Practice Test Geeks(CCTST) California Critical Thinking Skills Test Practice Test
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Inference Flashcards

7 cards from real CCTST practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.

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  1. A study finds that cities with more coffee shops per capita have higher average incomes. What can most reasonably be inferred?

    Answer: Higher incomes and coffee shop density are correlated but causation is unproven.

    Correlation between two variables does not establish which causes which or whether a third factor explains both.

  2. All mammals are warm-blooded. Whales are mammals. Which inference is best supported?

    Answer: Whales are warm-blooded.

    Applying the universal property of mammals to whales, a member of that class, is a valid deductive inference.

  3. Maria leaves home at 8:00 AM and arrives at work at 8:45 AM. The next day she leaves at 8:15 AM and encounters no traffic delays. What can be inferred about her arrival time?

    Answer: She will likely arrive around 9:00 AM if travel time is consistent.

    If travel conditions are similar and the trip took 45 minutes before, leaving 15 minutes later suggests arriving around 9:00 AM.

  4. A patient's blood pressure drops after starting a new medication. The doctor infers the medication is working. Which additional fact would most strengthen this inference?

    Answer: No other variables changed during the same period.

    Ruling out confounding variables strengthens the inference that the medication caused the blood pressure drop.

  5. The statement 'Some athletes are vegetarians' best supports which inference?

    Answer: At least one athlete follows a vegetarian diet.

    'Some' means at least one, so it is valid to infer that at least one athlete is a vegetarian.

  6. A graph shows ice cream sales and drowning rates both rise in summer. What is the most cautious inference?

    Answer: A third factor, such as hot weather, likely drives both trends.

    When two variables move together due to a shared cause, the correlation is spurious and no direct causal link should be inferred.

  7. If it is true that 'No birds are reptiles' and 'All penguins are birds,' what can be inferred?

    Answer: No penguins are reptiles.

    Because penguins belong to birds, and no birds are reptiles, it follows necessarily that no penguins are reptiles.

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