Critical Reasoning Practice Questions

Welcome to our comprehensive collection of stimulus-style practice questions! These questions are designed to sharpen your critical thinking, logical reasoning, and analytical skills. These abilities are crucial for success in many standardized tests. Our carefully crafted questions mirror the format found in prestigious exams like the LSAT, GMAT, and GRE, as well as in many other exams.

Each question presents a brief “stimulus” – a short paragraph containing an argument, scenario, or set of facts – followed by a question and multiple-choice answers. These exercises will challenge you to analyze complex information, identify logical flaws, draw valid conclusions, and evaluate arguments.

1. A company claims that its new software increases employee productivity by 30%. In a trial, employees using the software completed tasks faster than those not using it. Which of the following, if true, would most strengthen the company's claim?

The trial was conducted over a long period of time with a large sample size

Employees using the software reported higher job satisfaction

The tasks completed faster were representative of typical work duties

The software is more user-friendly than competing products

2. A politician argues that increasing funding for after-school programs will lead to improved academic performance. Which of the following, if true, most strengthens this argument?

Students who participate in after-school programs show better time management skills

After-school programs provide a safe environment for students whose parents work late

Schools with well-funded after-school programs have seen a significant increase in average test scores

Participation in after-school programs is associated with lower rates of juvenile delinquency

3. A politician argues: "We should not allow immigrants into our country because they take jobs away from citizens." Which of the following best identifies the flaw in this argument?

It assumes all immigrants are looking for jobs

It ignores the possibility that immigrants create jobs

It assumes citizens are more deserving of jobs than immigrants

It fails to consider the skills immigrants bring to the workforce

4. A study found that students who participate in extracurricular activities have higher GPAs than those who don't. Therefore, schools should require all students to participate in extracurricular activities to improve academic performance. Which of the following, if true, most weakens this argument?

Some students may perform poorly academically if forced to participate in activities they don't enjoy

The study was conducted on a small sample of high school students

Participation in extracurricular activities has been shown to improve social skills

Students who participate in extracurricular activities tend to come from families that place a high value on education

5. A company's employee satisfaction survey showed that 80% of employees are satisfied with their jobs. The HR director concludes that the company has a positive work environment. Which of the following, if true, would most weaken the HR director's conclusion?

The survey was anonymous and voluntary

Only 30% of employees participated in the survey

The company's turnover rate is higher than the industry average

Employee satisfaction has increased by 5% compared to last year

6. All A are B. Some B are C. Therefore:

All A are C

Some A are C

No A are C

None of the above

7. A technology company claims that its new smartphone app can improve users' productivity. In a trial, users reported completing more tasks when using the app. Which of the following is an assumption underlying the company's claim?

The users in the trial were representative of the general population

The increase in completed tasks was due to the app and not other factors

The effects of the app are consistent across different types of tasks

The app works equally well on all smartphone operating systems

8. A politician argues that increasing funding for after-school programs will reduce juvenile crime rates. Which of the following, if true, would most weaken this argument?

Cities with well-funded after-school programs have lower juvenile crime rates

Juvenile crime rates have decreased in recent years without increased funding for after-school programs

After-school programs improve academic performance

Parents support increased funding for after-school programs

9. A company's marketing department claims that their new advertising campaign has been successful because sales increased by 15% in the month following its launch. Which of the following, if true, most weakens this claim?

The company's main competitor experienced production issues during the same period

The company introduced a new product line at the same time as the advertising campaign

The increase in sales was consistent with the company's average monthly growth over the past year

The advertising campaign cost significantly more than previous campaigns

10. A company's sales increased by 30% after it started an advertising campaign on social media. The marketing manager concludes that the social media campaign was responsible for the increase in sales. Which of the following, if true, would most weaken the marketing manager's conclusion?

The company also introduced a new product line during the same period

The company's main competitor went out of business during the same period

The social media campaign reached a larger audience than expected

Other companies in the same industry reported similar increases in sales without social media campaigns

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These questions assess critical thinking, logical reasoning, and analytical skills. Here’s a list of some exams that typically include such questions:

LSAT (Law School Admission Test)
GMAT (Graduate Management Admission Test)
GRE (Graduate Record Examinations)
MCAT (Medical College Admission Test)
SAT (Scholastic Assessment Test)
ACT (American College Testing)
Critical Thinking Assessment Test (CAT)
Watson-Glaser Critical Thinking Appraisal
California Critical Thinking Skills Test (CCTST)
CLA+ (Collegiate Learning Assessment)
California Bar Exam’s performance test section
Certain civil service exams
Some corporate hiring assessments

These exams use stimulus-based questions to evaluate a candidate’s ability to analyze information, identify logical flaws, draw valid conclusions, and evaluate arguments. The questions present a short paragraph or scenario followed by a question and multiple-choice answers.