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 city government plans to reduce traffic congestion by implementing a congestion charge for vehicles entering the city center during peak hours. Which of the following, if true, would most strongly support the effectiveness of this plan?

Public transportation in the city is reliable and extensive

Many businesses in the city center offer flexible working hours

Similar charges in other cities have reduced traffic by 30% on average

The city has limited parking spaces in the center

2. Advertisement: Our new energy drink, PowerBoost, contains a unique blend of vitamins and minerals that will increase your energy levels and improve your overall health. Try PowerBoost today! Which of the following is the most logical conclusion based on the information in the advertisement?

PowerBoost is more effective than other energy drinks on the market

Regular consumption of PowerBoost will lead to significant health improvements

The vitamins and minerals in PowerBoost are not found in any other energy drink

The advertisement makes claims about PowerBoost's effects without providing evidence

3. A study found that people who meditate regularly have lower stress levels than those who don't. Therefore, meditation causes a reduction in stress. Which of the following best describes the flaw in this reasoning?

It assumes correlation implies causation

It relies on a small sample size

It ignores potential long-term effects

It fails to consider alternative stress-reduction methods

4. A company's HR department noticed that employees who participate in the company's wellness program take fewer sick days. They conclude that the wellness program is effective in improving employee health. Which of the following, if true, most weakens this conclusion?

Employees who are already health-conscious are more likely to participate in the wellness program

The company offers incentives for participating in the wellness program

The wellness program includes both physical and mental health components

Employees who take more sick days are less likely to get promoted

5. 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

6. All roses are flowers. Some flowers are red. Which of the following conclusions can be logically drawn from these premises?

All roses are red

Some roses are red

No roses are red

None of the above

7. 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

8. A city government plans to reduce crime by increasing the number of police officers on the streets. Which of the following, if true, would most strengthen the government's plan?

The city's population has increased by 5% in the last year

Most crimes in the city occur in areas with low police presence

The city's crime rate has remained stable for the past five years

Other cities have successfully reduced crime through community outreach programs

9. A company found that employees who use standing desks report less back pain. The company concluded that standing desks reduce back pain. Which of the following, if true, would most strengthen this conclusion?

Employees who use standing desks tend to take more breaks

Standing for long periods can cause leg fatigue

Employees who chose standing desks were more health-conscious overall

A controlled study showed reduced back pain in participants randomly assigned to use standing desks

10. A study found that children who eat breakfast perform better in school than those who don't. Therefore, parents should ensure their children eat breakfast to improve their academic performance. Which of the following, if true, most weakens this argument?

Some children who eat breakfast still perform poorly in school

Children who eat breakfast tend to come from families that place a higher value on education

The study did not control for the quality or nutritional content of the breakfast

Some high-performing students prefer to study in the morning rather than eat breakfast

Questions Answered: 0/10

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.