GCAT Critical Thinking and Problem Solving 3

Question 1

Which of the following is an example of inductive reasoning?

Accepted Answer

The sun has risen every day for billions of years, so it will likely rise tomorrow

Answer

Inductive reasoning draws probable general conclusions from specific past observations, making the sunrise prediction a classic example.

Question 2

What is the primary weakness of an argument that relies solely on anecdotal evidence?

Accepted Answer

A single personal experience may not represent the broader pattern

Answer

Anecdotal evidence is limited because individual experiences may be atypical exceptions that do not reflect the general statistical reality.

Question 3

Three friends run a race. Xavier finishes before Zoe. Yara finishes after Xavier but before Zoe. Who finishes last?

Accepted Answer

Zoe

Answer

The order is Xavier first, then Yara second, then Zoe last, since Yara falls between Xavier and Zoe.

Question 4

If 'Some politicians are honest' is true, which of the following must also be true?

Accepted Answer

Some honest people are politicians

Answer

If at least one politician is honest, then at least one honest person is a politician — the 'some' relationship is symmetrical between the two groups.

Question 5

A student argues: 'My teacher gives hard tests and I failed; therefore the test was unfair.' What flaw does this argument contain?

Accepted Answer

It assumes that difficulty is equivalent to unfairness

Answer

Confusing difficulty with unfairness is an unwarranted assumption — a test can be challenging and still fairly measure the required knowledge.

GCAT - General Cognitive Ability Test Practice Test

GCAT - General Cognitive Ability Test Practice Test

GCAT Critical Thinking and Problem Solving 3