Reasoning Skills Success Practice Test

Before you start your study of reasoning skills, you may want to get an idea of how much you already know and how much you need to learn.

The practice test consists of 35 multiple-choice questions. Take as much time as you need to complete this short practice test. When you finish, check your answers against the answer key at the end.

Practice Test

Read the following passage and then answer the questions that follow.

Wendy is a junior in high school and is getting ready to choose a college. She is a serious student and wants to go to the school with the best premed program. However, she doesn't want to be too far from home because she wants to be able to visit her sister, who has recently been in a serious accident, on a regular basis. Wendy is likely to obtain scholarships—perhaps even a full scholarship—but she is worried that her parents may not be able to afford whatever costs the scholarships don't cover.

1. Which of the following most accurately presents the issues Wendy must consider, in order of priority?
   1. academic reputation, financial aid, social life on campus
   2. location, financial aid, and academic reputation
   3. financial aid, student services, location
   4. academic reputation, campus environment, location
2. Which of the following is probably the best choice for Wendy?
   1. the community college, which offers Wendy a full scholarship and has a new but unranked premed track
   2. an expensive liberal arts college, ranked in the top ten for its premed program, which offers Wendy a three-quarters scholarship. The college is a ten-hour drive from Wendy's home.
   3. the state university, ranked in the top 20 for its premed program, which offers Wendy a full scholarship for her first two years and guarantees continued scholarships if she maintains at least a B+ grade point average. The state university is two hours away from Wendy's home.
   4. Put off school for a few years until Wendy can save up some money and her sister has recovered. This way, Wendy will be less limited in which school she can choose.

Choose the best answer for each of the following.

3. "There are 60 minutes in each hour" is
   1. a fact.
   2. an opinion.
   3. probably a fact, but I'd have to verify it first.
   4. none of the above
4. "Grand Canyon National Park encompasses more than 1.2 million acres" is
   1. a fact.
   2. an opinion.
   3. probably a fact, but I'd have to verify it first.
   4. none of the above.
5. "Stephen King is the best horror author on the planet!" is
   1. a fact.
   2. an opinion.
   3. probably a fact, but I'd have to verify it first.
   4. none of the above

The following items (6–20) present questions, statements, or short passages that illustrate the process of reasoning or critical thinking. In some items, the speaker's reasoning is flawed. Read each item and select the answer choice that most accurately describes it. Choose d if there is no flaw or if the speaker remains neutral.

6. "You don't actually like the new history teacher, do you?"
   1. The question is unclear and confusing.
   2. Inherent in the question is a bias against the teacher.
   3. The question implies the listener is a teacher.
   4. The speaker is remaining neutral.
7. "New Ginger Snap Soda costs less!"
   1. The ad doesn't tell how much the soda costs.
   2. The ad doesn't tell how much other sodas cost.
   3. The ad doesn't tell what the soda costs less than.
   4. This ad is fine as it is.
8. "Please, Kevin. You are the fastest typist I've ever met. I know you can get it done for me in record time. You're a whiz!"
   1. The speaker is flattering Kevin.
   2. The speaker is pressuring Kevin.
   3. The speaker is trying to scare Kevin.
   4. The speaker is remaining neutral.
9. "Either we put 40 students in each class or we hire two dozen new teachers. There's no other choice."
   1. The speaker is proposing two equally bad solutions.
   2. The speaker is trying to change the subject.
   3. The speaker isn't allowing for other possibilities, like staggering classes.
   4. There's nothing wrong with the speaker's reasoning.
10. "I wouldn't listen to what Charlie says about anything, and especially not what he says about politics. I mean, all he does is watch reruns all day. What does he know?"
    1. The speaker assumes that Charlie can't have a valid opinion about politics because he watches reruns.
    2. The speaker assumes that the listener will listen to Charlie in the first place.
    3. The speaker doesn't like reruns.
    4. There's nothing wrong with the speaker's reasoning.
11. "I'm sorry I am late, Mr. Cummings. I just found out that my sister is getting a divorce and I was pretty upset."
    1. The speaker is bragging.
    2. The speaker is trying to appeal to the boss's sense of pity.
    3. The speaker's excuse is too vague.
    4. The speaker is remaining neutral.
12. "You agree with me, don't you, Marlene? Well, if you don't, don't worry. The last person who disagreed with me only got fired."
    1. The speaker is using humor inappropriately.
    2. The speaker is trying to get Marlene fired.
    3. The speaker is trying to scare Marlene into agreeing with him.
    4. The speaker is remaining neutral.
13. "I didn't pass the entrance exam because the weather was so nice."
    1. The speaker has no credibility.
    2. The speaker is jumping to conclusions.
    3. The speaker's explanation is irrelevant to the claim.
    4. There's nothing wrong with the speaker's reasoning.
14. "This morning it poured down rain, so it is going to be a very wet spring."
    1. The speaker knows very little about weather patterns.
    2. The speaker draws an unfair conclusion about the weather based on just one incident.
    3. The speaker is trying to convince others that they should prepare for a lot of precipitation.
    4. There's nothing wrong with the speaker's reasoning.
15. "I was a really good student in music class, so I should make a great performer someday."
    1. The speaker is jumping to conclusions.
    2. The speaker's reasoning is untestable.
    3. The explanation is circular.
    4. There's nothing wrong with the speaker's reasoning.
16. "Let's go camping this weekend, Susan. It is inexpensive, the campground is close and we have all of the equipment we need. It would be fun to spend the weekend sitting around a campfire under the stars."
    1. The speaker is trying to prove to Susan what a good camper he is.
    2. The speaker is hoping to show Susan how to save money.
    3. The speaker is clearly biased on the topic of traveling.
    4. There's nothing wrong with the speaker's reasoning.
17. "If we let Roger stay out until midnight, next thing you know, he'll be coming in at one, then three, and then not at all."
    1. The speaker is assuming that Roger wants to stay out all night.
    2. The speaker is assuming that X will automatically lead to Y.
    3. The speaker is assuming that X and Y are unacceptable alternatives.
    4. There's nothing wrong with the speaker's reasoning.
18. "I didn't cheat on my taxes. I just used creative accounting techniques."
    1. The speaker is breaking the law.
    2. The speaker is setting a bad example for others.
    3. The speaker is using a slanted phrase for "cheating."
    4. There's nothing wrong with the speaker's reasoning.
19. "I know I didn't grade your papers like I said I would, but I am sure the other teachers were too busy also!"
    1. The teacher is bringing in an irrelevant issue.
    2. The teacher is blaming other teachers for her not doing her job.
    3. The teacher is making a circular argument.
    4. There's nothing wrong with the teacher's reasoning.
20. "Joseph, look at this! I took this new vitamin supplement and my hair is thicker, my memory is better and my grades have improved. This has to be the best nutritional product on the planet."
    1. The speaker doesn't believe in vitamin supplements.
    2. The speaker is assuming that the vitamin supplement is responsible for all the good things happening to him.
    3. The speaker doesn't know what to attribute his new changes to.
    4. There's nothing wrong with the speaker's reasoning.

In the following situations, which source is most credible?

21. Regarding the best way to diaper a small baby
    1. a pediatrician
    2. a baby store owner
    3. a family development counselor
    4. a mother of four
22. In defense of a girl accused of shoplifting
    1. her mother
    2. her best friend
    3. the store owner
    4. the police officer

Read the following argument carefully and answer the questions that follow.

(1) Although many high-school students might disagree, it should be a requirement that they complete ninety hours of community service in order to graduate. (2) Ninety hours may seem like a long time, but stretched out over the course of three or four years, it's a very feasible goal. (3) Participating in community service improves self-confidence and provides students with the skills needed to analyze and solve real-world problems. (4) For instance, students might choose to volunteer for an organization that aims to improve literacy in adults.

(5) There are not many in-school educational methods as effective as this that can teach teens how to listen, be patient, and find the best way to approach a difficult situation. (6) These are real-life skills that they need for college and to become well-informed, conscientious adults. (7) In fact, creating independent thinkers should be the goal of all educational programs, whether they are implemented in or outside of an academic environment.

23. What is the main point (conclusion) of the argument?
    1. sentence 1
    2. sentence 2
    3. sentence 3
    4. sentence 4
24. Which of the following is the strongest support for the conclusion?
    1. sentence 2
    2. sentence 4
    3. sentence 5
    4. sentence 7
25. Sentence 5 is which of the following?
    1. It is reasonable evidence based on a statistic.
    2. It is reasonable evidence based on common sense.
    3. It is based on personal experience.
    4. It is not reasonable evidence.

Read the following passages carefully and answer the questions that follow.

Janice got a raise in July. That month, she had moved into a larger apartment. She got a dog for a companion and enjoyed taking him for walks each evening. Earlier, she had spent each evening putting in overtime to finish a big project for her boss so she appreciates the free time now.

26. Which of the following is most likely the primary reason for Janice's raise?
    1. She moved into a larger apartment.
    2. She got more exercise by walking her dog.
    3. She had been at her job for years and it was overdue.
    4. She worked a great deal of overtime to get a project done.
27. Based on the passage, which of the following can we logically conclude?
    1. Janice deserved the raise because of all the hard work she did.
    2. Janice was desperate for some free time to spend with her dog.
    3. Janice waited until the summer to move into a larger apartment.
    4. Janice was upset about having to put in so much overtime.

A young woman is riding her bike down the street when there is an accident right in front of her. She can see that several people are hurt and so far, there are no other cars around.

28. Which of the following should she do first?
    1. Run into the closest store to ask them to call 911.
    2. Attempt to remove the injured from their vehicles.
    3. Write down the license numbers of the cars for the police.
    4. Make sure that there is no danger to you from the vehicles.

Ellen is in charge of the annual holiday party for ABC Company. She wants everyone to be happy with the location, so she decides to take a survey. There are 80 employees; 20 are in management, 40 are sales representatives, and 20 are support staff.

29. If Ellen surveys ten employees, her survey results are
    1. very likely to accurately reflect the sentiments of all of the employees.
    2. likely to accurately reflect the sentiments of all of the employees.
    3. very unlikely to accurately reflect the sentiments of all of the employees.
30. If Ellen surveys 20 employees who are all members of management, her survey results are
    1. very likely to accurately reflect the sentiments of all of the employees.
    2. likely to accurately reflect the sentiments of all of the employees.
    3. very unlikely to accurately reflect the sentiments of all of the employees.
31. Ellen would get the most accurate results by surveying
    1. ten managers, 20 salespeople, and five support staff.
    2. ten managers, 20 salespeople, and ten support staff.
    3. 20 managers, 20 salespeople, and 20 support staff.
    4. ten managers, ten salespeople, and ten support staff.
32. Every time you leave a pile of dirty clothes on the bathroom floor, you notice that your mother puts them on the floor of your bedroom rather than washing them. When you put the clothes in the hamper, she launders them and returns them clean, dry, and folded. You therefore conclude:
    1. Your mother has more time to do laundry on some days than on others.
    2. Your mother only looks in the bathroom now and then.
    3. Your mother is hoping that you will start doing your own laundry soon.
    4. Your mother expects you to put dirty laundry in the hamper rather than on the floor.
33. Beverly is putting together the schedule for her new employees. Each employee has to work two days a week. Andrew (A) can only work on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Brenda (B) can only work on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays. Carla (C) can only work on Tuesdays and Fridays. David (D) can work any day except Wednesdays, and Edward (E) can only work on Thursdays and Fridays. Which of the following is the best schedule?

Use the following paragraph to answer questions 34 and 35.

Joe, Karl, Larry, and Mike all work for the same company. Joe has been there two years longer than Karl and one year less than Larry. Mike has been there one year longer than Karl. Larry has been there for ten years.

34. Who has been there the longest?
    1. Joe
    2. Karl
    3. Larry
    4. Mike
35. Who is the newest employee?
    1. Joe
    2. Karl
    3. Larry
    4. Mike

Answer Key

1. b.
2. c.
3. a.
4. c.
5. b.
6. b.
7. c.
8. a.
9. c.
10. a.
11. b.
12. c.
13. c.
14. b.
15. a.
16. d.
17. b.
18. c.
19. a.
20. b.
21. d.
22. c.
23. a.
24. c.
25. b.
26. d.
27. a.
28. c.
29. c.
30. c.
31. b.
32. d.
33. b.
34. c.
35. b.