Critical Thinking and Problem Solving Flashcards

A student notices that every time it rains, the school's test scores for that day are slightly lower. The student concludes that rain causes lower test performance. What logical error is this?

Answer: Correlation confused with causation

Correlation (two things occurring together) does not prove causation (one thing causing the other); there may be confounding factors.

If all selective entry schools require high academic achievement, and Westview Academy is a selective entry school, what can be logically concluded?

Answer: Westview Academy requires high academic achievement

This is a valid syllogism: if all S are P, and W is S, then W must be P.

A test has 40 questions. A student answers 75% correctly. How many questions did the student answer correctly?

Answer: 30

75% of 40 = 0.75 × 40 = 30 questions answered correctly.

Which of the following best represents an inference rather than a stated fact?

Answer: He must have studied hard to earn such a high score.

An inference is a conclusion drawn from evidence, not directly stated; the other options are presented as direct facts.

In a logic puzzle, Alex is taller than Ben. Ben is taller than Carol. Carol is taller than Dan. Who is the shortest?

Answer: Dan

Following the chain: Alex > Ben > Carol > Dan, so Dan is the shortest.

Which strategy is most effective when approaching an unfamiliar complex problem on a selective entry exam?

Answer: Break it into smaller, manageable parts

Decomposing a complex problem into smaller parts is a core critical thinking strategy that makes difficult problems more tractable.

A pattern shows: 2, 6, 18, 54, ___. What is the next number?

Answer: 162

Each term is multiplied by 3: 2×3=6, 6×3=18, 18×3=54, 54×3=162.