It is often used by organisations where the ability to critically consider arguments or propositions is particularly important, such as law firms. Most people complete the Watson Glaser test within 50 minutes (approximately 10 minutes per sub-test). Tests administrators normally allow candidates one hour to complete the test. The Watson-Glaser test has been co-normed on a sample of over 1,500 respondents representative of graduate-level candidates. You will be judged against this respondent group when you sit the test. You can practise realistic Watson Glaser Tests here. Rather than accepting arguments and conclusions presented, a person with strong critical thinking will question and seek to understand the evidence provided. They will look for logical connections between ideas, consider alternative interpretations of information and evaluate the strength of arguments presented. Everyone inherently experiences some degree of subconscious bias in their thinking. Critical thinking skills can help an individual overcome these and separate out facts from opinions. The Watson Glaser critical thinking test is based around the RED model of critical thinking:
Recognise assumptions. This is all about comprehension. Actually understanding what is being stated and considering whether the information presented is true, and whether any evidence has been provided to back it up. Correctly identifying when assumptions have been made is an essential part of this, and being able to critically consider the validity of these assumptions – ideally from a number of different perspectives – can help identify missing information or logical inconsistencies. Evaluate arguments. This skill is about the systematic analysis of the evidence and arguments provided. Being able to remain objective, while logically working through arguments and information. Critical evaluation of arguments requires an individual to suspend their judgement, which can be challenging when an argument has an emotional impact. It is all too easy to unconsciously seek information which confirms a preferred perspective, rather than critically analyse all of the information. Draw conclusions. This is the ability to pull together a range of information and arrive at a logical conclusion based on the evidence. An individual with strong critical thinking skills will be able to adjust their conclusion should further evidence emerge which leads to a different conclusion.
Why Is Critical Thinking Important to Potential Employers?
Critical thinking is important to employers because individuals who engage in quality thinking make better decisions. They arrive at conclusions which are impartial, well informed and objective. Furthermore, such people are able to make decisions with limited supervision, enabling them to independently make judgements: in a world where time can be money, waiting for someone else to validate decisions can be costly and result in missed opportunities. Each of these skills is tested separately and there are therefore five different types of questions in the Watson Glaser test. We will explore each of these below.
1. Inferences
An inference is a conclusion based on evidence and reasoning. It enables conclusions to be drawn that are not explicitly stated. For example, if we see someone driving a Ferrari we may conclude that they are wealthy. However, there are a number of alternative explanations: they may have rented or borrowed the car, or they may have acquired huge debt as a result of buying the car. The problem with inferences is that people often reach a conclusion based on insufficient data, and the conclusion may not, therefore, be correct. An inference question typically involves a statement (which you are to assume is true) and a number of inferences based on that statement. Your job is to evaluate whether the inference is correct. You can do this using both the information contained within the passage and information which is commonly accepted knowledge or information that practically every person has. You will be given five potential responses and you have to select which you feel is most accurate. These options are:
Definitely True – from the facts given there is no reasonable possibility of it being incorrect. Probably True – in light of the facts given, it is more likely to be true than false. Insufficient Data – in light of the facts given it is impossible to say whether it is true or not. Probably False – in lights of the facts given, it is more likely to be false than true. Definitely False – from the facts given, there is no reasonable possibility of it being true.
Example Question
You will get access to three PrepPacks of your choice, from a database that covers all the major test providers and employers and tailored profession packs. People make many assumptions which may not necessarily be correct; being able to identify these is a key aspect of critical thinking. An assumption question typically involves a statement and a number of assumptions. Your job is to identify whether an assumption has been made or not, and you will have a choice of two answers: yes or no.
Example Question
For example, in the statement: “Satsumas, oranges and clementines are all citrus fruits. They are all orange; therefore all citrus fruits are orange.” Clearly this is incorrect. Deduction questions include a statement (which you must assume is true), followed by a number of potential conclusions. Your job is to identify whether the conclusion logically follows from the statement and you will have two options: yes or no.
Example Question
For example, if you are told in a study that the wavelength of light visible to the human eye range from 380–750 nm, you can conclude that no humans can see light at 30 nm.
Example Question
In these questions, you will be presented by a statement followed by a number of arguments (which you should assume are true) and you must then decide whether each argument is strong or weak.
Example Question
The test consists of 10 questions to be answered in 10 minutes approx (although there is no timer on the test itself). Our test is slightly harder than the real thing, in order to make it sufficiently challenging practice. You need to get 70% correct to pass the test. Don’t forget to first check out the test techniques section further down this page beforehand. You can take the test as many times as you like. Click the ‘Take test’ link below to get started. Look for opportunities to think critically about information every day. Once you start practising, you’ll find useful material everywhere: blog posts, newspapers, and journal articles are great places to look. It can be useful to organise your thinking and practice around the RED model mentioned earlier in the article:
Recognise assumptions. Practise identifying the assumptions in material. What can be objectively proven and what is inferred? Where might there be gaps in your logic? What information is important and relevant, and what isn’t? What is missing? Is there any information that needs to be included which isn’t? Evaluate arguments. Practice carefully analysing the arguments presented. What is your perspective on the evidence? Could someone else have a different perspective? Consider the impacts of the arguments from a range of different viewpoints (it can be useful to use a model like PESTLE – political, economic, socio-demographic, technological, legal and environmental – to organise your thoughts). How would someone argue against your position? What merits are there to their arguments? Draw conclusions. After you have considered all of the facts, what is the best possible conclusion? Could there be any other conclusions? What new information might change your conclusion? Does this conclusion seem sensible based on your common sense and experience? What are the implications of this conclusion?
Each employer will have a different benchmark but it is sensible to aim for a score of at least 75%. To achieve this, you will need to correctly answer at least 30 of the 40 test questions. The recruiting organization will use Watson Glaser test results to compare candidates within the selection pool. The higher your Watson Glaser test score, the better your employment prospects. A test-takers score is used to work out their relative position within a norm group. Candidates with the highest relative Watson Glaser test score will progress to the next stage of the hiring process. Watson Glaser test results are split into a development report and a profile report. Both reports are passed directly to the recruiting organization.
The development report highlights strengths and areas for development. The profile report provides a percentile score, including the raw number of correct answers.
The Watson Glaser score system accounts for the difficulty level of each question, meaning candidates can earn more points for correctly answering a difficult question. The percentile score also considers the education level, occupation and position of the candidate’s norm group.
