Are You Good at Critical Thinking? [Self-Assessment Test]

Critical thinking is a key skill for you to possess if you want to succeed in today’s dynamic and complex work environment.

Critical thinking is defined as the process of analyzing information, facts, and situations objectively and making well-reasoned judgments, and decisions and solving problems.

Critical thinking usually involves asking questions, evaluating evidence, understanding context and circumstances, and integrating various perspectives to come up with sound conclusions.

The complexity of many modern jobs usually demands that employees be competent critical thinkers. Critical thinking allows you to make better and more informed decisions, find creative solutions to problems, and evaluate risk effectively. It also enables you to identify assumptions, biases, and fallacies in your thinking and of others, which ensures that your thinking remains on track and objective.

For instance, let’s say you work in marketing, and you have been tasked with identifying the most effective social media platform to launch a new product.

By using critical thinking skills, you’d first evaluate the different platforms available objectively, research the demographics, the features and the target audience, and then make an informed decision that would ensure that the product gets maximum exposure and visibility.

By now, you may be wondering if you possess a strong ability to think critically.

This is where the self-assessment comes in. Our self-assessment will enable you to identify your critical thinking strengths and weaknesses and provide you with recommendations to enhance your thinking skills.

It’s time to take the self-assessment test and begin your journey to becoming a more effective critical thinker.

Self Assessment Test

To conduct the self-assessment, simply answer all questions, and click the calculate results button at the end.

Interpreting Your Results

0-20 Points

If you scored 0-20 points, you might want to work on developing your critical thinking skills further. Critical thinking involves looking at issues objectively, analyzing them logically, and coming up with thoughtful, well-reasoned solutions. Consider seeking out resources to improve your critical thinking skills, such as books, online courses, or workshops. With practice, you can develop better critical thinking skills and become more self-aware.

21-40 Points

If you scored 21-40 points, you have some critical thinking skills, but there is room for improvement. Continue to develop your ability to analyze issues objectively, think logically, and evaluate evidence. Seek out opportunities to practice your critical thinking skills in your personal and professional life. By continuing to hone your skills, you will become a more effective problem-solver and decision-maker.

41-60 Points

If you scored 41-60 points, congratulations! You have strong critical thinking skills. You are able to look at complex problems and analyze them logically and objectively to come up with solutions. You are also able to evaluate evidence and make informed decisions. Continue to use and refine your critical thinking skills, and you will be an asset in many areas of your life, including work, relationships, and personal growth.

5 Quick Tips to Become Better at Critical Thinking

Critical thinking is a valuable skill that helps you make informed decisions, solve problems, and evaluate arguments. If you want to improve your critical thinking skills, here are five quick tips you can follow:

1. Clarify Your Thinking

Before you can start evaluating arguments or solving problems, you need to clarify your own thinking. This means being clear about what you believe, what you don’t know, and what assumptions you’re making. Start by asking yourself questions like “What do I know?”, “What do I need to know?” and “What am I assuming?” By clarifying your thinking, you can avoid jumping to conclusions and improve your ability to evaluate arguments.

2. Practice Active Listening

Critical thinking involves listening carefully to other people’s arguments and ideas. To become better at critical thinking, you need to practice active listening. This means paying full attention to what the other person is saying, asking questions to clarify their points, and considering their perspective. Active listening can help you identify assumptions, biases, and logical fallacies in other people’s arguments.

3. Ask Questions

Asking questions is a key part of critical thinking. When you encounter a new idea or argument, ask questions to help you understand it better. Some good questions to ask include “What evidence supports this claim?” “What is the source of this information?” and “What are the assumptions underlying this argument?” By asking questions, you can evaluate arguments more effectively and avoid being misled by faulty reasoning.

4. Evaluate the Evidence

To become a good critical thinker, you need to be able to evaluate evidence objectively. This means looking for evidence that supports or contradicts an argument, considering the quality of the evidence, and evaluating the sources of the evidence. When evaluating evidence, be aware of your own biases and assumptions and try to avoid cherry-picking evidence to support your own position.

5. Practice Problem-Solving

Critical thinking involves solving problems and making decisions based on evidence and logical reasoning. To become better at critical thinking, practice problem-solving. Identify problems in your daily life and brainstorm solutions, considering the advantages and disadvantages of each. By practicing problem-solving, you can develop your critical thinking skills and improve your ability to analyze complex problems.