Critical Thinking Flashcards
6 cards from real BCAT practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 6 Critical Thinking flashcards as text
When evaluating an argument in a BCAT passage, the term 'assumption' refers to:
Answer: A claim the argument relies on but does not explicitly state
Assumptions are unstated beliefs that the argument depends upon; identifying them is a core BCAT critical thinking skill.
Which of the following is the strongest evidence that an argument contains circular reasoning?
Answer: The conclusion is used as one of the premises
Circular reasoning (begging the question) occurs when the conclusion is embedded in or identical to one of the premises.
In a BCAT-style argument, an 'inference' is best defined as:
Answer: A conclusion drawn from available evidence
An inference is a logical step taken from evidence or premises to arrive at a conclusion.
Which option correctly identifies the conclusion in the following argument? 'Crime rates fell after the law changed. The law must have caused the drop.'
Answer: The law must have caused the drop
The conclusion is the claim being argued for; here it is the causal claim about the law.
A BCAT question asks you to 'weaken the argument.' This means you must find a statement that:
Answer: Makes the conclusion less likely to be true
Weakening an argument means providing a reason to doubt the conclusion or undermine a key premise.
Which of the following is an example of the 'slippery slope' fallacy?
Answer: If we allow one exception to this rule, society will eventually collapse into lawlessness
A slippery slope fallacy claims that one step will inevitably lead to extreme consequences without justifying the chain of events.