's claim?

• A person's metabolism slows down significantly during sleep.
• People who eat late at night tend to choose high-calorie foods.
• Several studies have not found a significant relationship between the timing of meals and weight gain.
• Celebrities often eat late at night without gaining weight.

A study showed that school children who engage in extracurricular activities have better grades. Therefore, children should be encouraged to participate in such activities to enhance their academic performance. Which assumption is implicitly made in the conclusion?

• Extracurricular activities directly cause better grades.
• All children have access to extracurricular activities.
• There is a correlation between participation in extracurricular activities and better grades.
• Children who do not participate in extracurricular activities will not perform well academically.

During a team meeting, it was discussed that remote working led to decreased collaboration among employees. Yet, some employees feel they are more productive when working from home. Which of the following, if true, would weaken the argument that remote work decreases collaboration?

• Remote employees utilize collaboration tools to communicate efficiently.
• Employees who work from home feel less stressed.
• Some employees struggle with time management while working remotely.
• Productivity metrics have remained consistent before and after remote working was implemented.

Company X started an initiative to reduce carbon emissions in production. After a year, a report suggests a significant reduction in emissions. The report concludes that Company X's initiative was successful. Which question would be crucial to evaluate the report's conclusion?

• Were there any changes in production volume during the year?
• How did the reduction in emissions affect the company's profitability?
• What is the public perception of Company X's initiative?
• Did any key competitors also implement similar environmental initiatives?

Local governments have instituted water restrictions to combat drought. Yet, a scientist argues that such restrictions are not effective in the long run because they don't address underlying issues of water management. Which of the following evidence would support the scientist's claim?

• Water restrictions have led to a temporary improvement in local water tables.
• Areas with water restrictions continue to experience decreasing water levels over several years.
• Residents report that they are satisfied with the government's efforts to conserve water.
• Many local businesses are investing in water-efficient technologies.

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Get familiar with what critical thinking tests entail. Dive into understanding arguments, assumptions, and conclusions. At Psychometric Tests, we've crafted a concise overview of the Watson Glaser test components so you'll know the kind of questions to expect and what skills you need to demonstrate. Remember, knowing your playing field is half the battle won!

The Watson Glaser is not just about what you know; it’s about how you think. Sharpen your ability to dissect arguments and differentiate between fact and opinion. With Psychometric Tests, we provide exercises specific to critical thinking that can help train your brain to process information analytically and logically.

The environment you practice in can make a big difference. Try simulating the test conditions you'll face during the actual exam. Time yourself, reduce distractions, and use our platform to try realistic Watson Glaser practice tests. This way, you won't just be prepared for the questions, but also the pressure of the test day.

Every practice test you take is an opportunity to grow. Make sure to review your answers, especially the ones you got wrong. Our detailed explanations can help you understand the rationale behind each question, ensuring you're not just practicing, but learning from your mistakes to improve over time.

Lastly, remember to keep your cool. No amount of studying can help if you panic on the big day. Develop a mindset of confidence and resilience. Remind yourself that with all the practice you’ve done at Psychometric Tests, you're equipped to handle whatever comes your way.

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Many places advise aiming for 75% and above on a Watson Glaser test in order to do well, however, this is dependent on the company you have applied to and their expectations. Many recruiters do not have a specific number which automatically passes you to the next stage, but instead view all of the scores comparatively and take the highest performers.

The best way to improve your score is to practice. Doing practice tests is a great way to get better at these kinds of tests, especially if you can practice under timed conditions. However, as the Watson Glaser assessment focuses on critical thinking, there are other things you can do in your daily life to improve this like reading more nonfiction, brain exercises like Sudoku, and questioning assumptions made around you.

The Watson Glaser has over 70 years of psychological research backing its methods and has been constantly developed and redesigned since its inception. There is an efficacy report that shows it has high levels of consistency and fairness, as well as a positive correlation between those who perform well on the assessment and those who perform well on the job.

The Watson Glaser is considered one of the most challenging aptitude assessments because of the nature of the questions and the skills that it is trying to determine.

The Cappfinity test is adaptive, meaning that it adjusts depending on if you get a question right or wrong, but this does not mean that it is necessarily easier - it will challenge everyone at their own level.

Another difference between the two is that the Cappfinity is not timed, but how long you take to complete it is still considered in your score. Again, this does not make either one more or less difficult, but will challenge candidates in different ways.

The Watson Glaser is most commonly known for its use on the BCAT and by law firms such as:

Government Legal Service

Clifford Chance

Allen and Overy

Other companies that are known to use Watson Glaser are Deloitte, the Bank of England, and Hiscox.

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Home > Blog > Sample Critical Thinking Test Questions – Pass the Critical Thinking Test

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Sample critical thinking test questions – pass the critical thinking test.

If you’re applying for a graduate job, you’ll probably have to pass a critical thinking test. Here, we’re going to take a look at a few sample critical thinking test questions that you should use as practice for the real critical thinking test.

Sample Critical Thinking Test Questions

Section 1 – evaluating arguments.

Read the following question, then evaluate whether each of the responses is a ‘strong argument’ or ‘weak argument’.

Do the rich have an obligation to pay more taxes, in order to help the poor?

1. Yes – it’s immoral for them not to do so. 2. No – instead of forcibly taxing, the rich, we should encourage them to give to charity. Almost every rich person I’ve met is very generous. 3. Yes – in order for a society to function better, it’s important to lift more people out of impoverished situations so that they can contribute to the nation’s economy. 4. No – The reality of the matter is that life isn’t fair. Because it’s not fair, we shouldn’t bother trying to make it any fairer for people.

Section 2 – Assumptions

Read the following passage. Then, decide whether the statements below are assumptions made by the passage or not.

During the 2000s, the number of soldiers physically stationed in the Middle-East skyrocketed. However, in 2019, this number is continuing to decease. It’s wonderful that the western world has less of a military presence in other countries, presumably to a negligible amount on the next 5 to 10 years.

1. No soldiers physically stationed in an area means that there’s less of a military presence. 2. There won’t be another spark of conflict within the next 5 to 10 years. 3. War is a thing of the past.

Section 3 – Inferences

Read the following passage. Then, decide whether the three statements below are “True”, “Probably True”, “Insufficient Data to Say True or False”, “Probably False”, or “False” – based purely on the information in the text.

John’s company has been successful for the past 5 years. Reported profits have been rising each year, with 2018 being the strongest year yet. To celebrate, John treated his staff to a meal at a 5-star restaurant in the city.

1. John is rich. 2. John’s staff are happy. 3. John’s company performed well in 2017.

Answers – Critical Thinking Test Questions

Section 1 – evaluating arguments – critical thinking test questions.

1. Weak Argument. 2. Weak Argument. 3. Strong Argument. 4. Weak Argument.

Section 2 – Assumptions – Critical Thinking Test Questions

1. Assumption Made. 2. Assumption Made. 3. Assumption Not Made.

Section 3 – Inferences – Critical Thinking Test Questions

1. Probably True. 2. Insufficient Data. 3. True.

Conclusion and Next Steps – Critical Thinking Test Questions

Ready for more questions and guidance? Check out our guide: How to Pass the Critical Thinking Tests .

Andy Bosworth

3 thoughts on “ sample critical thinking test questions – pass the critical thinking test ”.

I like critical thinking questions

You can practice lots of critical thinking questions in our workbook, available here: https://www.how2become.com/critical-thinking-tests/ 🙂

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Critical Thinking Explained: What Is It?

What is a critical thinking test, preparing for a critical thinking assessment (2024), top tips for critical thinking tests (2024), frequently asked questions, critical thinking test tips & questions 2024.

Updated October 4, 2023

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Critical thinking is a form of reflective reasoning that evaluates information and arguments by applying a range of intellectual skills to reach clear, logical and coherent judgements within a given context.

Instead of accepting arguments and conclusions presented, a person with strong critical thinking will question and scrutinize the evidence provided. They will look for logical connections between ideas, consider alternative interpretations and evaluate the strength of arguments presented.

Everyone experiences some degree of subconscious bias in their thinking. Critical thinking skills can help an individual separate out facts from opinions.

These tests are used to determine an individual's ability to think critically and as a way of assessing a candidate's suitability for an organisation or a specific position within it.

The critical thinking test is designed to test your ability to analyse text and use logic in your reasoning.

A critical thinking test is designed to assess your capacity to conceptualise, analyse and reason when presented with a specific scenario.

Within the legal sector, critical thinking is a necessity in many different areas of work. Therefore these tests are often used in applications for law roles, to determine whether you are sufficiently skilled to handle the day-to-day challenges that legal professionals face.

It is not unusual for candidates to be asked to complete a situational judgement or personality test in addition to the critical thinking assessment.

You can practise realistic critical thinking tests here .

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Critical Thinking Practice Questions and Test Structure

During a crucial thinking test you will be presented with a paragraph of information, usually setting out a given scenario and including both numerical and written data.

Accompanying this paragraph will be a statement asking you to determine how truthful you think the statement is based on the information provided.

The test will typically include five sections as described below, which are used to measure how effectively you can work through information using analytical reasoning.

Assumptions

Here the candidate will be expected to carefully evaluate the scenario and then conclude whether any assumptions are present in the statement.

As an example, a statement within the paragraph could include the phrase "only employees in senior roles can afford to purchase luxury vehicles". In this statement, it is assumed that the luxury vehicle will cost more than a standard car.

In these types of question, the information is provided for the candidate to review. It is up to the candidate to determine whether any assumptions have been made.

What assumptions might someone make when they say, "If it's natural, it must be good"?

Analysis of Arguments

This type of question will present a scenario such as whether the government should cover the cost of tuition fees for students. Following the question are a set of arguments in favour of and against the given scenario.

Candidates will then need to determine whether the arguments are weak or strong, based on their relevance and the way in which they address the question. If the argument directly relates to the statement the argument is considered to be strong; conversely, if the argument is not directly related to the question, the argument would be weak.

Analyze the following argument: "Social media is addictive because everyone I know spends hours on it every day."

A deduction-based question is one where the candidate is expected to assess a set of deductions made about the information presented. If the candidate cannot deduce a statement from the data provided, the deduction is not applicable and the candidate must select which deductions apply and which ones don’t.

The answer must be based on the information provided, rather than conclusions that the candidate may reach based on their existing knowledge.

If all humans are mortal, and Socrates is a human, what can you deduce about Socrates?

In this type of question, the candidate will be presented with a collection of possible inferences. The candidate will be asked to state whether the inferences are possibly false, possibly true, absolutely true or absolutely false, or it is not possible to reach a decision based on the information provided.

Based on the information provided, what can you infer about the character's personality in a short story where the character is described as meticulous and always punctual?

• Interpretation

The final type of question within a critical thinking test is one that asks the candidate to interpret information. As with all of the other questions above, candidates are presented with a paragraph of information accompanied by a set of possible conclusions.

The candidate will then need to interpret this information and reach a decision as to whether any of the conclusions are possible based on the information.

Interpret the meaning of the phrase, "Actions speak louder than words," in the context of a political speech.

If you need to prepare for a number of different employment tests and want to outsmart the competition, choose a Premium Membership from JobTestPrep . You will get access to three PrepPacks of your choice, from a database that covers all the major test providers and employers and tailored profession packs.

The majority of firms who use critical thinking tests are those in the legal sector, since legal jobs require candidates to critically review propositions and arguments as part of their daily duties. That being said, they can also be used for any industry where critical thinking skills are required.

When a critical reasoning test features as part of an assessment day , it is very unlikely that it will be the main factor in deciding whether you are suitable. Critical reasoning will just be one of the elements that the recruiter will use, in combination with a variety of other tools they will use to build up a bigger picture of your overall abilities.

If however, the critical thinking test appears towards the beginning of the recruitment process, it may be used as an initial screening tool to shortlist candidates. A poor performance during the test at this stage could result in early elimination.

To be successful in a critical reasoning test, you do not have to learn new material or conduct any research, nor will you be asked to draw on your existing knowledge.

All of the information that you need to complete the test will be provided at the time. It is simply a case of evaluating the information that you have been presented with. However this should not be underestimated: the tests can be a challenge to say the least.

The most widely used critical thinking test is known as the Watson Glaser .

To succeed in a critical thinking test, there are various steps that you can take to make sure that you perform as well as possible:

Step 1 . Review all the information

This may seem like an obvious tip, but is surprising how many people skip through the content just to get the question finished. Failure to read and absorb the information can have disastrous consequences.

Quickly skimming through the content can result in missed understanding or the omission of key pieces of data. Some candidates may find that reading the question several times can help, but remember these tests are usually timed so you may have to think quickly.

Step 2 . Timing

Before you attempt the real test, practice as much as possible and if you can, try to find out how many questions there will be so you can plan your time.

When you are completing the test, keep an eye on the time and don’t spend too long on one question. You can always come back to it at the end if you have time.

As critical thinking tests are usually quite complex in nature, they tend to have a generous time limit (in some rare cases, no time limit at all). Use this to your advantage when reading the passage of information, evaluating the question and providing your response.

Step 3 . Read the Instructions

At the beginning of each section, you will be provided with instructions detailing how to answer that section correctly. If, for example, the question asks you to evaluate whether the given arguments are strong or weak, the instruction cover page will advise what is classed as being a strong or a weak argument.

Take sufficient time to read these instructions so you can answer the questions properly.

Step 4 . Logic

This is a crucial part of the critical thinking test and understanding the difference between fact and fallacy can optimise your performance.

A fallacy is essentially an error or something misleading in the information due to a presumption or misconception. Where this type of logic is used, it can result in an argument that is invalid.

Researching the various types of confusing, misleading or false information that may appear in these tests enables you to be more alert to something in the information which has been deliberately used to throw you off or cause confusion.

Step 5 . General Knowledge

Sometimes you may encounter a question in the test that is based on real information. As a result, there’s a risk that you base your answer on your general knowledge rather than the information presented in the test. During the tests, always avoid using your existing knowledge . Rely only on the information you are presented with.

Step 6 . Practice

Critical thinking tests are complex and certainly designed to challenge. Therefore it is strongly advised that you carry out sufficient practice before the tests so you can become accustomed to the five different areas.

The more practice you undertake, the more confident you will be in approaching the questions in the real critical thinking test.

What is the Watson-Glaser critical thinking test?

The Watson-Glaser critical thinking test is one of the best-known critical thinking tests in the world.

It is a common test for professional services as it allows employers to see how a candidate may identify assumptions, understand information and create conclusions.

In addition, the Watson-Glaser test is commonly used within the legal sector.

How do I crack the critical thinking tests?

Passing a critical thinking test relies on understanding what the question is asking you to do. Therefore, you must come to your answer using only the information provided.

It can be tempting to use your knowledge and understanding to create a conclusion. Still, critical thinking tests are looking to see how you can interpret and understand the information presented to you.

You need to look carefully at what you are being asked to do and establish as much logic as possible. Try to see if there are any contradictions between the information provided, which could contrast with the logic that you’ve discovered.

An easy tip to help you practice is to read as much non-fiction as possible. Try to read various newspapers; you’ll start to discover how different approaches and perspectives can alter how a news story is written. The more you do this, the easier it will be to see how different logic patterns and conclusions emerge.

Another tip is to practice critical thinking tests as much as you can. It will help you identify what you are being asked to do and familiarise yourself with the test, but it can help you practice your timings. For example, Watson-Glaser tests are timed, so you must practice to see how long you have to answer each question.

Is the critical thinking test hard?

Critical thinking tests aren’t difficult, but your success may depend on how good your critical thinking skills are. These aren’t inherent skills; instead, they are skills that we have to learn and work towards. Therefore, the more time you spend focusing on how to improve your critical thinking skills, the easier you may find the test.

If you have not prepared, you may find the Watson-Glaser test hard. This is because it is a very specific type of test. If you are not familiar with the questioning style or are unsure what the questions are asking you to do, you could end up with a lower score.

Why does Amazon use critical thinking tests?

Big brands such as Amazon choose to use critical thinking tests within their recruitment strategies because they want to identify those candidates with the potential to succeed.

In addition, they want to learn more about individuals than just their resumes. Using critical thinking tests can predict how you may behave in certain scenarios. They can see how you work and how you arrive at conclusions. This tells them whether you are right for the job role that you are applying for, and it also gives them insights into your future leadership potential.

How does the critical thinking test benefit businesses?

Businesses do not have the time or budget to review their recruitment strategies. Therefore, they need to hire the right people who can get started with the job quickly and easily. Critical thinking tests are common within professional industries, especially the legal sector because they give employers an insight into each candidate and their critical thinking skills.

Critical thinking tests are useful for two reasons.

Firstly, they are a standardized assessment. This means that employers can judge each candidate fairly within the recruitment process, on an even playing field. They can directly compare and contrast the test results.

Secondly, critical thinking is a crucial skill in today’s workplace. It’s an essential component of problem-solving and helps people to work effectively. Therefore, businesses need workforces who can look beyond the information provided to them and think about what they should be doing and why .

Where can I get a sample of a critical thinking assessment?

If you are looking to practice a critical thinking test before your official assessment, you could look to sites such as JobTestPrep . Here, you can use their comprehensive study guides to prepare for the Watson-Glaser test and familiarise yourself with the types of questions you could ask.

What mark do you need to get in critical thinking tests?

This depends on the test itself, as well as the employer. The Watson-Glaser test doesn’t have a specific score, but broadly speaking, many law firms will expect candidates to achieve a minimum of 75-80% on the assessment.

This is because the law is an area where critical thinking is a vital skill set. Other professions may have lower pass requirements.

You should be aware that these tests are competitive. The higher your score, the more likely you will impress a hiring manager.

How many questions are on critical thinking tests?

If you are asked to take a Watson-Glaser test , you can expect to be asked 40 questions. These will be split across five distinct areas;

• Recognition of Assumptions
• Evaluation of Arguments

How do you answer assumption questions in critical thinking tests?

When it comes to critical thinking tests , assumptions are where you have come to a conclusion without the answer being specifically inferred within the text provided.

You will be provided with a passage that you must read through carefully. In the end, you will be given a series of assumptions relating to that passage. You will need to identify which assumptions could be justified based on the information you have just read.

The assessment aims to see whether you can justify if an assumption is true or false according to the information provided.

Assumptions are important in critical thinking because they link understanding and refuting specific arguments.

Is the critical thinking test timed?

Critical thinking tests are timed. You will likely have anywhere between 30 to 60 minutes.

You can expect to have at least one minute to answer each question. Therefore, as part of your test preparation, you should practice some online critical thinking tests to check your timings.

Who invented the Watson Glaser critical thinking test?

Edward Glaser and Goodwin Watson developed the Watson-Glaser critical thinking test .

What companies use critical thinking tests?

Many professional services increasingly use critical thinking tests as part of their application process. In particular, the legal sector is known for incorporating the Watson-Glaser tests in their recruitment drives.

Specific companies that have previously used critical thinking tests as part of their recruitment campaigns include Amazon, Bank of England, Deloitte, Hiscox, Linklaters, and Simmons & Simmons.

As critical thinking tests become more reliable and affordable, you can anticipate that they will become more commonplace in small and medium-sized companies.

Can I fail a critical thinking assessment?

Critical thinking tests have no right or wrong answers because assessors are more concerned with how you come to an answer. But, even if you cannot ‘fail’ a critical thinking test, you could achieve a lower score than your peers.

Companies often use critical thinking tests as a standardized assessment to directly compare applicants. If you achieve a low score or are significantly lower than your peers, you will be less likely to proceed to the next stage of the recruitment process.

What are the three best critical thinking exam questions and answers?

Here are a few tips to give you the best possible chance for success in your next critical thinking test .

Read the question carefully. The critical thinking test will look carefully to see how you interpret and assess information. Therefore, you need to be crystal clear that you know exactly what you are asked to do. Read the question several times before you submit your answer.

The test is divided into five sections: Inference, Recognition of Assumptions, Deduction, Interpretation, and Evaluation of Arguments. Use your preparation to focus on each area to be 100% confident in each aspect of the test. You may wish to divide the test time by five, so you are allocating a similar timescale for each part of the assessment.

Use practice test papers and online practice tests to familiarise yourself with the test format. This will help you identify which areas may need additional study, but it will help you practice your timings. The more familiar you are with critical thinking tests, the more confident you will feel on test day.

Focus on improving your critical thinking skills in ‘real life. An easy way to improve your skills is to read different media types. Broaden your horizons and read as much non-fiction as possible. You may be surprised to learn that different perspectives and writing styles could report on the same story differently.

What are the three best critical thinking questions and answers?

If you are trying to improve your critical thinking skills , you should always come back to the question you were taught at school; who, what, and where? With these three questions, you can start establishing more information that will help you create a conclusion.

Critical thinking questions beginning with who :

• Who is it about?
• Who said what?
• Who could be affected by this?
• Who is responsible for this?

Critical thinking questions beginning with what:

• What would happen if?
• What are the pros and cons?
• What is the impact of this?
• What is the other side of the discussion?

Critical thinking questions beginning with where :

• Where did this happen?
• Where were the consistencies in the story?
• Where were the inconsistencies in the story?
• Where can you get more information?
• Where can you find the answer?

You may be asked questions along these lines within your critical thinking test. Again, try to use the who, what, and where format to improve your logical thinking.

You might also be interested in these other Wikijob articles:

Or explore the Aptitude Tests / Test Types sections.

How to answer critical thinking questions

In this guide, we’ll be sharing some tips to help you answer critical thinking questions adequately. Read along as we discuss the ways to answer by asking useful questions, relying on logic, anticipating specific problems and solutions, and clearly communicating your thoughts. Let’s get into it!

Table of Contents

Ask the important questions.

Examples of questions you can ask to arrive at a critical answer include:

Consider All Possible Solutions

Don’t merely stop at your first answer to the problem you’re being asked about. Take things a step further by drafting several different solutions. Follow step-by-step routes in your mind to try and anticipate how these solutions would play out in reality.

Articulate Yourself Clearly

Examine and reflect.

Only after examining and reflecting can you get to the precise heart of the question at hand. Then, you can pair it with an equally precise answer.

Research and Inform Yourself

Organize your thoughts, final thoughts – 6 critical thinking answer tips.

If you’ve been wanting to learn how to better answer critical thinking questions, then hopefully our guide has given you some inspiration. Some of the key aspects of critical thinking involve one’s ability to ask pertinent questions, examine and reflect on one’s thoughts, set aside biases, make judgments, and clearly communicate.

https://www.criticalthinking.org/pages/defining-critical-thinking/766

https://www.utc.edu/academic-affairs/walker-center-for-teaching-and-learning/faculty-programs/faculty-fellow-programs/faculty-fellow-program-development/basic-elements-of-critical-thinking

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How to develop critical thinking skills, critical thinking skills and the academic performance of students, the role of intuition in critical thinking: unraveling the connection, design thinking vs critical thinking: unraveling the key differences, download this free ebook.

• Numerical Reasoning
• Verbal Reasoning
• Inductive Reasoning
• Diagrammatic Reasoning
• Logical Reasoning
• Mechanical Reasoning
• Situational Judgement
• Deductive reasoning
• Critical thinking
• Spatial reasoning
• Error checking
• Verbal comprehension
• Reading comprehension
• Psychometric tests
• Personality test
• In-Tray exercise
• E-Tray exercise
• Group exercise
• Roleplay exercise
• Presentation exercise
• Analysis exercise
• Case study exercise
• Game based assessments
• Competency based assessment
• Strengths based assessment
• Strengths based interview
• Video interview
• Saville Assessment
• Talent Q / Korn Ferry
• Watson Glaser
• Test Partnership
• Clevry (Criterion)
• Criteria Corp
• Aon / Cut-e
• Sova Assessment
• For Practice
• For Business

Watson Glaser Critical Thinking Tests

Complex and challenging critical thinking tests, including the Watson-Glaser, are used mostly by law firms.

Page contents:

About critical thinking tests and how they work, free practice critical thinking test, the watson glaser critical thinking appraisal, what is measured by a watson glaser critical thinking test, what should i know before taking a watson glaser critical thinking test, major publishers' critical thinking tests, advice for all critical thinking tests, assessmentday's practice tests can help you to prepare for a critical thinking test, one final point, other test publishers.

Updated: 08 September 2022

Critical thinking tests, or critical reasoning tests, are psychometric tests used in recruitment at all levels, graduate, professional and managerial, but predominantly in the legal sector. However, it is not uncommon to find companies in other sectors using critical thinking tests as part of their selection process. This is an intense test, focusing primarily on your analytical, or critical thinking, skills. Some tests are still conducted by paper and pen, but, just like other psychometric tests, critical thinking tests are mostly administered online at home or on a computer at a testing center.

The questions are multiple choice, and these choices and the style of questions are explained in more detail further down the page. The tests will often follow these two common timings:

• 30 questions with a 40 minute time limit
• 80 questions with a 60 minute time limit

Critical Thinking can be defined in many ways and an exact description is disputed, however, most agree on a broad definition of critical thinking, that 'critical thinking involves rational, purposeful, and goal-directed thinking...by using certain cognitive skills and strategies.' An absence or lack of critical thinking skills at times may lead us to believe things which aren't true, because we haven't sufficiently analysed and criticized the information we've received or used this to formulate and independently test our own theories, arguments and ideas. These are all examples of critical thinking skills put into practice. Glaser (An Experiment in the Development of Critical Thinking, 1941) stated that to think critically involved three key parts:

• An attitude of being disposed to consider in a thoughtful way the problems and subjects that come within the range of one's experiences
• Knowledge of the methods of logical inquiry and reasoning
• Some skill in applying those methods

Note: AssessmentDay and its products are not affiliated with Pearson or TalentLens. Our practice tests are for candidates to prepare for the Watson Glaser Critical Thinking Appraisal; we do not sell tests for employers to select candidates.

Free Critical Thinking Test

Here, we have a full critical thinking test for you to practice for free. You can dive straight in and practice the full test (in blue at the bottom), or tackle each individual section one at a time.

All answers and explanations are included at the end of the test, or alternatively you can download the Solutions PDF. Each test has been given a generous time limit.

Critical Thinking Test 1

• 40 questions

Critical Thinking Test 2

Critical thinking test 3, critical thinking test 4.

TalentLens' Watson Glaser Critical Thinking Appraisal (WGCTA) is the most common critical thinking test. You can visit their official site here: Watson Glaser . Most other critical thinking tests are based on the Watson Glaser format. More than 90 years' of experience have led to many modifications and improvements in the test.

The Watson Glaser Critical Thinking Appraisal is widely regarded as a good predictor of work productivity and at identifying candidates with a good potential to become managers and occupy other positions as a senior member of staff. The latest edition of the Watson Glaser Critical Thinking Test has improved its validity, appealed more to businesses by focusing on business-relevant topics, switched to the Item Response Theory (IRT) for its scoring, updated norm groups, and integrated anti-cheat measures by having an online retest, which can be used to validate results.

Developed by Goodwin Watson and Edward Glaser, the Watson Glaser test is favored by law firms , keen to measure people's abilities to reason, reach conclusions and know when leaps in logic have been made. Skills which are required in the legal sector. The questions in each of the 5 sections aims to evaluate the candidate's ability to:

• 1. Arrive at correct inferences
• 2. Identify when an assumption has been made
• 3. Use deductive reasoning
• 4. Reach logical conclusions
• 5. Evaluate the effectiveness of arguments

Did You Know

The most recent revision of the W-GCTA was published in 2011 with notable improvements being better face validity and business-relevant items, scoring based on Item Response Theory (IRT), updated norm groups, and an online retest which can be used to validate a paper and pencil test result.

A Critical thinking tests assesses your ability in 5 key areas mentioned above; assumptions, arguments, deductions, inferences and interpreting information. Often in this order. A short paragraph of text a few sentences long or a single sentence is used as a starting point. This passage will contain information which you will base your answer to the question on. Another sentence is then presented to you and you will be asked to judge something about this sentence based on the information in the short paragraph. The five sections are explained in more detail here:

• Assumptions - You are being asked to state whether the information in the second set of text you are presented is an assumption made in the first paragraph. Quite a tricky concept to get your head around at first. In a nutshell, when people speak or make arguments, there are underlying assumptions in those arguments. Here you are presented with some assumptions and are asked to judge if that is being made in the original statement. For example in the statement "only people earning a high salary can afford a fast car," what's being assumed is that fast cars are expensive because only people who are earning a lot of money can buy one, however, what's not being assumed is that people without high salaries aren't legally allowed to buy a fast car. You are asked to choose whether an assumption has been made or has not been made.
• Arguments - You are presented with an argument, such as "Should college fees be abolished?" Regardless of your own opinions and thoughts on the argument, you are then presented with statements related to this original argument. You are asked to say whether the responses to the original argument of "Should college fees be abolished?" make for strong or weak arguments. Arguments are considered strong if they are related to the topic such as, "Yes, many people who would benefit from a college education do not because they cannot afford it. This hurts the country's economic growth." The argument presented is sound, related to the original question. Compare this with a weak argument, "No, I do not trust people who read a lot of books." It is clear that the second argument bears very little relation to the subject of the abolition of college tuition fees. This is not to say that an argument against the original argument will always be a weak one, or that an argument in favor will always be a strong one. For example, "Yes, I like people that read books," is in favor of the abolition as indicated by "yes," but that person's like or dislike of others that read books isn't related, or hasn't been explained how it's related to removing the fees. Carefully considering what is being said, remove it from your own personal opinions and political views to objectively analyse what someone else has put forward.
• Deductions - A few sentences of information are presented to you. Another separate short statement will also be shown to you, which is supposed to represent a conclusion that someone has reached. You will have to determine whether this conclusion logically follows from the information given to you. Can the statement be deduced from the information available>? If so, and without a doubt, then the conclusion follows, if not, then the conclusion does not follow. Your decision must be based on the information given and not from your own knowledge.
• Inferences - A short scenario is described to you, followed by possible inferences. The inferences are short statements. Imagine that these are what people have said is inferred from the scenario. Use your judgement and the short scenario to assess whether what's being said has actually been inferred from the passage and the likelihood of this inference. You are asked to rank each inference as either 'true,' 'false,' 'possibly true,' 'possibly false.' For some proposed inferences there isn't enough information to say either 'true' or 'false' so a fifth option is included; 'more information required.' You can only select one option from the five.
• Interpreting Information - Following a similar format to the previous four sections, a short passage of information and then a series of statements are shown to you. You are asked to judge whether the information in the passage can be interpreted as the statements suggest. The answer options are straightforward here; you either select 'conclusion follows,' or 'conclusion does not follow,' depending on whether or not you believe that the statement can be logically reached from the information given. Again, for this section and all others, you are to base your choice of answer on what you're given, not on any specialized knowledge you might have.

If a watson glaser critical thinking test is used in the early stages of the application process it's likely to be used as a screening tool. This puts some pressure on candidates to meet a minimum pass mark, which will allow them to be selected to go on to the next stage of the selection process. If it's used at a later stage in the process, the results from this will be combined with performance in other assessments, tests, exercises and interviews. All the information you need to answer the questions will be in the test. Below the details of a few companies' critical thinking tests are pointed out.

Here is a list of critical reasoning tests on the market at present, which candidates may be likely to encounter for recruitment, selection or development.

• W-GCTA - The Watson Glaser Critical Thinking Appraisal as it is formally called is the most ubiquitous critical thinking test out there. This is the one that you are most likely to encounter.
• GMAT - The general management aptitude test, used by business schools and colleges test students' critical thinking ability. The critical thinking questions are written in a business or finance context.
• SHL - SHL have produced the Critical Reasoning Test Battery composed of 60 critical reasoning questions with a strict time limit of 30 minutes.
• Cornell - Cornell have developed a critical thinking test to be used in educational environments. The two levels, X and Z, are aimed at children and adults, respectively.
• Area-specific - There are tests which focus on either numerical critical reasoning skills and verbal critical reasoning skills. These tests will ask only numerical or only verbal questions to assess your skills in a specific area.

Here is some general advice to help you perform to the best of your ability for your critical reasoning test.

• No prior knowledge - The key point here is that critical reasoning tests are measuring your ability to think, or the method that you use to reach a conclusion. You should therefore not rely on prior knowledge to answer the question. Questions will be written so that you do not need to know any specialist knowledge to answer the question. For example, you will not be expected to know mathematical formulas or laws of nature and to answer questions with that information. If you are given the formula and its description in the questions, you are expected to use that information to reach the answer.
• Carefully read the instructions - There are 5 sections to most critical thinking tests and each will assess a slightly different skill. Make sure you have read the instructions and understand what it is you are expected to do to answer the questions for this section. There is quite a difference between the Assumptions section and the Deductions section for example. Applying the rules of one to the other would lead to just guessing the answers and making many mistakes.
• Keep your eye on the timer - These tests are complex. You might find yourself fixated on answering one question and taking up a lot of the time you are allowed. Checking how much time you have every so often can help you to more evenly distribute your time between the questions. This is done to avoid spending too much time on one question when that time would be better spent answering more or checking your answers. This time management applies to all tests, but is particularly important with Critical Thinking tests, as many people believe they have such a large amount of time, but underestimate the number of questions they have to answer.
• Logical fallacies - Identifying logical fallacies is key to many parts of this test, and researching the difference between sound and fallacious logic will prove helpful in a critical reasoning test. A fallacy is an error in reasoning due to a misconception or a presumption, and an argument which employs a formal fallacy, logical fallacy or a deductive fallacy in its reasoning becomes an invalid argument. Researching the different types of fallacy (i.e. red herring argument, straw man argument, confusing correlation and causation etc.) can help you spot these in the test and correctly answer the question.

The practice tests that we have cover all of the sections of the Watson Glaser Critical Thinking test and these overlap with many of the variations in Critical Thinking tests produced by major publishers. practice helps to increase your confidence, gives you a chance to learn from your mistakes in a risk-free environment, and can reduce stress before an exam.

The best place to get advice on taking a critical thinking tests is the test publisher's website, for example this one for the Watson Glaser .

If you have already successfully passed a few initial stages of the application process, it's unlikely that companies will focus solely on your results in the Watson Glaser Critical Thinking test when deciding whether or not to hire you. This type of selection by results on one test is more likely if it is part of the early stages of the process. However, towards the later stages the company will look at your results across interviews, group exercises, other aptitude tests and your résumé and will collate all of this information before reaching a decision. If you have been invited to undertake a critical reasoning test then the organisation clearly has an interest in hiring you, let that fact inspire confidence and perform to the best of your ability on your test, good luck!

You may also be interested in these popular tests sections.

• Aptitude Tests
• Critical Thinking Preparation

Full Critical Thinking Test Guide 2024

An increasing number of companies are incorporating tests of critical thinking into their recruitment procedures. Get ready for these evaluations by using the preparation tools available from JobTestPrep. Our materials offer insights into the tests, along with practice exams, thorough explanations for each answer, results analysis, and additional features. Begin your preparation for critical thinking assessments now to enhance your chances of success.

David , Psychometric Testiting Expert at  JobTestPrep .

What Is Critical Thinking?

Critical thinking, often referred to as critical reasoning, involves evaluating a situation and understanding different viewpoints. It requires recognizing, analyzing, and distinguishing between facts, opinions, and assumptions.

Why Is the Critical Thinking Test Important to Employers?

Employers use  reasoning aptitude questions to assess your ability to make reasoned decisions when faced with a problem, without letting emotions sway your judgment. This ability to separate feelings from analysis allows you to remain objective, self-assured, and decisive, leading to choices that are more reasoned and well-founded.

When Is Critical Thinking Used?

Critical thinking plays a key role throughout various phases of problem-solving and making decisions:

Identifying the issue at hand. Choosing pertinent data needed to address the issue. Acknowledging both explicit and implicit assumptions present in the information. Formulating theories and determining the most pertinent and trustworthy solutions. Arriving at sound conclusions and evaluating the strength of the deductions made.

• Critical Thinking Skills Tests

Tests of critical thinking often include multiple parts or subsections that evaluate different cognitive skills.

Inference In the inference segment, you're tasked with drawing conclusions from given or assumed facts. You'll read a brief passage with facts to accept as true, and then you'll see a statement that might be derived from the passage. Your job is to decide if this statement is valid based on the information provided. You must determine if the statement is true, probably true, not enough information to decide, probably false, or false. For instance, if a baby cries at mealtime, you might infer that the baby is hungry, though other reasons could be possible, like discomfort from heat.

Recognizing Assumptions This part requires you to identify if an underlying assumption is reasonable. You'll be presented with a statement and an associated assumption. Your task is to figure out if the assumption is supported by the statement. This tests your ability to not automatically accept things as true without evidence. For example, saying "I’ll still have my job in three months" assumes that you won't be laid off or decide to leave for other opportunities. You must decide if an assumption is made or not.

Deduction The deduction section evaluates your ability to consider information and determine if certain conclusions are justified. After reading a set of facts, you'll be given a potential conclusion. Your role is to decide if this conclusion logically follows the facts. For instance, from the statement "No one in authority escapes making tough choices," you must deduce if it logically means "All people must make tough choices." You must judge whether the conclusion follows or does not follow from the statement.

Interpretation In this part, your skill in understanding and weighing various arguments about a question or issue is assessed. You'll read a paragraph, assumed to be true, followed by a proposed conclusion. You must decide if the conclusion is logically sound beyond a reasonable doubt. The options you have are whether the conclusion follows or does not follow.

Evaluation of Arguments Here, you're asked to judge the strength of an argument. You'll be given a question and an argument that is taken as true. Your task is to decide if the argument is strong or weak, meaning if it is significant and directly related to the question.

• Watson Glaser

The Watson Glaser Critical Thinking Appraisal (WGCTA) , a widely recognized psychological test created by Pearson Assessments, serves primarily for evaluating critical thinking skills. It's frequently utilized for selecting candidates for employment and managing talent, as well as for assessing students academically. This test can be taken either through an online platform or in a traditional face-to-face setting.

Additionally, access our Free Watson Glaser practice questions !

Critical Thinking Examples

Critical thinking comes in many forms, so we have put together a variety of questions to test your critical thinking skills.

Example 1 – Identifying Assumptions A wife tells her husband that their combined income is not as high as it could be. She plans to start working a part-time job soon to earn more money. Hypothesized Assumption: The wife should not ask for a raise at her current job to increase her income.

A. Assumption is present

B. Assumption is absent

The correct answer is (B), Assumption is absent.

Explanation for the answer:

The wife's main point: Our total income will soon go up. Her reasoning: I'll start a new part-time job. The assumption that must be correct for her conclusion to hold: A part-time job will bring in additional income. The assumption that she shouldn't ask for a raise at her current job is not necessary for her conclusion to hold water.

Example 2 – Drawing Conclusions Years ago, Harold and his wife adopted a two-year-old named Betty. Now, Betty is a college student living away from home. Harold feels sad and misses her a lot, wishing she would visit more. Hypothesized Assumption: Harold’s wife isn’t sad.

A. Conclusion is valid

B. Conclusion is invalid

The correct answer is (B), Conclusion is invalid.

Harold's wife isn't mentioned in the story, so we can't make any assumptions about her emotions.

Example 3 – Making Inferences After a drop in applications, a college has had students review their professors' teaching for two years. The college leaders say the reviews are to help teachers improve and to reward the best ones with raises and promotions. Professor Burke, who just retired, wrote a letter criticizing these reviews, saying they lower academic standards. Hypothesized Assumption: The college leaders have more motives than they're admitting.

B. Probably true

C. Insufficient data

E. Probably false

The correct answer is (B), Probably true.

The introduction shows that the college's announcement is a response to fewer student applications. Although the announcement seems to focus on improving teaching quality, it's likely that there's also a concern about the college's reputation and application rates. So, the answer "probably true" fits best.

Professions That Use Critical Thinking Tests

Below are some professions that use critical thinking tests and assessments during the hiring process as well as some positions that demand  critical thinking and reasoning skills:

Prepare for Critical Thinking and Critical Reasoning Assessments

The Critical Thinking PrepPack™ offers a comprehensive preparation journey to enhance your critical thinking abilities. With our collection of practice questions, detailed study guides, and informative score reports, we aim to boost your skillset. Begin your prep now to secure your success.

JobTestPrep is not affiliated with any specific test provider. Therefore, while our materials are extremely helpful and styled similarly to most critical thinking tests, they are not an exact match.

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Critical Thinking: Basic Questions & Answers

Test your brain power.

When you need a vigorous, sweat-inducing brain workout, attempting to solve some hard riddles is a sure way to get those intellectual reps in. Putting your smarts to the test in this way is not for the faint of heart — or rather, brain — so don’t be discouraged if you get stumped.

Humans have been testing their critical thinking skills with lateral thinking and logic puzzles since ancient times (even further back than the Regency era -inspired charades game in Bridgerton Season 3 , Episode 5). The purpose is partly entertainment, but partly for training the brain to think more expansively and creatively.

Riddles are strategically and enigmatically written to ensnare those who attempt them in the weeds of language and interpretation. Approaching a difficult riddle from all angles and filtering out extraneous details is a tried-and-true way to boost your brain health and keep your mind sharp.

Bridgerton is far from the first example of riddles in storytelling. No, it’s well documented that literature from ancient history through the modern era is positively *riddled* (get it?) with complex word puzzles for the main characters to solve. From literature, to pop culture, to history, these are some certified head-scratchers.

The oldest known written riddles date back about 4,000 years to the ancient Sumerians, written in Cuneiform. One of these riddles is about a house that one enters blind and comes out seeing. What is the house? If you guessed a school, you would be as adept and knowledge-oriented as the Sumerians. If not, don’t sweat it, there are plenty more hard riddles to take a crack at here.

Below, find riddle questions followed by their answers.

Hardest Famous Riddles: Questions

• Which is the creature that has one voice, but goes on four legs in the morning, on two legs at noon, and on three legs in the evening? ( Oedipus Rex , Sophocles)
• My first displays the wealth and pomp of kings, / Lords of the earth! / their luxury and ease. / Another view of man, my second brings, / Behold him there, the monarch of the seas! ( Emma , Jane Austen)
• As I was going to St. Ives, / I met a man with seven wives, / Each wife had seven sacks / Each sack had seven cats / Each cat had seven kits / Kits, cats, sacks, and wives / How many were there going to St. Ives?
• This thing all things devours / Birds, beasts, trees, flowers / Gnaws iron, bites steel / Grinds hard stones to meal / Slays king, ruins town / And beats mountain down. ( The Hobbit , J.R.R. Tolkien)
• There are five houses in a row. Each house is painted a different color and has a person of a different nationality living in it. Each person drinks a different beverage, smokes a different type of cigar, and owns a different animal as a pet. Using these 15 clues, which person owns the pet fish?
• The Brit lives in the red house.
• The Swede has a pet dog.
• The Dane drinks tea.
• The green house is directly to the left of the white house.
• The person in the green house drinks coffee.
• The person who smokes Pall Mall has a pet bird.
• The person in the yellow house smokes Dunhill cigars.
• The person in the center house drinks milk.
• The Norwegian lives in the first house.
• The person who smokes Blends lives next to the person with the pet cat.
• The person with the pet horse lives next to the one who smokes Dunhill.
• The person who smokes BlueMaster drinks beer.
• The German smokes Prince.
• The Norwegian lives next to the blue house.
• The person who smokes Blends has a neighbor who drinks water. (Albert Einstein)

Hardest Famous Riddles: Answers

• A human being: An infant crawls (“four legs”), at mid-life (“noon”) walks on two legs, and uses a cane or walking stick (“three legs”) in old age.
• One: only the storyteller is going to St. Ives, everyone else was already there.
• The German owns the pet fish.

Hard Riddles Of The Sphinx: Questions

• There are two sisters: one gives birth to the other and she, in turn, gives birth to the first. What are they? ( Oedipus Rex , Sophocles)
• I never was, am always to be. No one ever saw me, nor ever will, and yet, I am the confidence of all who live and breathe. What am I? ( Gods of Egypt )
• First think of the person who lives in disguise, / Who deals in secrets and tells naught but lies, / Next tell me what’s always the last thing to mend, / The middle of middle and end of the end? / And finally give me the sound often heard, / During the search for a hard-to-find word. / Now string them together, and answer me this, / Which creature would you be unwilling to kiss? ( Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire , J.K. Rowling)

Hard Riddles Of The Sphinx: Answers

• Day and Night.
• Spyder (spider).

Hard Riddles From Pop Culture: Questions

• My first, I would venture for. My second, I would venture in. My whole is more talked of than practiced. ( Bridgerton )
• My first wettens the wilds to create new life. My second adorns a young girl’s hair until she becomes a wife. My whole can lead to pots of gold, ending years of strife. ( Bridgerton )
• My first is nothing but a name. My second’s still more small. My whole of so much smaller fame, it has no name at all. ( Bridgerton )
• What has roots as nobody sees / Is taller than trees / Up, up it goes / And yet never grows? ( The Hobbit , J.R.R. Tolkien)
• Voiceless it cries / Wingless flutters / Toothless bites / Mouthless mutters. ( The Hobbit , J.R.R. Tolkien)
• This thing all things devours; / Birds, beasts, trees, flowers; / Gnaws iron, bites steel; / Grinds hard stones to meal; / Slays king, ruins town, / And beats mountain down. ( The Hobbit , J.R.R. Tolkien)
• Tear one off and scratch my head. What once was red is black instead. ( Batman Forever )

Hard Riddles From Pop Culture: Answers

• Friendship.
• A mountain.

Hard Historic Riddles: Questions

• A vessel have I, that is round as a pear, moist in the middle, surrounded with hair; and often it happens, that water flows there.
• Tell me, what is that fills the sky and the whole earth and tears up new shoots, and shakes all foundations, but cannot be seen by eyes or touched by hands?
• I’m soft as wool, soft as a bog. When I swell up, I’m like a frog. I grow in water, where I plunge.
• I am sought by those who seek to change, Yet remain myself, untouched, unstrange. What am I, that can make men rich or dream, Found deep below, by mountain stream?

Hard Historic Riddles: Answers

Hard Classic Riddles: Questions

• I never was, am always to be. No one ever saw me, nor ever will. And yet I am the confidence of all, To live and breath on this terrestrial ball.
• At night they come without being fetched. By day they are lost without being stolen.
• The one who makes it, sells it. The one who buys it, never uses it. The one that uses it never knows that he’s using it.
• The more you have of it, the less you see.
• You throw away the outside and cook the inside. Then you eat the outside and throw away the inside. What did you eat?
• I am always hungry, / I must always be fed, / The finger I touch, / Will soon turn red.
• Each morning I appear to lie at your feet, / All day I will follow no matter how fast you run, / Yet I nearly perish in the midday sun.
• You saw me where I never was and where I could not be. And yet within that very place, my face you often see. What am I?
• Say my name and I disappear. What am I?

Hard Classic Riddles: Answers

• The future.
• An ear of corn.
• A reflection.

Hard Riddles About Words And Letters: Questions

• I know a word of letters three. Add two, and fewer there will be!
• Two in a corner, one in a room, zero in a house, but one in a shelter. What am I?
• Every dawn begins with me / At dusk I’ll be the first you see / And daybreak couldn’t come without / What midday centers all aboutDaises grow from me, I’m told / And when I come, I end all cold / But in the sun I won’t be found / Yet still, each day I’ll be around.
• It’s true I bring serenity, / And hang around the stars / But yet I live in misery; / You’ll find me behind bars / With thieves and villains I consort / In prison I’ll be found / But I would never go to court, / Unless there’s more than one
• My first is twice in apple but not once in tart. My second is in liver but not in heart. My third is in giant and also in ghost. Whole I’m best when I am roast. What am I?
• This is a most unusual paragraph. How quickly can you find out what is so unusual about it? It looks so ordinary you’d think nothing was wrong with it — and in fact, nothing is wrong with it. It is unusual though. Why? Study it, think about it, and you may find out. Try to do it without coaching. If you work at it for a bit it will dawn on you. So jump to it and try your skill at figuring it out. Good luck — don’t blow your cool!
• I am a word of meanings three. Three ways of spelling me there be. The first is an odor, a smell if you will. The second some money, but not in a bill. The third is past tense, a method of passing things on or around. Can you tell me now, what these words are, that have the same sound?
• What word in the English language does the following: The first two letters signify a male, the first three letters signify a female, the first four letters signify a great, while the entire world signifies a great woman. What is the word?

Hard Riddles About Words And Letters: Answers

• The letter “R.”
• The letter “D.”
• The letter “S.”
• The letter “E,” the most common in the English language, is not found in the entire paragraph.
• Scent, cent, sent.

Hard Riddles About Animals: Questions

• A horse walks a certain distance each day. Two of its legs go 30 miles each day and the other two legs go nearly 31 miles. The horse is normal, so how is this possible?
• I grow down as I grow up. What am I?
• A woman stands on the side of a river, her cat on the other. The woman calls to the cat, who immediately crosses the river without getting wet, and without using a bridge or a boat. How did the cat do it?
• What’s at the head of an elephant and the tail of a squirrel?
• A cowgirl rides into a city on Friday, stays for three days, and leaves on Friday. How is this possible?
• A black dog is lying in an intersection in a town painted black. No street lights are working due to a power failure. A car with broken headlights drives toward the dog but turns in time to avoid hitting him. How did the driver see the dog?
• What wears a coat in the winter and pants in the summer?

Hard Riddles About Animals: Answers

• The horse operates a mill and travels in a circular clockwise direction. The two outside legs travel farther than the inside ones.
• The river was frozen.
• Her horse’s name is Friday.
• It was daytime.

Hard Riddles To Tell Your Friends: Questions

• What loses its head in the morning and regains it at night?
• What has one eye but cannot see?
• I have cities, but no houses. I have mountains, but no trees. I have water, but no fish. What am I?
• What is seen in the middle of March and April that can’t be seen at the beginning or end of either month?
• If three cats can eat three rats in three minutes, how long will it take 100 cats to eat 100 rats?

Hard Riddles To Tell Your Friends: Answers

• Three minutes: each cat can eat one rat in three minutes.

Hard “Gotcha” Riddles: Questions

• Paul’s height is six feet, he’s an assistant at a butcher’s shop, and wears size 9 shoes. What does he weigh?
• In British Columbia, you cannot take a picture of a man with a wooden leg. Why?
• How can you drop a raw egg from a height onto a concrete floor without cracking it?
• What part of the turkey has the most feathers?
• Three different doctors said that Paul is their brother yet Paul claims he has no brothers. Who is lying?

Hard “Gotcha” Riddles: Answers

• You can’t take a picture with a wooden leg, you need a camera.
• Concrete floors are very hard to crack.
• The outside.
• No one is lying, the doctors are Paul’s sisters.

Hard Riddles About Numbers: Questions

• How can the number four be half of five?
• How is seven different from the rest of the numbers between one and 10?
• Using only addition, add eight 8s to get the number 1,000.
• How can you make six into an odd number?

Hard Riddles About Numbers: Answers

• IV: The Roman numeral for four is half the letters in the word “five.”
• Seven has two syllables, the others have one.
• 888 + 88 + 8 + 8 + 8 = 1,000.
• Remove the letter S and you have IX which is nine in Roman numerals.

Hard Logic-Following Riddles: Questions

• A is the brother of B. B is the brother of C. C is the father of D. So how is D related to A?
• What are the next three letters in this combination? OTTFFSS
• If all Wibbles are Criggles, all Borkins are Kwumblins, no Hoggles are Borkins, and all Criggles are Borkins, is it true that all Borkins are Criggles?

Hard Logic-Following Riddles: Answers

• A is D’s uncle.
• E, N, T: Each letter is the first letter of the written numbers: One, Two, Three, Four, Five, etc.

Hard Riddles With Simple Answers: Questions

• What can a child make but never see?
• What has five fingers, but no hand?
• What has 13 hearts and no other organs?
• What can run but never walk?
• Which room has no doors and no windows?
• What can be lost, but never returned?
• What goes Z to A?
• Nobody has ever walked this way. Which way is it?
• What has 10 letters and starts with gas?
• Walk on the living, they don't even mumble. Walk on the dead, they mutter and grumble. What are they?
• A ball has nothing attached to it, there is no one to throw it back, and it doesn't bounce off of anything. How can one throw the ball as hard as they can and always have it come back to them?

Hard Riddles With Simple Answers: Answers

• A deck of cards.
• A mushroom.
• The Milky Way.
• An automobile.
• Throw it straight up.

Confusing Hard Riddles: Questions

• What is it that given one, you’ll have either two or none?
• A man runs away from home. He turns left but keeps running. After some time, he turns left again and keeps running. He later turns left once more and runs back home. Who was the man in the mask?
• I have three feet, but I can’t stand without leaning. I have no arms to hold me up. What am I?
• What connects two people, but touches only one?
• What has a neck but no head, two arms, and no hands?
• You get thrown into a hole. The hole is 30 feet deep, six feet wide and has a little bit of water on the bottom. You can't climb it, you can't dig through it, you can't call for help. How do you get out?

Confusing Hard Riddles: Answers

• A baseball player.
• A yardstick.
• A wedding ring.
• You wait to be pulled back up by the rope because you’re a bucket tossed down a well for water.

Hard Riddles That Must Be Spoken To Work: Questions

• One knight, a ninja, and a pirate are on a boat. The boat crashes. The pirate jumps of first, the ninja jumps off second, who jumps off third?
• Thirty pigeons, 20 ate crackers. How many didn't?
• There were 30 people in a swimming pool. All 30 people went underwater and when they came back up, there were 30 foreheads. How is that possible?

Hard Riddles That Must Be Spoken To Work: Answers

• The knight: spoken, it will sound like you said “one night.”
• Ten: spoken, it sounds like “30 pigeons, 28 crackers...”
• One forehead per person: spoken, it sounds like “34 heads.”

Silly But Hard Riddles: Questions

• A man drove from New York City to Los Angeles in four days. At the end of his trip, he discovered that one of his tires had been punctured. How was he able to make the drive?
• What came first, the chicken or the egg?
• How can a girl go 25 days without sleep?
• What makes you, young?

Silly But Hard Riddles: Answers

• It was his spare tire.
• Dinosaurs laid eggs much before the evolution of chicken.
• She sleeps at night.
• Adding the letters “ng.”

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