WGU D265 – Critical Thinking: Reason and
Evidence | Practice Exam 150 Questions with
Correct Answers and Explanations.
Section 1: Foundations of Critical Thinking
1. Critical thinking is best defined as:
A) Accepting information from authoritative sources without question
B) Memorizing facts and recalling them accurately
C) The disciplined process of actively analyzing, synthesizing, and evaluating
information to guide belief and action
D) Making quick decisions based on intuition
Rationale: Critical thinking involves active, deliberate analysis and evaluation of
information, not passive acceptance. It requires questioning assumptions, examining
evidence, and reasoning systematically to reach well-supported conclusions.
2. A statement that can be true or false is called a:
A) Question
B) Command
C) Proposition (Claim)
D) Exclamation
Rationale: A proposition (claim) is a declarative statement that has a truth value—it is
either true or false. Questions, commands, and exclamations are not propositions because
they cannot be evaluated as true or false.
3. Which of the following is NOT a proposition?
A) The sky is blue.
B) All humans are mortal.
C) 2 + 2 = 5
D) Please close the door.
,Rationale: "Please close the door" is a command (imperative), not a declarative
statement. It cannot be evaluated as true or false. The other options are declarative
statements with truth values.
4. An argument consists of:
A) A single statement
B) One or more premises and a conclusion
C) Only emotional appeals
D) A rhetorical question
Rationale: An argument in logic is a set of statements where premises provide reasons or
evidence to support a conclusion. Arguments contain at least one premise and a
conclusion.
5. A premise is:
A) The main point being argued
B) A statement offered as evidence or reason to support a conclusion
C) A rhetorical device
D) An irrelevant statement
Rationale: Premises are the supporting statements in an argument—they provide the
evidence, reasons, or grounds for accepting the conclusion. Conclusions are the claims
being supported.
6. A conclusion is:
A) The supporting evidence in an argument
B) The claim being supported by premises
C) Always explicitly stated
D) The first sentence in an argument
Rationale: The conclusion is the statement that the argument tries to prove or establish
using premises. Conclusions can appear anywhere in an argument and may be implicit.
7. An argument that is intended to provide logically conclusive support for its
conclusion is called:
A) Inductive argument
B) Deductive argument
C) Abductive argument
D) Analogical argument
,Rationale: Deductive arguments aim for logical necessity—if the premises are true, the
conclusion must be true. Inductive arguments aim for probability rather than certainty.
8. An argument that is intended to provide probable (not certain) support for its
conclusion is called:
A) Deductive argument
B) Inductive argument
C) Sound argument
D) Valid argument
Rationale: Inductive arguments support conclusions with degrees of probability based on
evidence (e.g., generalizations, predictions, analogies). They do not claim certainty.
9. A deductive argument is valid when:
A) The premises are actually true
B) If the premises are true, the conclusion must be true
C) The conclusion is interesting
D) The argument has emotional appeal
Rationale: Validity is about logical form—the relationship between premises and
conclusion. A valid argument guarantees that IF the premises are true, the conclusion
cannot be false.
10. A deductive argument is sound when:
A) It has a valid form
B) It is valid AND all premises are actually true
C) It is persuasive
D) It has true premises only
Rationale: Soundness requires both validity (correct logical form) and truth of all
premises. A sound argument guarantees a true conclusion.
11. All men are mortal. Socrates is a man. Therefore, Socrates is mortal. This
argument is:
A) Inductive and weak
B) Deductive and valid
C) Deductive and invalid
D) Inductive and strong
, Rationale: This is a classic categorical syllogism. If the premises are true, the conclusion
necessarily follows—making it a valid deductive argument. The argument is also sound if
the premises are true.
12. "Most dogs are friendly. Fido is a dog. Therefore, Fido is friendly." This
argument is:
A) Deductive and valid
B) Deductive and sound
C) Inductive (probabilistic)
D) Neither inductive nor deductive
Rationale: The conclusion "Fido is friendly" is probable based on the premise about most
dogs, but not guaranteed. This makes it an inductive rather than deductive argument.
13. An inductive argument is strong when:
A) The conclusion is guaranteed
B) The premises provide good evidence (high probability) for the conclusion
C) The premises are false
D) The argument is valid
Rationale: Strength in inductive arguments refers to the degree of probability that the
conclusion follows from the premises. A strong inductive argument makes the conclusion
very likely, but not certain.
14. A cogent inductive argument is one that is:
A) Valid and sound
B) Strong and has all true premises
C) Weak but persuasive
D) Emotionally appealing
Rationale: Cogency is the inductive equivalent of soundness. A cogent argument is strong
(the premises make the conclusion highly probable) and has all true premises.
15. The first step in analyzing an argument is to:
A) Accept the conclusion immediately
B) Identify the conclusion and premises
C) Evaluate the truth of premises
D) Determine emotional impact
Evidence | Practice Exam 150 Questions with
Correct Answers and Explanations.
Section 1: Foundations of Critical Thinking
1. Critical thinking is best defined as:
A) Accepting information from authoritative sources without question
B) Memorizing facts and recalling them accurately
C) The disciplined process of actively analyzing, synthesizing, and evaluating
information to guide belief and action
D) Making quick decisions based on intuition
Rationale: Critical thinking involves active, deliberate analysis and evaluation of
information, not passive acceptance. It requires questioning assumptions, examining
evidence, and reasoning systematically to reach well-supported conclusions.
2. A statement that can be true or false is called a:
A) Question
B) Command
C) Proposition (Claim)
D) Exclamation
Rationale: A proposition (claim) is a declarative statement that has a truth value—it is
either true or false. Questions, commands, and exclamations are not propositions because
they cannot be evaluated as true or false.
3. Which of the following is NOT a proposition?
A) The sky is blue.
B) All humans are mortal.
C) 2 + 2 = 5
D) Please close the door.
,Rationale: "Please close the door" is a command (imperative), not a declarative
statement. It cannot be evaluated as true or false. The other options are declarative
statements with truth values.
4. An argument consists of:
A) A single statement
B) One or more premises and a conclusion
C) Only emotional appeals
D) A rhetorical question
Rationale: An argument in logic is a set of statements where premises provide reasons or
evidence to support a conclusion. Arguments contain at least one premise and a
conclusion.
5. A premise is:
A) The main point being argued
B) A statement offered as evidence or reason to support a conclusion
C) A rhetorical device
D) An irrelevant statement
Rationale: Premises are the supporting statements in an argument—they provide the
evidence, reasons, or grounds for accepting the conclusion. Conclusions are the claims
being supported.
6. A conclusion is:
A) The supporting evidence in an argument
B) The claim being supported by premises
C) Always explicitly stated
D) The first sentence in an argument
Rationale: The conclusion is the statement that the argument tries to prove or establish
using premises. Conclusions can appear anywhere in an argument and may be implicit.
7. An argument that is intended to provide logically conclusive support for its
conclusion is called:
A) Inductive argument
B) Deductive argument
C) Abductive argument
D) Analogical argument
,Rationale: Deductive arguments aim for logical necessity—if the premises are true, the
conclusion must be true. Inductive arguments aim for probability rather than certainty.
8. An argument that is intended to provide probable (not certain) support for its
conclusion is called:
A) Deductive argument
B) Inductive argument
C) Sound argument
D) Valid argument
Rationale: Inductive arguments support conclusions with degrees of probability based on
evidence (e.g., generalizations, predictions, analogies). They do not claim certainty.
9. A deductive argument is valid when:
A) The premises are actually true
B) If the premises are true, the conclusion must be true
C) The conclusion is interesting
D) The argument has emotional appeal
Rationale: Validity is about logical form—the relationship between premises and
conclusion. A valid argument guarantees that IF the premises are true, the conclusion
cannot be false.
10. A deductive argument is sound when:
A) It has a valid form
B) It is valid AND all premises are actually true
C) It is persuasive
D) It has true premises only
Rationale: Soundness requires both validity (correct logical form) and truth of all
premises. A sound argument guarantees a true conclusion.
11. All men are mortal. Socrates is a man. Therefore, Socrates is mortal. This
argument is:
A) Inductive and weak
B) Deductive and valid
C) Deductive and invalid
D) Inductive and strong
, Rationale: This is a classic categorical syllogism. If the premises are true, the conclusion
necessarily follows—making it a valid deductive argument. The argument is also sound if
the premises are true.
12. "Most dogs are friendly. Fido is a dog. Therefore, Fido is friendly." This
argument is:
A) Deductive and valid
B) Deductive and sound
C) Inductive (probabilistic)
D) Neither inductive nor deductive
Rationale: The conclusion "Fido is friendly" is probable based on the premise about most
dogs, but not guaranteed. This makes it an inductive rather than deductive argument.
13. An inductive argument is strong when:
A) The conclusion is guaranteed
B) The premises provide good evidence (high probability) for the conclusion
C) The premises are false
D) The argument is valid
Rationale: Strength in inductive arguments refers to the degree of probability that the
conclusion follows from the premises. A strong inductive argument makes the conclusion
very likely, but not certain.
14. A cogent inductive argument is one that is:
A) Valid and sound
B) Strong and has all true premises
C) Weak but persuasive
D) Emotionally appealing
Rationale: Cogency is the inductive equivalent of soundness. A cogent argument is strong
(the premises make the conclusion highly probable) and has all true premises.
15. The first step in analyzing an argument is to:
A) Accept the conclusion immediately
B) Identify the conclusion and premises
C) Evaluate the truth of premises
D) Determine emotional impact
