GAT Critical Thinking and Problem Solving Flashcards
6 cards from real GAT practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 6 GAT Critical Thinking and Problem Solving flashcards as text
An analogy question on the GAT presents HAMMER : NAIL :: PAINTBRUSH : ____. The correct answer is:
Answer: Paint
A hammer drives a nail; a paintbrush applies paint — both tools are paired with the material they directly act upon.
Which problem-solving model involves defining the problem, generating options, evaluating options, and implementing a solution?
Answer: IDEAL model
The IDEAL model (Identify, Define, Explore, Act, Look back) is a structured five-step problem-solving framework.
A GAT passage argues that 'since crime rates fell after a new police chief was hired, the chief caused the drop.' This is an example of:
Answer: Post hoc fallacy
Attributing the crime drop solely to the new chief because it followed the hiring is a classic post hoc fallacy.
When evaluating the strength of an argument, which question is MOST important to ask?
Answer: Is the conclusion well-supported by the evidence?
Argument strength depends on whether the evidence logically and sufficiently supports the conclusion, not on rhetoric or authority.
Which cognitive skill involves breaking a complex topic into its component parts to understand it better?
Answer: Analysis
Analysis, as defined in Bloom's Taxonomy, is the skill of decomposing information into its constituent parts to examine relationships.
On a GAT critical thinking section, an 'assumption' in an argument is best defined as:
Answer: An unstated premise the argument depends on
An assumption is an unstated belief or premise that the argument requires to be true for its conclusion to hold.