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 people who drink coffee live longer on average than those who don't. Therefore, drinking coffee causes increased longevity. Which of the following best describes the flaw in this reasoning?

Correlation does not imply causation

The study may have been too small to be reliable

Coffee drinkers may have other healthy habits

The study didn't specify how much coffee was consumed

2. A study found that students who eat breakfast perform better on standardized tests than those who don't. Therefore, schools should provide free breakfast to all students to improve test scores. Which of the following, if true, most weakens this argument?

Many students who don't eat breakfast come from low-income families that may face other educational challenges

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

Eating breakfast has been shown to improve overall health and well-being

Some students perform better on tests when they're slightly hungry

3. A company's marketing team claims that their new television commercial has been successful because sales increased by 15% in the month following its first airing. Which of the following, if true, most weakens this claim?

The company lowered the price of its product by 10% during the same period

The commercial aired during a popular sporting event with high viewership

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

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

4. In a certain country, the government has proposed a new tax on sugary drinks to combat obesity. Critics argue that this tax will disproportionately affect low-income families. Which of the following, if true, would most strengthen the critics' argument?

High-income families consume more sugary drinks than low-income families

Low-income families spend a larger proportion of their income on food and beverages

The proposed tax is expected to reduce obesity rates by 5% within five years

Similar taxes in other countries have led to decreased sugary drink consumption

5. All students who excel in mathematics also excel in logic. Some students who excel in logic also excel in literature. Therefore, some students who excel in mathematics also excel in literature. Which of the following best describes the method of reasoning used in this argument?

Deductive reasoning

Inductive reasoning

Analogical reasoning

Circular reasoning

6. All cats are mammals. All mammals are animals. Which of the following conclusions can be drawn from these premises?

All animals are cats

All animals are mammals

All cats are animals

Some animals are not cats

7. A city plans to reduce air pollution by implementing a congestion charge for vehicles entering the city center. Critics argue that this will harm local businesses. Which of the following, if true, would most weaken the critics' argument?

Similar charges in other cities have led to improved air quality

Public transportation usage increased in cities with congestion charges

Local businesses in cities with congestion charges reported increased foot traffic and sales

The proposed charge is lower than in other cities with similar policies

8. A company decides to invest heavily in developing a new product. Which of the following, if true, would most strengthen the company's decision?

The company's existing products are losing market share

Market research indicates a high demand for the proposed new product

The company's competitors are also developing similar products

The development costs for the new product are higher than initially estimated

9. A study found that people who eat breakfast regularly tend to have lower rates of obesity. The researcher concluded that eating breakfast helps prevent weight gain. Which of the following, if true, would most weaken this conclusion?

People who skip breakfast often overeat later in the day

Many breakfast foods are high in sugar and calories

People who eat breakfast tend to exercise more regularly

Obesity rates have increased despite more people eating breakfast

10. All dogs are mammals. All mammals are animals. Which of the following conclusions can be drawn from these premises?

All animals are dogs

All animals are mammals

All dogs are animals

Some animals are not dogs

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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.