Learn by Novus · Open practice pack v1

Critical thinking: evidence, arguments and judgement: open practice pack: answer key

100 untimed questions across 10 authored sections.

This is untimed educational practice for one cognitive skill. It is not a clinical, diagnostic, employment, or professionally recognized assessment, and it does not produce an IQ score or credential.

Answer key

ItemChoiceAnswer
critical-thinking-s01-q01AThe judgement that the blend is the best
critical-thinking-s01-q02BThe library recorded 4,120 visits last month.
critical-thinking-s01-q03CThat sales rose after the repainting
critical-thinking-s01-q04DThe bus has been late on several recent occasions.
critical-thinking-s01-q05AMembership records showing more sign-ups than last year
critical-thinking-s01-q06CA single personal impression is not a measurement of air quality
critical-thinking-s01-q07BThe council wasted £2m on an unnecessary footbridge.
critical-thinking-s01-q08DRecorded average time per transaction before and after the change
critical-thinking-s01-q09CAn absence of proof of harm is not itself evidence of safety
critical-thinking-s01-q10AHow comparable roses that went without the feed bloomed that season
critical-thinking-s02-q01BThe council should reroute the path
critical-thinking-s02-q02DIt is one of the reasons supporting the conclusion
critical-thinking-s02-q03AWe must lower the fees
critical-thinking-s02-q04CThe speaker will take the coach
critical-thinking-s02-q05BTwo
critical-thinking-s02-q06ARavi lives two counties away
critical-thinking-s02-q07DThe market should not move to Saturdays
critical-thinking-s02-q08CThe leap from one person's experience to a policy for every pupil
critical-thinking-s02-q09AA chain, in which each conclusion becomes the reason for the next step
critical-thinking-s02-q10BThe scheme is already running in three neighbouring towns
critical-thinking-s03-q01CA larger turnout would be a good thing for the fair
critical-thinking-s03-q02APassing the advanced course qualifies someone to supervise the workshop
critical-thinking-s03-q03DThe buyer will actually use enough paint for the extra not to be wasted
critical-thinking-s03-q04BNothing else that week could account for the rise in sales
critical-thinking-s03-q05DThe hazards in this water are the particles the filter removes
critical-thinking-s03-q06BThe new score is written in a notation the members can actually read
critical-thinking-s03-q07AThe hours patients struggle with are the ones that would be added
critical-thinking-s03-q08CSelling out first reflects quality rather than price or the quantity baked
critical-thinking-s03-q09BThe training spending was not the reason they all passed
critical-thinking-s03-q10DThat a total ban is what achieving a quieter street requires
critical-thinking-s04-q01DAn engineer who has inspected the bridge and published her measurements
critical-thinking-s04-q02CThe company has a direct interest in the result and chose how to test and report it
critical-thinking-s04-q03BThe report states how respondents were selected and how many replied
critical-thinking-s04-q04AThe viewing conditions and the delay make accurate recall difficult, whatever her honesty
critical-thinking-s04-q05CThe claim cannot be checked because the sources are not identified
critical-thinking-s04-q06DMinutes taken at the time, or a recording made during the meeting
critical-thinking-s04-q07AThe solicitor's relevant expertise makes her reading the better starting point
critical-thinking-s04-q08BNote the potential conflict and look closely at the method and at independent replications
critical-thinking-s04-q09DThe local weather station's own recorded daily measurements
critical-thinking-s04-q10CIt may still contain useful detail, but the incentive to be positive must be taken into account
critical-thinking-s05-q01ATraffic on the road fell by two thirds over the same period, for unrelated reasons
critical-thinking-s05-q02DSchools that introduced free breakfasts saw attainment rise relative to closely matched schools that did not
critical-thinking-s05-q03CUntreated colds typically clear up in about a week anyway
critical-thinking-s05-q04BOnly 3% of callers completed the form, and dissatisfied callers rarely bother to do so
critical-thinking-s05-q05AA trial that randomly assigned runners high-visibility or ordinary kit found fewer incidents in the high-visibility group
critical-thinking-s05-q06BMonday visitors are largely people whose circumstances prevent them attending on any other day
critical-thinking-s05-q07DTakings fell by a similar amount in nearby towns that introduced no ban at all
critical-thinking-s05-q08CA comparable group who did not train showed no gain over the same period
critical-thinking-s05-q09BThe complaints form was removed from the website when the timetable changed
critical-thinking-s05-q10AVillages that planted trees recorded falling summer temperatures afterwards, while similar villages that planted none showed no change
critical-thinking-s06-q01BWarm weather independently raises both
critical-thinking-s06-q02AFamilies able to afford lessons may also provide other advantages that raise marks
critical-thinking-s06-q03DLess serious cases may be the ones assigned to that ward
critical-thinking-s06-q04CBetter lighting may have increased the reporting of incidents that were already occurring
critical-thinking-s06-q05DCheck whether those days share something else, such as market days or pay days
critical-thinking-s06-q06CWhether healthier and wealthier people are both more able to take long holidays and more likely to live longer
critical-thinking-s06-q07AThe weather differed from last year's
critical-thinking-s06-q08BThe supposed effect is in fact the cause
critical-thinking-s06-q09CRunners who are already free of injury find stretching comfortable and so do more of it
critical-thinking-s06-q10DMore cases are being detected, so the true change in occurrence is not yet clear
critical-thinking-s07-q01CReaders of a sailing magazine are not representative of people in general
critical-thinking-s07-q02BA small number of very high incomes are pulling the average up
critical-thinking-s07-q03AThe result is worth following up, but too few pupils were involved to generalise confidently
critical-thinking-s07-q04DThe underlying counts: two incidents becoming four is not the same as 200 becoming 400
critical-thinking-s07-q05BPeople reachable by phone during working hours differ from the electorate as a whole
critical-thinking-s07-q06DLess sugar than what: the comparison point
critical-thinking-s07-q07CHow many dentists were approached, and how they were selected
critical-thinking-s07-q08ADonations rose from £50 to £150
critical-thinking-s07-q09DHalving a risk of 2 in 10,000 is a far smaller real change than halving a risk of 2 in 10
critical-thinking-s07-q10BTesting many possibilities makes at least one chance finding likely, so the result needs independent confirmation
critical-thinking-s08-q01DIt presents only two options when others may exist
critical-thinking-s08-q02AIt targets the person rather than what she actually argued
critical-thinking-s08-q03BAn appeal to tradition: long practice is treated as a justification on its own
critical-thinking-s08-q04CThe opponent's position has been exaggerated into a more extreme one that is easier to attack
critical-thinking-s08-q05AThe claim is used as its own support
critical-thinking-s08-q06CIt asserts a chain of consequences without showing that each step follows
critical-thinking-s08-q07BGeneralising from a small and unrepresentative sample
critical-thinking-s08-q08DPopularity is treated as proof of quality
critical-thinking-s08-q09AFeeling about the outcome is being used in place of evidence about the figures
critical-thinking-s08-q10CA key term shifts meaning mid-argument, so the conclusion no longer follows from the premises
critical-thinking-s09-q01ACheck both gauges for faults or obstruction before treating either figure as correct
critical-thinking-s09-q02CTreat the gap as a question to investigate. Conditions of use, batch, and how each figure was gathered
critical-thinking-s09-q03BWithhold a firm conclusion and examine how the studies differ in population, dose, and duration
critical-thinking-s09-q04DChoose the option that performs acceptably across the range of things the missing information might turn out to be
critical-thinking-s09-q05CThe evidence that tells against the option, and how she weighed it
critical-thinking-s09-q06BReported as weak, with the uncertainty carried into the decision rather than hidden
critical-thinking-s09-q07DNew evidence that the earlier reasoning did not and could not have taken into account
critical-thinking-s09-q08ASeek out the strongest case against your view and see whether it survives scrutiny
critical-thinking-s09-q09BThe shared unusual detail carries more weight than the disputed order, since memory for sequence is especially fragile
critical-thinking-s09-q10AThe study carries more weight on the general question, though the stories may point to effects worth examining
critical-thinking-s10-q01BWhat proportion of those who started the course completed it
critical-thinking-s10-q02DHouseholds now buy far less packaging, so there is less recyclable material in existence
critical-thinking-s10-q03CMembers are not the public, so the conclusion reaches beyond the evidence
critical-thinking-s10-q04AThe move from lower sales of one product to a broad improvement in diet
critical-thinking-s10-q05DMost dissatisfied customers left without complaining, and "resolved" means only that the case was closed
critical-thinking-s10-q06APupils' attainment on entry at both schools, so progress rather than final results can be compared
critical-thinking-s10-q07CIt ignores whether the scheme carries costs other than money that might outweigh the saving
critical-thinking-s10-q08BThe conclusion is broader than the evidence, which says nothing about other ages, longer use, or people who are unwell
critical-thinking-s10-q09CPeople who feel strongly are far likelier to respond, so the responses need not mirror the wider public
critical-thinking-s10-q10DCheck whether the reasons are true, whether they support the conclusion, and what the argument leaves out