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 study found that students who listen to classical music while studying perform better on tests. Therefore, schools should play classical music during exams to improve student performance. Which of the following, if true, would most weaken this argument?

Not all students enjoy classical music

The study was conducted on a small sample of students

The improved performance was only observed for certain subjects

The positive effect of music on performance diminishes with repeated exposure

2. A company found that employees who participate in its wellness program take fewer sick days. The company plans to make the program mandatory to reduce overall sick days. Which of the following, if true, would most undermine the company's plan?

Employees who participate in wellness programs tend to be healthier overall

The wellness program is expensive to implement

Some employees prefer to use their free time for other activities

Mandatory programs often result in lower engagement and effectiveness

3. City X has experienced a significant increase in traffic congestion over the past five years. The city council proposes building more roads to alleviate the problem. Which of the following, if true, would most strengthen the council's proposal?

Public transportation usage has increased by 20% in the same period

The population of City X has grown by 15% in the last five years

Similar cities that built more roads saw a 30% reduction in traffic congestion

The number of registered vehicles in City X has remained constant

4. A study found that people who drink coffee live longer on average than those who don't. Therefore, drinking coffee extends life expectancy. Which of the following best describes the flaw in this reasoning?

Confusing correlation with causation

Hasty generalization

Appeal to authority

False analogy

5. A company's marketing team claims that their new social media campaign has been successful because the company's follower count increased by 20% in the month following its launch. Which of the following, if true, most weakens this claim?

The company offered a promotional discount to new followers during the same period

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

The engagement rate (likes, comments, shares) on the company's posts remained unchanged

The company's main competitor experienced a decline in followers during the same period

6. 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

7. No mammals can breathe underwater. Whales are mammals. Which of the following conclusions can be logically drawn from these premises?

Whales cannot breathe underwater

Whales can hold their breath for long periods

All animals that cannot breathe underwater are mammals

Some mammals can breathe underwater

8. 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

9. A city implemented a new recycling program and saw a 30% increase in recycling rates over the following year. The environmental officer concludes that the new program is effective in increasing recycling. Which of the following, if true, would most weaken this conclusion?

The city also increased fines for not recycling during the same period

Other cities using similar recycling programs reported no significant change in recycling rates

The amount of waste produced by the city decreased by 25% during the same period

The city conducted an extensive public awareness campaign about recycling

10. A university decides to eliminate standardized test requirements for admission to increase diversity in the student body. Which of the following, if true, would most strengthen the effectiveness of this decision?

Standardized test scores are highly correlated with family income

Some top-ranked universities still require standardized tests

The university's overall application numbers have increased since the change

Some faculty members oppose the elimination of standardized test requirements

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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.