Watson-Glaser Critical Thinking Appraisal FREE Watson Glaser MCQ Question and Answers 4 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: DEDUCTION: No manager in this department approves overtime without written justification. Alex approved overtime without written justification. What follows necessarily?
- Alex will be fired.
- Alex is not a manager in this department. (Correct answer)
- Alex made an error in judgment.
- Written justification is required company-wide.
Correct answer: Alex is not a manager in this department.
If no manager does X and Alex did X, Alex cannot be a manager in that department — the conclusion follows necessarily.
Question 2: INTERPRETATION: In a survey, 70% of customers said they would 'probably' switch to a competitor if prices increased by 10%. Which interpretation is MOST accurate?
- A 10% price increase will definitely cause 70% customer loss.
- A significant portion of customers express price sensitivity at the 10% threshold. (Correct answer)
- Customers are dissatisfied with the current service.
- The company must lower prices immediately to retain customers.
Correct answer: A significant portion of customers express price sensitivity at the 10% threshold.
'Probably switch' expresses intent, not certainty; the data best supports noting substantial price sensitivity.
Question 3: EVALUATION OF ARGUMENTS: 'Schools should ban smartphones because they distract students during class.' Which argument in FAVOR of the ban is STRONGEST?
- Smartphones are expensive and could be stolen.
- Research shows smartphone use during class correlates with lower test scores. (Correct answer)
- Teachers find it annoying when students use phones.
- Other countries have already banned phones in schools.
Correct answer: Research shows smartphone use during class correlates with lower test scores.
Evidence linking phone use to measurable academic harm directly supports the distraction-based rationale for the ban.
Question 4: INFERENCE: A restaurant received five consecutive 5-star reviews online. Which inference is MOST justified?
- The restaurant is the best in the city.
- Recent customers have been highly satisfied with the restaurant. (Correct answer)
- The restaurant will maintain 5-star reviews forever.
- The reviews were definitely written by real customers.
Correct answer: Recent customers have been highly satisfied with the restaurant.
Five consecutive positive reviews justifiably suggest recent customer satisfaction, without overstating certainty about rank or authenticity.
Question 5: RECOGNITION OF ASSUMPTIONS: 'We should invest in solar panels because energy costs will keep rising.' Which assumption underlies this argument?
- Solar panels are attractive.
- Solar panels will offset rising energy costs effectively enough to justify the investment. (Correct answer)
- The government offers solar panel subsidies.
- Energy prices have already risen this year.
Correct answer: Solar panels will offset rising energy costs effectively enough to justify the investment.
The argument only makes sense if solar panels are assumed to provide sufficient savings to counter the projected cost increases.
Question 6: DEDUCTION: Some analysts who publish reports are invited to industry conferences. All analysts at BrightFirm publish reports. Which conclusion MUST follow?
- All BrightFirm analysts are invited to industry conferences.
- Some BrightFirm analysts may be invited to industry conferences. (Correct answer)
- No BrightFirm analyst has attended a conference.
- BrightFirm analysts publish the best reports.
Correct answer: Some BrightFirm analysts may be invited to industry conferences.
'Some analysts who publish reports are invited' combined with 'all BrightFirm analysts publish' only guarantees that some BrightFirm analysts may be invited — not all.
Question 7: EVALUATION OF ARGUMENTS: 'Raising the minimum wage will harm small businesses and increase unemployment.' Which is the WEAKEST argument against raising the minimum wage?
- Small businesses operate on thin margins and cannot absorb higher labor costs.
- Some economists argue higher wages reduce employee turnover and training costs.
- Raising wages might cause businesses to automate low-skill jobs.
- Minimum wage workers are mostly teenagers who don't need high income. (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Minimum wage workers are mostly teenagers who don't need high income.
Dismissing wage earners based on demographics is an irrelevant generalization that does not engage with the economic argument.
DEDUCTION: No manager in this department approves overtime without written justification.
Alex approved overtime without written justification.
What follows necessarily?