CRITICAL THINKING CLINICAL REASONING TEST PAPER EXAM
2025/2026 QUESTIONS WITH ANSWERS GRADED A+
✔✔Which of the following statements best defines critical thinking? - ✔✔Critical thinking
involves thinking about thinking while thinking in order to make thinking better.
✔✔Critical thinking involves_______ one's own thinking. - ✔✔analyzing, evaluating, and
improving one's own thinking.
✔✔Which of the following is not a bad habit of thought? - ✔✔reasoning from
assumptions that are not one's own
✔✔Which term means the tendency to view everything in relationship to oneself? -
✔✔egocentrism
✔✔In thinking through a problem, the critical thinker does all of the following except: -
✔✔gathers information that supports his/her presuppositions
✔✔Another term for critical thinking is: - ✔✔second-order thinking
✔✔Hiding or distorting evidence illustrates which of the following? - ✔✔weak-sense
thinking
✔✔Critical thinking values ________ of thought over ______ of thought. -
✔✔depth/speed
✔✔Bringing an unbiased perspective to all relevant viewpoints exemplifies which of the
following? - ✔✔fair-mindedness
✔✔The ability to reconstruct others' viewpoints exemplifies which of the following traits?
- ✔✔intellectual empathy
✔✔To admit flaws in one's own thinking is an expression of: - ✔✔intellectual integrity
✔✔The opposite of intellectual conformity is: - ✔✔intellectual autonomy
✔✔Which of the following is not a characteristic of second-order thinking? - ✔✔It relies
on intuition.
Second-order thinking is first-order thinking that is consciously realized (i.e., analyzed,
assessed, and reconstructed). First-order thinking relies on intuition rather than
reasoned thought.
,✔✔Which of the following is not among the suggested beginning tactics for improving
your thinking? - ✔✔Handle multiple problems per day.
✔✔Which of the mind's basic functions evaluates the extent to which life's events are
either positive or negative? - ✔✔Feeling evaluates the extent to which life's events are
either positive or negative.
✔✔Critical thinkers routinely apply the intellectual standards to the elements of
reasoning in order to develop intellectual traits. - ✔✔
✔✔The Elements(of reasoning)
Whenever you are reasoning, you are trying to accomplish some purpose, within a point
of view, using concepts or ideas. You are focused on some question, issue, or problem,
using information to come to conclusions, based on assumptions, all of which have
implications. - ✔✔purposes
questions
point of view
information
inferences
concepts
implications
assumptions
✔✔Intellectual traits - ✔✔Intellectual Humility
Intellectual Autonomy
Intellectual Integrity
Intellectual Courage
Intellectual Perseverance
Confidence in Reason
Intellectual Empathy
Fair mindedness
✔✔If you understand the parts of thinking, you can ask the crucial questions implied by
those parts. - ✔✔
✔✔HOW THE PARTS OF THINKING FIT TOGETHER - ✔✔-our purpose affects the
manner in which we ask questions;
--the manner in which we ask questions affects the information we gather;
- the information we gather affects the way we interpret it;
- the way we interpret information affects the way we conceptualize it;
- the way we conceptualize information affects the assumptions we make;
- the assumptions we make affect the implications that follow from our thinking;
-the implications that follow from our thinking affect the way we see things—our point of
view.
,✔✔Clarity - ✔✔Questions that focus on clarity include:
Could you elaborate on that point?
Could you express that point in another way?
Could you give me an illustration?
Could you give me an example?
Let me state in my own words what I think you just said. Tell me if I am clear about your
meaning.
✔✔Precision - ✔✔Questions focusing on making thinking more precise include:
Could you give me more details?
Could you be more specific?
✔✔Relevance - ✔✔Questions focusing on relevance include:
How is this idea connected to the question?
How does that bear on the issue?
How does this idea relate to this other idea?
How does your question relate to the issue we are dealing with?
✔✔Depth - ✔✔Questions focusing on depth of thought include:
How does your answer address the complexities in the question?
How are you taking into account the problems in the question?
How are you dealing with the most significant factors in the problem?
✔✔Breadth - ✔✔Questions focusing on making thinking broader include:
Do we need to consider another point of view?
Is there another way to look at this question?
What would this look like from a conservative standpoint?
What would this look like from the point of view of ...?
✔✔Logic - ✔✔Questions that focus on making thinking more logical include:
Does all of this fit together logically?
Does this really make sense?
Does that follow from what you said?
How does that follow from the evidence?
Before, you implied this, and now you are saying that. I don't see how both can be true.
✔✔Significance - ✔✔Questions that focus on making thinking more significant include:
, What is the most significant information we need to address this issue?
How is that fact important in context?
Which of these questions is the most significant?
Which of these ideas or concepts is the most important?
✔✔Fairness - ✔✔Questions that focus on ensuring that thinking is fair include:
Is my thinking justified given the evidence?
Am I taking into account the weight of the evidence that others might advance in the
situation?
Are these assumptions justified?
Is my purpose fair given the implications of my behavior?
Is the manner in which I am addressing the problem fair—or is my vested interest
keeping me from considering the problem from alternative viewpoints?
Am I using concepts justifiably, or am I using them unfairly to manipulate someone (to
selfishly get what I want)?
✔✔Critical thinkers routinely apply the intellectual standards to the elements of
reasoning. - ✔✔
✔✔1. All reasoning has a purpose. - ✔✔Take time to state your purpose clearly.
Choose significant and realistic purposes.
Distinguish your purpose from related purposes.
Make sure your purpose is fair in context (that it doesn't involve violating the rights of
others).
Check periodically to be sure you are still focused on your purpose and haven't
wandered from your target.
✔✔2. All reasoning is an attempt to figure out something, to settle some question, solve
some problem. - ✔✔Take time to state the question at issue clearly and precisely.
Express the question in several ways to clarify its meaning and scope.
Break the question into sub-questions (when you can).
Identify the type of question you are dealing with (historical, economic, biological, etc.)
and whether the question has one right answer, is a matter of mere opinion, or requires
reasoning from more than one point of view.
Think-through the complexities of the question (think-through the question deeply).
✔✔3. All reasoning is based on assumptions. - ✔✔Clearly identify your assumptions
and determine whether they are justifiable.
Consider how your assumptions are shaping your point of view.
✔✔4. All reasoning is done from some point of view. - ✔✔Clearly identify your point of
view.
Seek other relevant points of view and identify their strengths as well as weaknesses.
Strive to be fair-minded in evaluating all points of view.
2025/2026 QUESTIONS WITH ANSWERS GRADED A+
✔✔Which of the following statements best defines critical thinking? - ✔✔Critical thinking
involves thinking about thinking while thinking in order to make thinking better.
✔✔Critical thinking involves_______ one's own thinking. - ✔✔analyzing, evaluating, and
improving one's own thinking.
✔✔Which of the following is not a bad habit of thought? - ✔✔reasoning from
assumptions that are not one's own
✔✔Which term means the tendency to view everything in relationship to oneself? -
✔✔egocentrism
✔✔In thinking through a problem, the critical thinker does all of the following except: -
✔✔gathers information that supports his/her presuppositions
✔✔Another term for critical thinking is: - ✔✔second-order thinking
✔✔Hiding or distorting evidence illustrates which of the following? - ✔✔weak-sense
thinking
✔✔Critical thinking values ________ of thought over ______ of thought. -
✔✔depth/speed
✔✔Bringing an unbiased perspective to all relevant viewpoints exemplifies which of the
following? - ✔✔fair-mindedness
✔✔The ability to reconstruct others' viewpoints exemplifies which of the following traits?
- ✔✔intellectual empathy
✔✔To admit flaws in one's own thinking is an expression of: - ✔✔intellectual integrity
✔✔The opposite of intellectual conformity is: - ✔✔intellectual autonomy
✔✔Which of the following is not a characteristic of second-order thinking? - ✔✔It relies
on intuition.
Second-order thinking is first-order thinking that is consciously realized (i.e., analyzed,
assessed, and reconstructed). First-order thinking relies on intuition rather than
reasoned thought.
,✔✔Which of the following is not among the suggested beginning tactics for improving
your thinking? - ✔✔Handle multiple problems per day.
✔✔Which of the mind's basic functions evaluates the extent to which life's events are
either positive or negative? - ✔✔Feeling evaluates the extent to which life's events are
either positive or negative.
✔✔Critical thinkers routinely apply the intellectual standards to the elements of
reasoning in order to develop intellectual traits. - ✔✔
✔✔The Elements(of reasoning)
Whenever you are reasoning, you are trying to accomplish some purpose, within a point
of view, using concepts or ideas. You are focused on some question, issue, or problem,
using information to come to conclusions, based on assumptions, all of which have
implications. - ✔✔purposes
questions
point of view
information
inferences
concepts
implications
assumptions
✔✔Intellectual traits - ✔✔Intellectual Humility
Intellectual Autonomy
Intellectual Integrity
Intellectual Courage
Intellectual Perseverance
Confidence in Reason
Intellectual Empathy
Fair mindedness
✔✔If you understand the parts of thinking, you can ask the crucial questions implied by
those parts. - ✔✔
✔✔HOW THE PARTS OF THINKING FIT TOGETHER - ✔✔-our purpose affects the
manner in which we ask questions;
--the manner in which we ask questions affects the information we gather;
- the information we gather affects the way we interpret it;
- the way we interpret information affects the way we conceptualize it;
- the way we conceptualize information affects the assumptions we make;
- the assumptions we make affect the implications that follow from our thinking;
-the implications that follow from our thinking affect the way we see things—our point of
view.
,✔✔Clarity - ✔✔Questions that focus on clarity include:
Could you elaborate on that point?
Could you express that point in another way?
Could you give me an illustration?
Could you give me an example?
Let me state in my own words what I think you just said. Tell me if I am clear about your
meaning.
✔✔Precision - ✔✔Questions focusing on making thinking more precise include:
Could you give me more details?
Could you be more specific?
✔✔Relevance - ✔✔Questions focusing on relevance include:
How is this idea connected to the question?
How does that bear on the issue?
How does this idea relate to this other idea?
How does your question relate to the issue we are dealing with?
✔✔Depth - ✔✔Questions focusing on depth of thought include:
How does your answer address the complexities in the question?
How are you taking into account the problems in the question?
How are you dealing with the most significant factors in the problem?
✔✔Breadth - ✔✔Questions focusing on making thinking broader include:
Do we need to consider another point of view?
Is there another way to look at this question?
What would this look like from a conservative standpoint?
What would this look like from the point of view of ...?
✔✔Logic - ✔✔Questions that focus on making thinking more logical include:
Does all of this fit together logically?
Does this really make sense?
Does that follow from what you said?
How does that follow from the evidence?
Before, you implied this, and now you are saying that. I don't see how both can be true.
✔✔Significance - ✔✔Questions that focus on making thinking more significant include:
, What is the most significant information we need to address this issue?
How is that fact important in context?
Which of these questions is the most significant?
Which of these ideas or concepts is the most important?
✔✔Fairness - ✔✔Questions that focus on ensuring that thinking is fair include:
Is my thinking justified given the evidence?
Am I taking into account the weight of the evidence that others might advance in the
situation?
Are these assumptions justified?
Is my purpose fair given the implications of my behavior?
Is the manner in which I am addressing the problem fair—or is my vested interest
keeping me from considering the problem from alternative viewpoints?
Am I using concepts justifiably, or am I using them unfairly to manipulate someone (to
selfishly get what I want)?
✔✔Critical thinkers routinely apply the intellectual standards to the elements of
reasoning. - ✔✔
✔✔1. All reasoning has a purpose. - ✔✔Take time to state your purpose clearly.
Choose significant and realistic purposes.
Distinguish your purpose from related purposes.
Make sure your purpose is fair in context (that it doesn't involve violating the rights of
others).
Check periodically to be sure you are still focused on your purpose and haven't
wandered from your target.
✔✔2. All reasoning is an attempt to figure out something, to settle some question, solve
some problem. - ✔✔Take time to state the question at issue clearly and precisely.
Express the question in several ways to clarify its meaning and scope.
Break the question into sub-questions (when you can).
Identify the type of question you are dealing with (historical, economic, biological, etc.)
and whether the question has one right answer, is a matter of mere opinion, or requires
reasoning from more than one point of view.
Think-through the complexities of the question (think-through the question deeply).
✔✔3. All reasoning is based on assumptions. - ✔✔Clearly identify your assumptions
and determine whether they are justifiable.
Consider how your assumptions are shaping your point of view.
✔✔4. All reasoning is done from some point of view. - ✔✔Clearly identify your point of
view.
Seek other relevant points of view and identify their strengths as well as weaknesses.
Strive to be fair-minded in evaluating all points of view.
