WGU CRITICAL THINKING -D265 EXAM
2025/2026 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
100% PASS
Critical thinking
primarily the ability to think carefully about thinking and reasoning—to criticize your own
reasoning. "Criticize" here is not meant in the sense of being mean or talking down or making
fun of. Instead, it is used in the sense of, for example, how a coach might take a critical stance
toward a players' skills—he throws high every time, she does not lead with her foot, they ride
too forward in the saddle, etc. "Critical" here means something more like "reflective," "careful,"
or "attentive to potential errors."
Being curious and thinking creatively:
not believing things are simple and settled, being willing to go the next step and think about all
of the possible positions and arguments before settling into a position.
Separating the thinker from the position:
being able to discuss a position without attacking or judging the person holding the position,
without getting caught up in our own attachment to the position or its antithesis, and without
having our identities wrapped up in a particular viewpoint or opinion.
Knowing oneself enough to avoid biases and errors of thought:
being aware of the flawed patterns of reasoning we are disposed to engage in, being aware of
cognitive biases and mental heuristics (rough rules that work well enough to survive but don't
work in many cases) that we're prone as a species to have, all in the interest of counteracting
these biases and flaws.
Having intellectual honesty, humility, and charity: very important:
being honest about what we know and how we know it, what evidence we have and what
questions are not yet settled; being humble in recognizing the vast number of things we don't
yet know or understand and in recognizing how very difficult it is to truly know anything at all
1 @COPYRIGHT 2025/2026.
, and so recognizing that the standards are high and we, most of the time, don't meet them (and
that's okay); and being charitable or having the disposition to attribute the best intentions and
most sophisticated positions and arguments that we can imagine to our opponents in
arguments.
Understanding arguments, reasons, and evidence:
thinking carefully about thinking, about arguments and positions.
Propositions
statements that can be true or false.
Non-propositions
Sentences that are not statements about matters of fact (or fiction). They do not make a claim
that can be true or false.
Exhort
to urge strongly, Example: Let's go to get dinner! Let's go hiking on Tuesday!
Command
give an authoritative order. Example: Go to the store later to buy me some cheese. Don't do
that.
Plead/Request
ask for something from someone, often on the verge of begging. Example Would you please
stop that? Please read me a bedtime story!
Question
something asked, a statement that requires an answer Example: What is the capital of Florida?
How much do the pineapples cost?
Perform
carry out, accomplish, or fulfill (an action, task, or function) Example: I hereby adjourn this
meeting. I pronounce you husband and wife!
Simple propositions
have no internal logical structure, meaning whether they are true or false does not depend on
whether a part of them is true or false. They are simply true or false on their own.
Complex propositions
have internal logical structure, meaning they are composed of simple propositions. Whether
they are true or false depends on whether their parts are true or false.
Premise
2 @COPYRIGHT 2025/2026.
2025/2026 QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
100% PASS
Critical thinking
primarily the ability to think carefully about thinking and reasoning—to criticize your own
reasoning. "Criticize" here is not meant in the sense of being mean or talking down or making
fun of. Instead, it is used in the sense of, for example, how a coach might take a critical stance
toward a players' skills—he throws high every time, she does not lead with her foot, they ride
too forward in the saddle, etc. "Critical" here means something more like "reflective," "careful,"
or "attentive to potential errors."
Being curious and thinking creatively:
not believing things are simple and settled, being willing to go the next step and think about all
of the possible positions and arguments before settling into a position.
Separating the thinker from the position:
being able to discuss a position without attacking or judging the person holding the position,
without getting caught up in our own attachment to the position or its antithesis, and without
having our identities wrapped up in a particular viewpoint or opinion.
Knowing oneself enough to avoid biases and errors of thought:
being aware of the flawed patterns of reasoning we are disposed to engage in, being aware of
cognitive biases and mental heuristics (rough rules that work well enough to survive but don't
work in many cases) that we're prone as a species to have, all in the interest of counteracting
these biases and flaws.
Having intellectual honesty, humility, and charity: very important:
being honest about what we know and how we know it, what evidence we have and what
questions are not yet settled; being humble in recognizing the vast number of things we don't
yet know or understand and in recognizing how very difficult it is to truly know anything at all
1 @COPYRIGHT 2025/2026.
, and so recognizing that the standards are high and we, most of the time, don't meet them (and
that's okay); and being charitable or having the disposition to attribute the best intentions and
most sophisticated positions and arguments that we can imagine to our opponents in
arguments.
Understanding arguments, reasons, and evidence:
thinking carefully about thinking, about arguments and positions.
Propositions
statements that can be true or false.
Non-propositions
Sentences that are not statements about matters of fact (or fiction). They do not make a claim
that can be true or false.
Exhort
to urge strongly, Example: Let's go to get dinner! Let's go hiking on Tuesday!
Command
give an authoritative order. Example: Go to the store later to buy me some cheese. Don't do
that.
Plead/Request
ask for something from someone, often on the verge of begging. Example Would you please
stop that? Please read me a bedtime story!
Question
something asked, a statement that requires an answer Example: What is the capital of Florida?
How much do the pineapples cost?
Perform
carry out, accomplish, or fulfill (an action, task, or function) Example: I hereby adjourn this
meeting. I pronounce you husband and wife!
Simple propositions
have no internal logical structure, meaning whether they are true or false does not depend on
whether a part of them is true or false. They are simply true or false on their own.
Complex propositions
have internal logical structure, meaning they are composed of simple propositions. Whether
they are true or false depends on whether their parts are true or false.
Premise
2 @COPYRIGHT 2025/2026.
