Cognitive Reflection Test (CRT) — Questions and Answers

Question 1: If it takes 5 machines 5 minutes to make 5 widgets, how long would 100 machines take to make 100 widgets?

50 minutes
20 minutes
100 minutes
5 minutes (Correct answer)

Correct answer: 5 minutes

Each machine makes one widget in 5 minutes, so 100 machines make 100 widgets in 5 minutes.

Question 2: The gambler's fallacy is best described as:

Calculating expected value accurately
Correctly predicting random outcomes
Avoiding all gambling
Believing past random events influence future independent ones (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Believing past random events influence future independent ones

The gambler's fallacy is the mistaken belief that prior independent random outcomes affect future probabilities.

Question 3: In the lily-pad problem, if a patch doubles in size daily and covers the lake in 48 days, when does it cover half the lake?

Day 24
Day 47 (Correct answer)
Day 46
Day 12

Correct answer: Day 47

Since the patch doubles each day, it covers half the lake the day before it is full, on day 47.

Question 4: A ball and a bat cost $1.50 together, and the bat costs $1.40 more than the ball. What does the ball cost?

$0.15
$0.10
$0.05 (Correct answer)
$0.40

Correct answer: $0.05

The ball is $0.05 and the bat is $1.45, giving a $1.40 gap and $1.50 total.

Question 5: What is the total distance Danny will cover in three hours at 60 miles per hour?

180 Miles (Correct answer)
60 Miles
120 Miles
210 Miles

Correct answer: 180 Miles

To calculate the total distance, multiply the speed by the time traveled. Danny travels at 60 miles per hour for 3 hours. Therefore, the total distance covered is 60 miles/hour * 3 hours = 180 miles.

Question 6: In project management, the creation of a Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) is a formal application of which problem-solving strategy?

Means-Ends Analysis
Root Cause Analysis
Problem Decomposition (Correct answer)
Brainstorming

Correct answer: Problem Decomposition

A Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) is a project management tool that uses a hierarchical decomposition of the total scope of work to be carried out by a project team. [21, 10, 15] This process of subdividing project deliverables into smaller, more manageable components is a direct and formal application of problem decomposition. [18, 14]

Question 7: A disease affects 1 in 1,000 people. A test for it is 99% accurate. You test positive. What is the approximate probability you actually have the disease?

About 99%
About 1%
About 9% (Correct answer)
About 50%

Correct answer: About 9%

With only 1 in 1,000 people having the disease, most positives are false positives, making the true probability roughly 9%.

Question 8: Estimating a value by starting from an initial number and adjusting insufficiently describes:

Confirmation bias
Anchoring and adjustment (Correct answer)
Hindsight bias
Gambler's fallacy

Correct answer: Anchoring and adjustment

Anchoring occurs when an initial reference point overly influences the final estimate.

Question 9: A frog falls into a 30-foot well, climbs 3 feet each day but slips 2 feet each night. How many days to escape?

28 days (Correct answer)
15 days
30 days
27 days

Correct answer: 28 days

It gains 1 foot per full day but on day 28 climbs 3 feet from 27 to 30 and escapes before slipping.

Question 10: A bat and a ball cost $1.10 in total. The bat costs $1.00 more than the ball. What is the correct price of the ball once you check your first answer?

$0.10
$0.05 (Correct answer)
$1.00
$0.15

Correct answer: $0.05

If the ball is $0.05, the bat is $1.05, and together they total $1.10 with a $1.00 difference.

Question 11: An analyst is reviewing a complex financial report for the first time to identify potential risks and inconsistencies. This task would primarily engage which cognitive system and why?

System 2, because the task is novel, complex, and requires deliberate, focused attention. (Correct answer)
System 1, because financial analysis relies heavily on intuition and pattern recognition.
Both systems equally, as the analyst will switch back and forth constantly.
System 1, as an experienced analyst can process such reports automatically.

Correct answer: System 2, because the task is novel, complex, and requires deliberate, focused attention.

Analyzing a complex, novel report requires the slow, deliberate, and effortful processing of System 2. [3, 12] It involves conscious application of rules, focused attention, and logical reasoning to identify risks, which are all functions of System 2. [4] While an expert might use some System 1 pattern recognition, the core task of deep analysis is a System 2 function.

Question 12: Base rate neglect in probability judgments means:

Ignoring the general frequency of an event when making a specific judgment (Correct answer)
Using statistics too heavily
Overestimating rare events
Always assuming 50/50 odds

Correct answer: Ignoring the general frequency of an event when making a specific judgment

Base rate neglect occurs when people ignore overall population statistics and focus only on specific case details.

Question 13: A bag and a keychain cost $1.10 together, and the bag costs $1.00 more than the keychain. What does the keychain cost?

$0.05 (Correct answer)
$0.15
$0.10
$1.00

Correct answer: $0.05

The keychain is $0.05 and the bag is $1.05, giving a $1.00 difference and $1.10 total.

Question 14: A farmer had 17 sheep. All but 9 died. How many sheep are left?

26
9 (Correct answer)
17
8

Correct answer: 9

The phrase 'All but 9' is a linguistic trick. It means that all sheep died *except for* 9. Therefore, 9 sheep are left. The intuitive calculation (17 - 9 = 8) is a misinterpretation of the sentence structure.

Question 15: A cup of coffee and a muffin cost $3.10 together. The coffee costs $3.00 more than the muffin. What is the muffin's price?

$0.05 (Correct answer)
$0.15
$0.10
$0.20

Correct answer: $0.05

The muffin is $0.05 and the coffee is $3.05, giving the $3.00 gap and $3.10 total.

Question 16: A bat and a ball cost $1.10 in total. The bat costs $1.00 more than the ball. How much does the ball cost?

$0.05 (Correct answer)
$0.10
$1.00
$0.50

Correct answer: $0.05

If the ball costs $0.05, the bat costs $1.00 more, which is $1.05. Together, they cost $1.05 + $0.05 = $1.10. The common but incorrect intuitive answer is $0.10, which would make the bat $1.10 and the total $1.20.

Question 17: A student is asked: 'A notebook and a pen cost $6.50 in total. The notebook costs $6.00 more than the pen. How much does the pen cost?' The student first thinks '$0.50,' but then stops and says, 'Wait, if the pen is $0.50, the book would be $6.50, making the total $7.00. That's wrong.' The student's act of checking their initial answer against the problem's conditions is a direct application of what?

Metacognitive self-correction (Correct answer)
The Dunning-Kruger effect
Affect heuristic
Attribute substitution

Correct answer: Metacognitive self-correction

The student explicitly monitored their initial thought, tested its logic against the given facts, identified the error, and initiated a process to find the correct answer (which is $0.25). This is a clear, practical example of metacognitive self-correction in action.

Question 18: Overestimating how much others share your opinions is called what?

Framing effect
Availability heuristic
Anchoring bias
False consensus effect (Correct answer)

Correct answer: False consensus effect

The false consensus effect assumes your views are more common than they are.

Question 19: Why do many intelligent people still get CRT questions wrong?

The questions require advanced math
They run out of time
The questions are ambiguous
They accept the intuitive answer without checking it (Correct answer)

Correct answer: They accept the intuitive answer without checking it

Even smart people fail when they fail to override the appealing intuitive answer.

Question 20: In a lake, a patch of lily pads doubles in size every day. If it takes 48 days to cover the whole lake, how long to cover half the lake?

46 days
24 days
47 days (Correct answer)
12 days

Correct answer: 47 days

Since the patch doubles daily, it was half-covered the day before full coverage, on day 47.

Question 21: Weighting the most recent information more than earlier data is which bias?

Recency bias (Correct answer)
Halo effect
Confirmation bias
Survivorship bias

Correct answer: Recency bias

Recency bias overweights the latest events over the full record.

Question 22: You won't face penalties if you break the rules or don't make wise decisions.

TRUE
FALSE (Correct answer)

Correct answer: FALSE

Breaking rules or making unwise decisions almost always carries consequences or penalties, ranging from minor reprimands to more severe repercussions like fines, suspension, or legal action. Accountability for one's actions is a fundamental principle in society. Understanding this helps promote responsible behavior and decision-making.

Question 23: If it takes 5 machines 5 minutes to make 5 widgets, how long does it take 100 machines to make 100 widgets?

20 minutes
100 minutes
1 minute
5 minutes (Correct answer)

Correct answer: 5 minutes

Each machine makes 1 widget in 5 minutes; 100 machines making 100 widgets (one each) still takes 5 minutes.

Question 24: A man has two coins that total 35 cents. One of the coins is NOT a quarter. What are the two coins?

A 30-cent piece and a nickel
A dime and a quarter (Correct answer)
Three dimes and a nickel
It's impossible to solve

Correct answer: A dime and a quarter

This is a logic problem that uses tricky phrasing. The statement 'One of the coins is NOT a quarter' is designed to make you assume NEITHER coin is a quarter. However, the statement is true if one coin is a dime (which is not a quarter) and the other coin is a quarter. A dime (10 cents) and a quarter (25 cents) total 35 cents.

Question 25: It is a good idea to give your employer a call and let them know if you anticipate being late for work.

TRUE (Correct answer)
FALSE

Correct answer: TRUE

Communicating proactively with an employer about anticipated lateness demonstrates professionalism, respect, and responsibility. It allows the employer to make necessary adjustments or plans for your absence, minimizing disruption to operations. This shows consideration for your colleagues and the workplace.

Question 26: The tempting wrong answers on CRT items are examples of what kind of thinking bias?

Attribute substitution, answering an easier question than asked (Correct answer)
Hindsight bias
Confirmation bias only
The sunk-cost fallacy

Correct answer: Attribute substitution, answering an easier question than asked

People substitute a simpler computation for the real one, producing the intuitive error.

Question 27: A weed patch triples in size every day and fills a garden in 9 days. On what day is it one-third full?

6 days
3 days
8 days (Correct answer)
7 days

Correct answer: 8 days

Tripling daily means the garden is one-third full the day before it is full, on day 8.

Question 28: A virus count doubles every hour and reaches 1 million in 20 hours. At what hour is it 250,000?

18 hours (Correct answer)
16 hours
5 hours
10 hours

Correct answer: 18 hours

250,000 is one quarter, which is two doublings before 1 million, so hour 18.

Question 29: If it takes 8 machines 8 minutes to make 8 gadgets, how long would 40 machines take to make 40 gadgets?

1 minute
5 minutes
8 minutes (Correct answer)
40 minutes

Correct answer: 8 minutes

Each machine makes one gadget in 8 minutes, so any equal number of machines and gadgets still takes 8 minutes.

Question 30: Algae doubles every hour and covers a pond in 12 hours. After how many hours is one-eighth covered?

9 hours (Correct answer)
3 hours
6 hours
1.5 hours

Correct answer: 9 hours

One-eighth is three doublings before full coverage, so 12 minus 3 equals hour 9.

Question 31: The tendency for the human brain to prefer less computationally intensive modes of thinking is a primary reason for the existence of cognitive traps. This principle is best described by which concept?

The Dunning-Kruger Effect
Prospect Theory
Bounded Rationality
The Cognitive Miser (Correct answer)

Correct answer: The Cognitive Miser

The 'cognitive miser' theory posits that humans tend to default to less effortful and faster cognitive processes (System 1) to conserve mental energy. This default state makes individuals susceptible to cognitive traps that require more deliberate, energy-intensive analysis (System 2) to solve correctly.

Question 32: Relying on your gut, fast, automatic response is associated with which mental system in dual-process theory?

System 2
The analytic system
System 1 (Correct answer)
The reflective system

Correct answer: System 1

System 1 is the fast, intuitive, effortless mode of thinking Kahneman described.

Question 33: If a pizza is cut into 8 equal slices and you eat 3, what percentage of the pizza remains?

40%
37.5%
62.5% (Correct answer)
60%

Correct answer: 62.5%

5 of 8 slices remain; 5/8 = 0.625, or 62.5% of the pizza is left.

Cognitive Reflection Test (CRT)

The CRT measures the tendency to override an intuitive but incorrect response and engage in further deliberation to find the correct answer. It assesses System 2 (analytical) vs System 1 (intuitive) thinking.

Questions

45 min

Time Limit

50%

To Pass

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