Watson-Glaser Critical Thinking Appraisal Cheat Sheet 2026

The 30 highest-yield Watson-Glaser Critical Thinking Appraisal facts, distilled from real exam questions. Print it, save it as a PDF, or study it here — free, no sign-up.

1. Which assumption is embedded in: 'We've always done the budget review in Q4, so we should continue doing it then'? → Past practice is a sufficient reason to maintain current practice
2. A polling organization reports a margin of error of ±4% at a 95% confidence level. A candidate leads 52% to 48%. What is the most accurate interpretation? → The race is too close to call given the margin of error
3. Passage: Sarah exercises five days a week and maintains a healthy diet. Conclusion: Sarah is in excellent health. What is the status of this conclusion? → Probably true
4. A headline reads: 'City Park Renovation Project Completed Three Months Late and $2 Million Over Budget.' Which is an inference? → City officials failed to manage the project adequately.
5. A doctor claims that because she recovered from cancer after eating a special diet, the diet must cure cancer. This is an example of: → Post hoc ergo propter hoc
6. Statement: 'Should the voting age in the US be lowered to 16?' Argument: 'No, because 16-year-olds cannot yet rent a car.' Is this argument strong or weak? → Weak, because the inability to rent a car is irrelevant to civic capacity
7. A study finds that people who floss daily have fewer heart attacks. Before concluding flossing protects the heart, what must be considered? → People who floss daily may share other health habits that reduce heart attack risk
8. In the Watson-Glaser test, an inference rated 'probably true' means: → The inference is more likely true than false given the passage
9. Statement: 'All mammals are warm-blooded. Dolphins are mammals.' Conclusion: 'Therefore, dolphins are warm-blooded.' Evaluate this conclusion. → The conclusion follows necessarily from the given statements.
10. A study shows that countries with higher chocolate consumption have more Nobel Prize winners. A biased conclusion from this data would be: → Eating chocolate causes higher intelligence and Nobel Prize wins
11. A report presents the median household income as $65,000 and the mean as $95,000 in the same dataset. What does this discrepancy most likely indicate? → A small number of very high earners are pulling the mean above the median
12. Some employees who pass the aptitude test are offered promotions. James passed the aptitude test. What can be deduced? → James may or may not be offered a promotion.
13. A neighborhood newsletter states: 'Three houses on Oak Street were broken into between midnight and 3 AM last Friday.' Which is an inference? → The burglar was someone familiar with the neighborhood.
14. An inference is described as 'probably true' on the Watson-Glaser test when: → The evidence makes it more likely true than false, though not certain.
15. A speaker says: 'You must agree with my proposal to cut funding — unless you want children to starve.' This is best classified as: → Appeal to fear (scare tactics)
16. A weather report states: 'Temperatures dropped 15°C over six hours, and snowfall began at 11 PM.' Which of the following is an inference? → A cold front moved through the area causing the temperature drop and snow.
17. Passage: 'The bridge was built in 1952 and has never been closed for repairs.' A reader concludes, 'The bridge is structurally sound.' This conclusion is: → An inference that may or may not be true.
18. A restaurant review states: 'The service took 45 minutes and the food was cold when it arrived.' Which is a fact? → The service took 45 minutes.
19. 'Either we pass stricter gun control laws or gun violence will destroy society.' What fallacy does this commit? → False dilemma
20. Statement: 'Reading fiction improves empathy, so English classes are essential.' The hidden assumption is: → Empathy is an important outcome that schools should develop
21. Which statement best describes a 'probably false' inference in the Watson-Glaser framework? → The inference contradicts the passage but lacks overwhelming evidence
22. Statement: 'Since it rained yesterday, the park trail will be muddy today.' Proposed assumption: Rain makes trails muddy. Is this assumption MADE or NOT MADE? → Made
23. Ice cream sales and drowning rates both rise every summer. Inference: Eating ice cream causes drowning. → Probably False
24. All Watson-Glaser sections require careful reading of a passage before answering. A test taker skips reading the passage. What deductively follows? → The test taker is not meeting the requirement of that section.
25. A court document states: 'The defendant's fingerprints were found on the doorknob, and the defendant lived in the same building.' Which is an inference? → The defendant entered the apartment without permission.
26. A researcher notices that as shoe size increases, reading ability also increases in a sample of children aged 3–12. The most reasonable explanation is: → Age is a confounding variable driving both shoe size and reading ability
27. Someone argues: 'You say we should reduce sugar intake, but I saw you eating cake last week.' Which fallacy is this? → Tu quoque (appeal to hypocrisy)
28. Premises: If it rains, the game is cancelled. The game was not cancelled. Conclusion: It did not rain. → The conclusion follows
29. A product label states: 'Contains 250mg of caffeine per serving. Recommended for adults only.' Which is an inference? → Children who consume this product will experience harmful side effects.
30. Premises: All managers attend the weekly briefing. Sandra is a manager. Conclusion: Sandra attends the weekly briefing. → The conclusion follows