Critical Thinking Test Practice

A free critical thinking test in the Watson Glaser style: short passages, statements and arguments, each followed by proposed conclusions you judge one at a time. The Watson-Glaser Critical Thinking Appraisal is published by Pearson TalentLens, and law firms name it in their applications (sources below). This practice version has the same five sections in the same order, each with its own answer options.

The five sections

1. Inferences. A passage of facts and a proposed inference: True, Probably true, Insufficient data, Probably false or False. The trap is calling something True that the passage only makes likely.
2. Recognising assumptions. A statement and a proposed assumption: is it taken for granted by whoever made the statement? Something plausible, or true in real life, is not an assumption unless the statement depends on it. Words like "only", "all" and "never" usually make it too strong.
3. Deductions. Premises and a proposed conclusion: does it have to be true if the premises are? Take the premises as true however odd they sound. "Some" means at least one, possibly all.
4. Interpretation. A passage and a proposed conclusion: does it follow beyond reasonable doubt? Watch for averages read as rules, a link read as a cause, and a change in how something was counted.
5. Evaluation of arguments. A yes/no question and an argument: strong if it is important and directly related to the question, weak if it is trivial or rests on tradition, popularity or someone's fame. Your own view on the question does not count.

How the real test works

On its Watson-Glaser page, Pearson TalentLens lists five subtests (drawing inferences, recognising assumptions, deducing, interpreting and evaluating arguments), 40 items, "30 to 40 mins timed", and item-banked questions delivered remotely. Its reports group the scores into three areas: Recognise Assumptions, Evaluate Arguments and Draw Conclusions. TalentLens also offers a free official practice test, worth taking to see the real interface. The employer's invitation is the authority on the version and time limit you will sit; candidate-reported details such as pass marks vary by employer and are not published by TalentLens.

Who uses it

Some employers name it on their own careers pages. Clifford Chance's London graduate recruitment sets the Watson Glaser test after its online assessment: "The test lasts 30 minutes and includes 40 questions" (Clifford Chance). Osborne Clarke includes "a Watson Glaser test" in its assessment centre day (Osborne Clarke). Other employers set critical reasoning tests from other publishers, and firms change tests between seasons, so check your own invitation.

How this practice version works

Twenty statements, four from each section, drawn from a bank written for GamePrep. The deductions are checked by a logic solver; every other item was reviewed against a written rubric and anything a careful reader could answer either way was left out. After each run you see the right answer and a short explanation for every statement. Your answers are scored on the server, 75% accuracy and 25% speed, into a percentile against provisional reference points.

GamePrep is independent and not affiliated with, endorsed by or connected to Pearson or TalentLens. Watson-Glaser is a trademark of its owner. These are not real test questions and no answers from any real test are shown.