Aptitude tests
Critical thinking test practice
Inferences, assumptions, deductions, interpretation and arguments.
Sample question: deduction
Premises
All analysts at Brook & Co work in the research department. Priya works in the research department.
Conclusion
Priya is an analyst at Brook & Co.
Take the premises as true. Must the conclusion be true, given only those premises?
Why: The premises say all analysts work in research, not that everyone in research is an analyst.
The tempting answer is "follows". It reads the first premise backwards, as if everyone in research must be an analyst.
The same five subtests with eight questions each. 40 questions in 30 minutes, reported as three sub-scores.
Practise this format
Choose a format
- Critical reasoning in five modules (Cappfinity-style)Five modules: Deducing Conclusions, Evaluating Evidence, Judging Arguments, Drawing Logical Inferences and Identifying Assumptions. Each answer comes from a dropdown. A clock counts up.
- Critical thinking, 40 questions (Watson Glaser-style)Five subtests in a fixed order: inference, assumptions, deduction, interpretation and evaluating arguments, with 5, 12, 5, 6 and 12 questions. 40 questions in 30 minutes, reported as three sub-scores.
- Critical thinking, eight per subtest (Watson Glaser-style)The same five subtests with eight questions each. 40 questions in 30 minutes, reported as three sub-scores.
- Critical thinking, no time limit (Watson Glaser-style)The 40-question layout with no clock, as offered to candidates who need adjustments. Real mode has no timer. Learn mode adds an explanation after each question.
Need extra time or a different format? Every timed practice has 1.25x and 1.5x options. See reasonable adjustments.
About this test
Critical thinking tests check whether you can separate what is stated from what is merely suggested. A typical set covers five skills: drawing inferences, spotting assumptions, testing deductions, interpreting evidence and judging how strong an argument is.
We include two formats. One follows the five-subtest structure of the long-standing critical thinking appraisal. The other follows the dropdown 'follows or does not follow' style shown on a public demo. A note on use: we found no UK bank or Big 4 page that names the first format, so treat it as optional. Use the firm pages to see what each employer says it uses.
What we know about this format
Each point carries a badge showing where it comes from. Where only candidates have reported something, the badge says so.
What do the confidence badges mean?
- Vendor-published Stated in the test publisher's own document or practice site.
- Academic From peer-reviewed research.
- Official employer Stated on the employer's own page.
- Near-official Near-official: an employer-run practice portal, or a vendor or employer-quoted press release naming the employer.
- Candidate-reported Reported by candidates. Treat as likely but unconfirmed.
- Third-party From prep sites, press or forums. Not confirmed by the employer or publisher.
- Vendor-published
Watson Glaser-style appraisal: 40 items in 30 minutes, five subtests (inference, recognising assumptions, deduction, interpretation, evaluating arguments) reported as three sub-scores.
Source · Publisher page. Per-subtest counts of 5, 12, 5, 6 and 12 come from a prep site and are not confirmed.
- Third-party
Inference uses a five-point scale: True, Probably True, Insufficient Data, Probably False, False. The other subtests are two-choice.
Source · Practice document hosted by a law-firm directory.
- Vendor-published
The publisher says the score is an ability estimate converted to a percentile, not the number correct.
Source · Dutch-language FAQ read through a search excerpt.
- Vendor-published
Cappfinity-style critical reasoning has five modules (deducing conclusions, evaluating evidence, judging arguments, drawing inferences, identifying assumptions), answered with 'follows / does not follow' dropdowns.
Source · Public demo.
- Third-party
We found no official UK bank or Big 4 page naming the Watson Glaser-style appraisal. It is documented for law-firm recruitment.
Critical reasoning in five modules (Cappfinity-style)
- Vendor-published
Five critical reasoning modules: Deducing Conclusions, Evaluating Evidence, Judging Arguments, Drawing Logical Inferences and Identifying Assumptions
Source · From the provider's public demo.
- Vendor-published
Each answer is chosen from a dropdown, for example Conclusion follows or Conclusion does not follow
- Vendor-published
A count-up Time Taken clock with Previous and Next buttons
- Vendor-published
Response time is recorded or limited, depending on the employer. How it is weighted is not public
Source · Kvanta shows your time but does not turn it into a speed score.
- Third-party
Module lengths are not published; about 3 questions per module here
Source · Kvanta's own length.
- Candidate-reported
An optional confidence rating after each answer
Source · Reported by candidates; not confirmed in the demo text we read.
Critical thinking, 40 questions (Watson Glaser-style)
- Vendor-published
40 items in 30 minutes
Source · The publisher also mentions 30 to 40 minutes.
- Vendor-published
Five subtests: inference, recognising assumptions, deduction, interpretation and evaluating arguments, reported as three sub-scores: Recognise Assumptions, Evaluate Arguments and Draw Conclusions
- Third-party
Inference is a five-point scale (True, Probably true, Insufficient data, Probably false, False); the other subtests have two choices
Source · Response labels from a practice document.
- Third-party
Per-subtest counts of 5, 12, 5, 6 and 12
Source · Reported by a prep site. The publisher says forms vary.
- Vendor-published
Number correct is not the score. An ability estimate is converted to a percentile
Source · Kvanta shows your points and a band against Kvanta users only.
- Vendor-published
An untimed version exists for candidates who need adjustments
- Third-party
Documented for law firms; no official use at a UK bank or Big 4 firm was found
Source · Included for practice of the format only.
Critical thinking, eight per subtest (Watson Glaser-style)
- Candidate-reported
Some practice sets split the 40 questions into eight per subtest
Source · Reported layout. Not confirmed by the publisher, who says forms vary.
Questions people ask
What are the five critical thinking subtests?
Inference (how likely a conclusion is given facts), recognising assumptions (what is taken for granted), deduction (what must follow), interpretation (whether a conclusion follows from the evidence) and evaluating arguments (whether a point is strong or weak).
How does the five-point inference scale work?
You judge a proposed inference as True, Probably True, Insufficient Data, Probably False or False, based only on the facts given. 'Probably' answers mean the facts point that way but do not prove it.
Do UK banks and the Big 4 use this test?
We have found no official page from a UK bank or Big 4 firm that names it. It is documented in law-firm recruitment. We include it because candidates ask about it, and the firm pages show what employers do say.
What percentage do I need to pass?
Employer cut-offs are not published, and figures you see on forums are folklore. We do not state any as fact.
How is it scored?
The publisher says the score is an ability estimate converted to a percentile, not the number you got right. We show raw accuracy and, once enough people have taken a preset, a band against Kvanta users.
Is this the same as verbal reasoning?
Related, not the same. Verbal reasoning asks what a passage says. Critical thinking adds judging arguments, assumptions and evidence quality.
Are these real test items?
No. Everything is original and we do not reconstruct real items.
Where this appears in firm processes
See all firm pages. Check your own invitation, because processes change each cycle.
Independent practice. Not affiliated with or endorsed by Cappfinity and Watson Glaser.
Practice builds familiarity. Reasoning scores improve with practice, though the gains level off after a few sittings, and nothing here predicts a real score. Our results are shown against Kvanta users only, never as an official score.
Use Kvanta to practise and learn. In a live assessment, do not use AI tools, notes or another person unless the employer says you may. Read our approach to integrity.