Watson Glaser Test Preparation PDF

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WATSON GLASER Practise questions: https://www.wikijob.co.uk/aptitude-test/watson-glaser https://www.assessmentday.co.uk/watson-glaser-critical-thinking.htm https://www.jobtestprep.co.uk/watson-glaser-test?idev_username=ACHQ-JTP Guides and Tips: https://www.barstandardsboard.org.uk/media/1344440/watsonglaser_form_ab_example_questions.pdf https://www.thecorporatelawacademy.com/the-watson-glaser-test/ TLDR: Don't make assumptions, don't jump to conclusions, read closely and treat your mind as a blank slate when reading the question before answering! My advice for this and the verbal reasoning test would be to a) practice as much as you can so you get used to the style of questions; and b) use trial and error to determine which options must not be correct first. The test is far easier when you have narrowed the options down to two. At this point, you should not make any assumptions or jump to any conclusions. For example, suppose you are down to two options: probably true and true. Only pick true if it is absolutely clear from the paragraph you have been given that the answer is true. If this is not the case, you should select probably true. Watson Glaser Online Critical Reasoning Test for *insert firm* The Critical Reasoning test is designed to measure an individual’s ability to structure a sound, solid argument, to analyse information, and to make assumptions and inferences. Critical thinking skills also involve the ability to evaluate information and draw conclusions that can be supported. o Inference – The ability to reach logical conclusions from information known or assumed to be true o Recognition of Assumptions – Identifying the unstated assumptions underlying a given statement o Deduction – Determining whether conclusions follow logically from given information o Interpretation – Weighing evidence and deciding if generalisations or conclusions based on data are warranted o Evaluation of Arguments – Evaluating the strength and relevance of arguments with respect to a particular question or issue Candidates who score in the 60th percentile or above will be progressed to the next stage of the process. Each section requires you to think in a different way. But ‘R.E.D’ thinking skills unite them all. So, remember, you are always trying to recognise assumptions, evaluate arguments and draw conclusions. Be sure to separate the thinking process for the different questions – particularly deduction and interpretation!  Interpretation = whether it follows beyond a reasonable doubt  Deduction – whether it follows absolutely and necessarily

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1. Assessment of Inference Watson Glaser’s ‘assessment of inference’ questions consist of a statement which is assumed to be true. You are then given a follow-up statement, which you must classify as ‘true’, ‘probably true’, ‘insufficient data’, ‘probably false’ or ‘false’. In order to do this, you will need to look for clue words in the text, use logical inference and weigh the balance of probabilities. Remember – ‘true’ and ‘false’ suggest a complete absence of doubt! Answer: TRUE. It is explicitly stated in the text Answer: INSUFFICIENT DATA. It’s quite straightforward, really: the topic is not mentioned! An inference is a conclusion that a person can draw from certain observed or supposed facts. For example, if the lights are on in a house and music can be heard coming from the house, a person might infer that someone is at home. But this inference may or may not be correct. It is possible that the people of the house did not turn the lights and the radio off when they left the house. Definitely True – Given all of the information in the passage, it is certainly the case that this inference is correct. Probably True – Given all of the information in the passage, it is likely that the inference is correct. However, it is not guaranteed. Insufficient data to say whether it is true or false – Given all of the information in the passage, it is impossible to say whether the inference is true or false. Probably False – Given all of the information in the passage, it is likely that the inference is incorrect. However, this is not guaranteed. Definitely False – Given all of the information in the passage, it is impossible for the inference to be correct.

When someone makes an inference, they’re commonly seen as “reading between the lines”, figuring out a conclusion that isn’t explicit, but rather implied from the evidence. In the Watson Glaser test, an inference-focused question will test your ability to decide the likelihood of an inference being true. Here is a way to identify and categorise those five elements: true = its is a fact on the passage, and true beyond reasonable doubt; probably true = you can infer it from the facts you have but it is not true beyond reasonable doubt; more information needed = this applies when the question poses an assumption and you need more information to verify these facts (ie: things are probably not written in the passage); probably false= based on the facts you have at hand, this is probably not possible; false= straight up LIES and contradicts the facts you have at hand. The way I approach this test is treating it like I am speaking to someone very sensitive or suspicious towards me whos waiting for me to slip up. You want to get all your facts right and not jump to conclusions and if it's false, you need to identify that it is not a fact.

Often TRUE – if the first half (clause) of the statement is true and the second half is a suggestion e.g. “may” INSUFFICIENT DATA – if the first half is true and the second half is posed as “true” but is actually not mentioned e.g. “Because of x then definitely y” or “… as this does xyz” PROBABLY TRUE/FALSE – implied but not 100% explicit. Don’t know for certain but more likely to be true or false. E.g. X aims to do Y. E.g. the reason for stated issue is merely z -> likely but not totally sure. 2

2. Recognition of Assumptions -> assumption made or assumption not made An assumption is something presupposed or taken for granted. In this exercise, you are given a statement to examine. You are then given a number of ‘assumptions’ and asked if these have, or have not, been made in the statement. Here’s the trick. The statement is usually like a conclusion. If the assumption is a necessary premise to reach that conclusion but hasn’t been mentioned, it’s likely to be an assumption! Decision should be made on whether or not the assumption was made, not whether or not it’s true! The trick to this kind of question is that you need to read between the lines of the initial statement. Think about which of the claims are required to be true in order for the initial claim to also be true.

“We need to save time in getting there so we’d better go by plane.”  Going by plane will take less time than going by some other means of transportation. Answer: ASSUMPTION MADE. The initial statement relies on this being true but doesn’t state it.  There is plane service available to us for at least part of the distance to the destination. Answer: ASSUMPTION MADE. In order to save time by taking a plane, one would need to be available, but the truth of this premise is not addressed in the initial statement.  Travel by plane is more convenient than travel by train. Answer: ASSUMPTION NOT MADE. Convenience is not mentioned; only time is. (This could be one component of convenience but is not necessarily the whole picture.) It’s therefore not a premise of the conclusion drawn and not an assumption. Assumptions -- Identify whether an assumption is made or not. I cannot emphasise enough the importance of reading both the question and assumption. Sure certain "assumptions" that were presented LOOKS like it could make sense in the argument presented to you, but was it actually mentioned or could be assumed from the question? It is so important to not jump to conclusions and treat the question/ assumption as a blank slate. Be specific, wording needs to match, not just a generalisation-> e.g. VAT vs tax, this organisation in the statement vs organisations Assumption NOT made: the students were right to stage the protest but doesn’t imply the outcome will be influenced Assumption NOT made: statement just talking about two differences, not saying these are the only differences Do we assume this statement to reach the stated conclusion?!

3. Deduction -> conclusion follows, conclusion does not follow You are given a passage, followed by a number of proposed conclusions to the passage. You must decide whether or not the ‘conclusion follows’, or whether the ‘conclusion does not follow’. Think about the assumptions task above and apply the same logic here. A conclusion can only follow if the premises are in place and no assumption has been made.

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Deductions are slightly similar to interpretations, but are stricter in their logical format. Valid deductive arguments are arguments which, if all premises are true, then the conclusion cannot be false. ONLY use the info present, NOT general knowledge. So, it’s clear that deductive arguments aren’t so concerned with what’s true or false, but rather what’s valid or invalid. For the Watson Glaser test, you need to approach the questions in the same way. You’ll be presented with a statement, which contains the premises of an argument. You’ll have to choose the deductions which are correct, therefore creating a deductively valid argument. For each, you must answer YES or NO. Just because X doesn’t mean not also Y Doesn’t rule out mutual exclusivity If you can’t rule out this possibility, then conclusion doesn’t follow Example: All Real Estate assets are either very large or located in central areas but not both. While no apartment is without air-conditioning, all air-conditioned RE assets are very large. RE Assets that are located in central areas are not apartments. Conclusion follows. Real-estate assets = A, very large = B, located in a central area = C, apartment = D, air conditioning = E. According to the premises, (A -> B/C), (no D -> ~E), which means (D -> E), and (A+E -> B). The conclusion states (A + C -> ~D). If (A+E -> B), and (D -> E), then (D -> B) (because D is a subgroup of A). And since (A -> B/C), that means every A that is not B but C cannot be D. In other words: If all air-conditioned real-estate assets are very large, and all apartments are air conditioned, then all apartments are very large (because apartments are a subgroup of real-estate assets). And since no realestate asset can be both very large and located in a central area, then this RE asset cannot be very large, as it is in a central area and it cannot be both. As you have concluded that all apartments are very large and this RE asset cannot be very large, then it is not an apartment. Some Sundays are rainy. All rainy days are boring. Therefore:  No clear days are boring. Answer: CONCLUSION DOES NOT FOLLOW. Think in terms of argument structure. Just because all X is Y, it doesn’t mean that Z is never Y. Some Sundays are rainy. All rainy days are boring. Therefore:  Some Sundays are not boring.

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Answer: CONCLUSION DOES NOT FOLLOW. This one’s a little more tricky. We know, as per the above, that some Sundays are definitely boring because they are rainy. But we cannot assume that Sundays that are not rainy are not boring for some other reason! This is similar to Assumptions but applied to conclusions.

4. Interpretation -> conclusion follows, conclusions does not follow You are given a short paragraph followed by several suggested conclusions. You are instructed to assume that everything in the passage is true. You must, on this basis, assess whether the conclusions follow beyond a reasonable doubt. The technique here is, again, pretty much the same as the above. Just keep using those ‘R.E.D’ skills! This question type is similar to Deduction in that there is a statement and a conclusion, where you need to decide if the conclusion is correct. The difference is that interpretation questions require you to decide whether the generalisation being made is justified or not.

Interpretations are similar to inferences, but focus on whether a conclusion logically follows from a statement, rather than what conclusions are likely to follow from a statement. Is the generalisation being made justifiable or not is the question - avoid generalisations, just because the passage gives an example, doesn’t mean its applied universally, e.g. just because average incomes for an MBA graduate are higher, doesn’t imply the MBA is the cause of the increase Could be the case but there could be other reasons -> may be other reasons for generalisation

5. Evaluation of Arguments –> strong argument or weak argument The aim of this exercise is to assess whether you can distinguish strong arguments from weak ones. Strong arguments are highly relevant, have material impact and are realistic. The key to answering these questions is to apply to above points as a simple checklist, disregard your personal opinion, and not let subjectivity influence your answer. You need to decide if the argument provided is indeed an argument that can be used to prove or strengthen the above statement. Logical fallacies, both formal and informal, are important for answering questions on evaluating arguments. Weak arguments will commonly fall prey to fallacies such as the strawman, slippery slope, appeal to emotion, false cause, and ambiguity. There are many more than these, so make sure you spend time understanding what the fallacy is and why it’s a fallacy. Then, read examples of these fallacies in action, so you get used to identifying them. Arguments -- Identify what is a strong argument and a weak argument. My tip for this is to read the question that is presented in front of you and understand what the objective of this sentence is. Then read the argument a few times. Is it trivial, irrelevant and state mere facts instead of an advantage/ 5

disadvantage? Then it is weak. Does it answer the question directly and present a good perspective on the advantage/disadvantage of the question> Then it is a strong one. Be specific about what the argument is referring to – does it explicitly address the points in the statement Needs to argue the initial question, not just a part of it Be super clear on wording – needs to match -> bankruptcy does NOT equal profits and expenses Just because two things are related, doesn’t mean they cause each other to happen (not just two things that coincide) STRONG = needs to have a clear benefit, not an implied one or one which would require general knowledge STRONG = “which would lead to…” “which would cause…” STRONG = addresses the initial question, provides and explanation of its point and provides the outcome of its stated point STRONG = needs to provide evidence, not just state a fact, needs to actually defend its position WEAK = e.g. “may find it difficult…” -> a suggestion, no guarantee

1. Ask basic questions to identify assumptions. Ask yourself, “What is being taken for granted?”, “How do I know this is true?” Rate the quality of different assumptions. Start by identifying and listing the assumptions underlying each scenario, then explore whether each assumption is appropriate (e.g., how likely is this assumption to hold for this situation?). Factor in the implications and consequences of each (e.g., what if this assumption is wrong?). 2. Watch for persuasion techniques. Does the argument include excessive appeals to emotions in place of sound reasoning? Does it push you toward a conclusion without exploring alternatives? Has key information been left out? Is there anything suspicious about the figures or sources used to support the argument? 3. Be objective and balanced. Look for information that is clear, relevant, recent, credible and fair. Actively seek out strong evidence for and against all arguments, especially when you favour certain arguments. Take time to take control of your emotions. It is important to balance your emotions with objective evaluation approaches, especially when you deal with controversial topics. 4. Draw it out. Represent verbal information graphically by using pictures, matrices, hierarchical tree diagrams, flow charts, and/or any other visual representation that may be useful. You can clarify your thinking by translating the verbal into the visual. This will help you make connections that weren’t immediately apparent. 5. Evaluate different conclusions. Generate multiple alternative conclusions based on the evidence. Consider who stands to gain from certain conclusions. Be sure to explore the consequences and impact of different conclusions as part of this process. RED Recognising Assumptions

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Assumptions are statements that are assumed to be true. Identifying them helps to reveal information gaps and enrich perspectives. Being able to assess assumptions for their appropriateness improves the quality of comprehensiveness of critical thinking. Evaluating Arguments Arguments are assertions that are intended to persuade someone. Analysing arguments helps to determine whether to believe or act accordingly. It includes the ability to evaluate arguments objectively, putting prior beliefs and emotions to one side. Drawing Conclusions Drawing conclusions consists of arriving at conclusions that logically follow from the available evidence. It includes evaluating information before drawing a conclusion, judging the likelihood of different conclusions being correct, selecting the most appropriate conclusion, and avoiding generalisation beyond the evidence.

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