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. Which of the following is the best interpretation of this finding?

Drinking coffee causes people to live longer

Living longer causes people to drink more coffee

There is a correlation between coffee drinking and longevity

People who don't drink coffee have shorter lifespans

2. A company claims that its new app can help users learn a language twice as fast as traditional methods. Which of the following, if true, would most weaken this claim?

The app has received positive reviews from users

The app uses artificial intelligence to personalize lessons

A study shows that app users and traditional learners achieve the same level of proficiency after six months

The app is more expensive than most language learning books

3. A company found that employees who use standing desks report less back pain. The company plans to require all employees to use standing desks to reduce back pain. Which of the following, if true, would most undermine this plan?

Standing for long periods can cause foot and leg pain

Some employees prefer sitting desks

Standing desks are more expensive than regular desks

Employees who chose standing desks were already more health-conscious

4. A politician argues that increasing funding for public libraries will improve literacy rates in the community. Which of the following, if true, would most strengthen this argument?

Communities with well-funded libraries have higher average reading scores

Library usage has declined in recent years due to the internet

Many people prefer e-books to physical books

Libraries offer more than just books, such as computer access and educational programs

5. A health organization claims that a new diet plan can lower cholesterol levels by 15% in three months. Which of the following, if true, would most strengthen this claim?

The diet plan is easy to follow and doesn't require expensive ingredients

Participants in a clinical trial of the diet plan showed an average cholesterol reduction of 14.8% after three months

The diet plan has gained popularity on social media

Some nutritionists have endorsed the diet plan

6. A company decides to implement a four-day workweek to improve employee satisfaction and productivity. Which of the following, if true, would most weaken the effectiveness of this decision?

Employees express enthusiasm for the new schedule

Other companies have reported increased productivity with a four-day workweek

The company's clients expect availability five days a week

The four-day workweek will result in longer working hours on workdays

7. If it rains, the ground will be wet. The ground is wet. Therefore:

It rained

It did not rain

It may or may not have rained

It will rain soon

8. A politician argues: "We must cut taxes to stimulate economic growth. Anyone who opposes tax cuts clearly doesn't care about the economy." This argument commits which of the following fallacies?

Ad hominem

False dichotomy

Slippery slope

Begging the question

9. A city planner argues that building more bike lanes will reduce traffic congestion. Which of the following, if true, would most strengthen this argument?

Cities with extensive bike lane networks have lower rates of car ownership

Bike lanes are less expensive to maintain than roads for cars

A survey shows that 25% of car commuters would switch to biking if there were more bike lanes

Bike lanes improve air quality by reducing vehicle emissions

10. A politician argues that increasing the minimum wage will lead to job losses as businesses will be forced to lay off workers to maintain profitability. Which of the following, if true, most weakens this argument?

Some businesses may absorb the increased labor costs by raising prices

Higher wages may lead to increased productivity, offsetting the additional costs

Many minimum wage workers are employed by large corporations with high profit margins

Some small businesses may reduce workers' hours instead of laying them off

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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.