Critical Reasoning Practice Questions

1. In a survey of 500 people, 60% said they prefer coffee to tea. Based on this information, which of the following must be true?

300 people in the survey prefer coffee to tea

200 people in the survey prefer tea to coffee

The majority of all people prefer coffee to tea

More people in the survey prefer coffee than those who prefer tea

2. A company's sales have increased by 25% since implementing a new marketing strategy. The CEO concludes that the new strategy is responsible for the increase in sales. Which of the following, if true, would most weaken the CEO's conclusion?

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

The company introduced a new product line alongside the marketing strategy

The industry as a whole experienced a 30% growth in sales during the same period

The company increased its advertising budget by 50% to support the new strategy

3. 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

4. All roses are flowers. Some flowers are red. Therefore, some roses are red. This argument is:

Valid and sound

Valid but not necessarily sound

Invalid but possibly true

Invalid and necessarily false

5. A company's sales increased by 25% after it reduced its prices by 10%. The sales manager concludes that lowering prices always leads to increased sales. Which of the following best describes the logical flaw in this argument?

Hasty generalization

False dichotomy

Circular reasoning

Ad hominem fallacy

6. In a company of 1000 employees, 30% are in the IT department and 40% are women. If 45% of the IT department employees are women, what percentage of the non-IT employees are women?

35%

37.5%

40%

42.5%

7. A company's profit margin increased by 15% after it implemented a new inventory management system. The CFO concludes that the new system was responsible for the increase in profit margin. Which of the following, if true, would most strengthen the CFO's conclusion?

The company's sales remained constant during the period of increased profit margin

Other companies using similar inventory management systems reported increased profit margins

The company's expenses decreased significantly after implementing the new system

The company's market share grew during the same period

8. In a company of 1000 employees, 40% are women and 25% of the women are in management positions. What percentage of the total employees are women in management positions?

10%

15%

20%

25%

9. A study found that people who consume high amounts of caffeine have a lower risk of developing Parkinson's disease. Therefore, drinking more coffee can help prevent Parkinson's disease. Which of the following, if true, most weakens the conclusion?

Caffeine consumption is associated with other lifestyle factors that may reduce Parkinson's risk

The study was conducted over a short period of time

Parkinson's disease is more common in older adults

Some people are genetically predisposed to both high caffeine consumption and lower Parkinson's risk

10. A company decides to implement a flexible work-from-home policy to attract and retain employees. Which of the following, if true, would most strengthen the effectiveness of this decision?

The company's office space costs will decrease with more employees working from home

A survey of job seekers shows that flexible work options are the most desired benefit

Some managers are concerned about monitoring employee productivity remotely

The company's main competitor does not offer work-from-home options