Inference: treat the facts in the passage as true.Northfield Library extended its weekday closing time from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. in January. Over the next three months, evening visits rose by 40%, and most of the new evening visitors were students from the nearby community college, which holds its exams in April.Which inference is best supported by the facts?

Some students used the new evening hours to prepare for their April exams.

The library changed its hours because the college asked it to.

Total visits to the library fell after the change.

Before January, most evening visitors were college students.

Recognition of assumptions: read the statement."We should print our new menu in larger type, so that more of our older customers can read it without glasses."Which assumption does the statement take for granted?

Larger type would be easier for many older customers to read.

The restaurant will raise its prices with the new menu.

Most of the restaurant's customers are older people.

Older customers never bring their reading glasses with them when they eat out.

Deduction: treat the statements as true, even if they seem unlikely.All members of the safety committee have first-aid training. No one with first-aid training is excused from the fire drill.Which conclusion follows necessarily?

No member of the safety committee is excused from the fire drill.

Some people excused from the fire drill sit on the safety committee.

Everyone with first-aid training sits on the safety committee.

Everyone who takes part in the fire drill has first-aid training.

Critical thinking test practice

Watson Glaser test practice: free critical thinking questions

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Practise for the Watson-Glaser critical thinking test that many employers and law firms send to graduate and job applicants, with original questions in all five subtests: inference, recognition of assumptions, deduction, interpretation and evaluation of arguments. Start with 5 free questions, one per subtest, then take two full timed tests of 40 questions in 30 minutes, the real length and time, with an explanation for every answer and your score per subtest.

5 free questions
2 timed tests, 80 questions
Real pace: 40 in 30 minutes
Score per subtest
Practice certificate PDF

Watson-Glaser III format and scoring

Watson-Glaser III	Publisher facts
Questions	40, drawn at random from a large pool for each test-taker
Time	30 minutes at most (an untimed version exists in the US, mainly for development or accommodations)
Subtests	Inference, Recognize Assumptions, Deduction, Interpretation and Evaluate Arguments
Scores reported (RED)	Recognize Assumptions, Evaluate Arguments and Draw Conclusions (Inference, Deduction and Interpretation together), plus an overall score
Questions per area	12 assumptions, 12 arguments, 16 draw conclusions
Score	Takes the difficulty of your items into account and is reported as a percentile against a norm group, such as a profession, job level or education level
Pass mark	None in general: the employer decides which result is enough

Sources: TalentLens (Pearson) Watson-Glaser product page, Watson-Glaser III FAQs, Watson-Glaser III Technical Manual and the 2020 Watson-Glaser efficacy report, checked 1 November 2026.

What the five subtests ask

Inference: a short set of facts and a possible conclusion. How well do the facts support it?
Recognition of assumptions: a statement or plan. What does the speaker take for granted without saying it?
Deduction: two or three statements. Which conclusion must be true if they are true?
Interpretation: data or a short report. Which conclusion follows beyond reasonable doubt?
Evaluation of arguments: a question such as 'Should the city lower its speed limit?' and arguments for and against. Which argument is strong, meaning both important and directly related to the question?

In the real test the answer choices differ per subtest (for example a five-point scale from true to false for inferences). On MyLevel every question has four options, so you choose the one inference, assumption, conclusion or argument that holds, and the explanation shows why the other three do not.

What you practise on MyLevel

Every MyLevel question is an original question written in the style of a critical thinking appraisal, with one keyed answer and an explanation of the logic. Each question was checked for a second answer that could also be defended. The two full tests have 40 questions in 30 minutes each, the Watson-Glaser III length and time, with the same 12 / 12 / 16 split over assumptions, arguments and draw-conclusions questions. After each test you see your score per subtest, so you know what to train.

TalentLens offers a free practice test on its own site. MyLevel is a different, independent product: 2 timed practice tests for $9.99, a one-time payment with no subscription and no time limit, which also unlocks every other MyLevel job test, such as the Predictive Index test practice.

How to prepare for the Watson Glaser test

Use only what is given: treat the passage as true, even if you know better, and do not add outside knowledge.
Test assumptions by negating them: if the opposite of an option makes the statement fall apart, the option is assumed.
Distrust strong words: all, always, never and only usually go further than the facts allow.
Separate link from cause: two things happening together, especially when people chose for themselves, does not prove that one caused the other.
Judge arguments on two tests: is it important, and is it directly about the question? Anecdotes, tradition, popularity and small costs are weak.
Train under the clock: 45 seconds per question; take a full MyLevel test, read every explanation you missed, then retake.

MyLevel's score bands are our own practice guide, not a Watson-Glaser percentile or an employer's cut-off.

MyLevel is independent and not affiliated with, or endorsed by, Pearson or TalentLens. Watson-Glaser is a trademark of its owner. All questions are original practice questions written by MyLevel in the style of a critical thinking appraisal, not real Watson-Glaser questions, and a practice score is not a Watson-Glaser score.

Sample question with explanation

Evaluation of arguments: treat each argument as true, then judge whether it is strong (important and directly related to the question) or weak.Should all new apartment buildings in the city be required to include secure bicycle storage?Which argument is strong?

Yes; residents could keep a bike without risk of theft, which supports the city's goal of more cycling.
No; a small number of residents in the city do not own a bicycle at all.
No; a bicycle storage room is not as attractive to look at as a garden.
Yes; the mayor of the city rides a bicycle to work every morning.

Show the answer

Answer: A. Yes; residents could keep a bike without risk of theft, which supports the city's goal of more cycling.

Only the first argument is both important and directly about the rule: it serves a public goal. A few people without bikes is minor, the mayor's habit is irrelevant, and looks are trivial.

Frequently asked questions

Is this Watson Glaser test practice free?

Yes, you can start with 5 free questions with explanations, one from each of the five subtests. Two full timed tests of 40 questions in 30 minutes cost $9.99 once, with no subscription.

How many questions are on the Watson Glaser test and how long does it take?

The Watson-Glaser III has 40 questions and a maximum of 30 minutes. Each test-taker gets 40 items drawn at random from a large pool: 12 on assumptions, 12 on arguments and 16 on drawing conclusions (TalentLens, November 2026).

What is a good Watson Glaser score?

The result is a percentile against a norm group the employer chooses, such as graduates or a profession. Pearson publishes no general pass mark, so a good score is one above the cut-off your employer uses (TalentLens Technical Manual, November 2026).

Is the Watson Glaser test hard?

Most people find the time pressure and the traps hard: options that sound reasonable but add facts, reverse a rule or claim a cause. Practising each subtest with explanations helps you spot these traps faster.

Are these real Watson-Glaser questions?

No. Every question on MyLevel is an original practice question in the style of a critical thinking appraisal, with four options instead of the real test's answer formats. The real test draws its 40 items from Pearson's pool, and no one can sell you those. MyLevel is not affiliated with Pearson or TalentLens.

Can I unlock only this test?

There is one option, so you never have to choose: the $9.99 job pack, one time. It unlocks the 2 full tests on this page and every other MyLevel job test, with no subscription and a full refund within 14 days if it does not help you.

Do I get a certificate?

Yes. After a full practice test you can download a MyLevel practice certificate (PDF) with your score. It is a personal record of your practice, not an official document and not a Watson-Glaser score.

More practice tests

US · English

Watson Glaser test practice: free critical thinking questions

Watson-Glaser III format and scoring

What the five subtests ask

What you practise on MyLevel

How to prepare for the Watson Glaser test

Sample question with explanation

Frequently asked questions

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