Critical Thinking Practice

Introduction

You've now learned all the key critical thinking skills tested in the FSCE 11+ exam:

• What critical thinking is and the four levels of thinking
• Logical reasoning and deduction
• Spotting facts and opinions
• Identifying arguments and evidence
• Spotting assumptions and bias
• Evaluating information
• Drawing conclusions from data
• Problem-solving strategies
• Analogies and relationships
• Sequencing and ordering
• Applied reasoning across subjects

In this lesson, you'll put all of these skills into practice with eight exam-style challenges. Each challenge tests multiple skills and comes with a full model answer and commentary explaining how to approach it. Treat these challenges like real exam questions — read carefully, think before answering, and give the best answer you can.

graph LR
    A["Challenge"] --> B["Read carefully"]
    B --> C["Identify which skills are needed"]
    C --> D["Plan your answer"]
    D --> E["Write your response"]
    E --> F["Check your answer"]
    style A fill:#fce4ec
    style F fill:#e8f5e9

Challenge 1: Evaluating an Argument

Read this passage and answer the questions below:

"Mobile phones should be completely banned for all children under 14. A recent survey by ParentWatch found that 78% of parents are worried about their children's phone use. Dr Sarah Mitchell, a child psychologist, says that excessive screen time 'damages children's ability to concentrate and communicate face-to-face.' In South Korea, a law restricting phone use for under-16s has led to a 20% improvement in students' test scores. Clearly, the evidence proves that phones are destroying our children's futures."

Questions: a) What is the main claim of this passage? b) Identify two pieces of evidence used to support the claim. c) Identify one assumption the writer makes. d) Is the final sentence ("Clearly, the evidence proves...") justified? Explain your reasoning.

Model Answer

a) The main claim is that "mobile phones should be completely banned for all children under 14."

b) Two pieces of evidence:

1. A survey by ParentWatch found that 78% of parents are worried about their children's phone use (statistic from a survey).
2. Dr Sarah Mitchell, a child psychologist, says excessive screen time damages concentration and communication (expert opinion). (The South Korea example could also be cited as evidence.)

c) The writer assumes that because excessive screen time is harmful, ALL phone use is harmful. Dr Mitchell refers to "excessive" screen time, but the writer's conclusion is a "complete ban" — moderate, controlled phone use might be perfectly fine. The writer also assumes that what works in South Korea would work in other countries.

d) The final sentence is not fully justified. The word "clearly" and "proves" are too strong. The evidence shows that EXCESSIVE phone use may be harmful, but it doesn't prove that phones are "destroying children's futures." The survey only shows parents are worried — not that their worries are correct. The South Korea example is interesting but doesn't "prove" a ban would work everywhere. Also, "ParentWatch" may be a biased source if it's an organisation that campaigns against phone use. A more justified statement would be: "The evidence suggests that excessive phone use may be harmful and that regulation could help."

Commentary: This question tests identifying arguments (Lesson 4), spotting assumptions (Lesson 5), and evaluating evidence (Lesson 6).

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Challenge 2: Logical Deduction

Read the following information and answer the questions:

Five children — Amy, Ben, Cara, Dan, and Eva — each play a different instrument: piano, violin, flute, drums, and guitar.

• Amy does not play piano or drums.
• Ben plays guitar.
• Cara plays drums.
• Dan does not play a string instrument (violin or guitar).
• Eva plays piano.

Questions: a) Which instrument does each child play? b) Explain the steps of your reasoning.

Model Answer

a)

• Cara plays drums (stated directly).
• Eva plays piano (stated directly).
• Amy does not play piano or drums, so she plays violin, flute, or guitar.
• Dan does not play a string instrument, so he doesn't play violin or guitar. Since piano is taken (Eva) and drums is taken (Cara), Dan plays flute.
• That leaves violin and guitar for Amy and Ben. Ben plays guitar (given). So Amy plays violin.

Final answer:

• Cara: drums
• Eva: piano
• Dan: flute
• Ben: guitar
• Amy: violin

b) Reasoning steps: I started with the direct statements (Cara plays drums, Eva plays piano, Ben plays guitar). Then I used elimination — Dan can't play string instruments and the other instruments are taken, so he plays flute. That leaves violin for Amy by elimination.

Commentary: This question tests logical deduction (Lesson 2). Notice how I worked through the direct statements first, then used elimination to fill in the gaps.

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Challenge 3: Facts, Opinions, and Bias

Read this passage:

"The stunning new Riverside Shopping Centre opened last Saturday and it is already the best shopping destination in the region. The centre boasts 120 shops, 15 restaurants, and a state-of-the-art cinema with 8 screens. Shoppers have been flocking to this magnificent complex in their thousands. 'It's absolutely wonderful — much better than the old town centre,' said local resident Margaret Thompson, 62. Obviously, the old high street shops simply cannot compete with such a superior facility."

Questions: a) List three facts from this passage. b) List three opinions from this passage. c) Identify two examples of biased language and explain why they show bias.

Model Answer

a) Three facts:

1. The centre opened last Saturday (a specific, checkable date).
2. It has 120 shops, 15 restaurants, and an 8-screen cinema (specific, verifiable numbers).
3. Margaret Thompson is 62 years old (a checkable fact).

b) Three opinions:

1. "It is already the best shopping destination in the region" — "best" is a personal judgement.
2. "It's absolutely wonderful" — Margaret Thompson's personal view.
3. "The old high street shops simply cannot compete" — a judgement about the high street's future.

c) Two examples of biased language:

1. "Stunning" and "magnificent" — These are positive adjective choices that show the writer's favourable view. A balanced report would describe the centre without using such enthusiastic, subjective language. The writer is trying to make the reader feel positive about the centre.
2. "Obviously" — This word suggests that the writer's conclusion is so clear it shouldn't be questioned. But it IS debatable whether old high street shops can't compete — many people prefer smaller, independent shops. Using "obviously" is a technique to shut down critical questioning.

Commentary: This question tests spotting facts and opinions (Lesson 3) and spotting bias (Lesson 5).

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Challenge 4: Data Interpretation

Study this data table and answer the questions:

Table: How Year 6 students travel to school

Method	School A (%)	School B (%)
Walk	45	20
Car	30	55
Bus	15	15
Cycle	10	5
Other	0	5

Questions: a) State two conclusions that the data supports. b) State two conclusions that the data does NOT support (but someone might incorrectly claim). c) Suggest one reason why the data for the two schools might be so different.

Model Answer

a) Two supported conclusions:

1. A much higher percentage of students at School A walk to school (45%) compared to School B (20%), while a much higher percentage at School B travel by car (55% vs 30%). Walking is the most common method at School A, while car is the most common at School B.
2. The same percentage (15%) of students at both schools travel by bus, suggesting bus provision may be similar in both areas.

b) Two unsupported conclusions:

1. "Students at School A are healthier because more of them walk." — The data shows how they travel, not their overall health. Walking to school is just one factor in health.
2. "Parents at School B are lazier because they drive their children." — The data doesn't tell us WHY parents drive. School B might be in a rural area where walking isn't safe or practical. The distance might be too far to walk.

c) One possible reason for the difference: School A might be in an urban area where most students live within walking distance, while School B might be in a suburban or rural area where students live further away and need to travel by car. Another possibility is that the roads around School B might be more dangerous for pedestrians and cyclists, making parents more likely to drive.

Commentary: This question tests drawing conclusions from data (Lesson 7) and spotting assumptions (Lesson 5). The key skill is separating what the data SHOWS from what someone might ASSUME.

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Challenge 5: Problem Solving

Problem: A school library has exactly 90 books. They are divided into three categories: fiction, non-fiction, and poetry. There are twice as many fiction books as non-fiction books. There are 10 more poetry books than non-fiction books. How many books are in each category?

Model Answer

Using "Find What You Know" and "Break It Down" strategies:

Let the number of non-fiction books = N.

• Fiction books = 2N (twice as many as non-fiction)
• Poetry books = N + 10 (10 more than non-fiction)
• Total: N + 2N + (N + 10) = 90

Solving:

• 4N + 10 = 90
• 4N = 80
• N = 20

So:

• Non-fiction: 20
• Fiction: 2 × 20 = 40
• Poetry: 20 + 10 = 30

Check: 20 + 40 + 30 = 90 ✓ — and 40 is twice 20, and 30 is 10 more than 20. All conditions satisfied.

Commentary: This tests problem-solving strategies (Lesson 8). The key strategies used were: finding what you know, breaking the problem into algebraic relationships, and checking the final answer against every condition in the question.

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Challenge 6: Analogies and Relationships

Complete each analogy and explain the relationship type:

a) Doctor is to hospital as teacher is to ___ b) Tiny is to enormous as whisper is to ___ c) Chapter is to book as scene is to ___ d) Acorn is to oak tree as egg is to ___

Model Answer

a) Doctor is to hospital as teacher is to school. Relationship: Worker : Workplace. A doctor works in a hospital; a teacher works in a school.

b) Tiny is to enormous as whisper is to shout (or roar, or scream). Relationship: Antonym (opposite). Tiny is the opposite of enormous; whisper is the opposite of shout. Also, the specific relationship is Small:Large as Quiet:Loud — both pairs represent opposite extremes.

c) Chapter is to book as scene is to play (or film). Relationship: Part : Whole. A chapter is a section of a book; a scene is a section of a play.

d) Acorn is to oak tree as egg is to chicken (or bird, or any animal that hatches from eggs). Relationship: Seed/Beginning : Mature Form. An acorn grows into an oak tree; an egg develops into a chicken.

Commentary: This tests analogies and relationships (Lesson 9). Always state the relationship type and check that it works in the same direction for both pairs.

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Challenge 7: Sequencing and Cause-Effect

Read these events and answer the questions:

A) Scientists measured a significant rise in global temperatures. B) Governments signed the Paris Climate Agreement. C) Factories and power stations burned large amounts of fossil fuels. D) Ice caps and glaciers began to melt at an accelerating rate. E) Sea levels rose, threatening low-lying coastal communities. F) Scientists warned that urgent action was needed to reduce emissions.

Questions: a) Put these events in a logical cause-and-effect order. b) Identify the original cause and the final effect. c) At which point in the chain could human action have changed the outcome?

Model Answer

a) Logical order:

1. C) Factories burned fossil fuels (ORIGINAL CAUSE)
2. A) Scientists measured rising temperatures (EFFECT of burning fuels)
3. D) Ice caps and glaciers melted (EFFECT of rising temperatures)
4. E) Sea levels rose (EFFECT of melting ice)
5. F) Scientists warned action was needed (RESPONSE to observed effects)
6. B) Governments signed the Paris Agreement (ACTION in response to warnings)