Problem Solving and Critical Thinking
What this domain tests
Problem Solving and Critical Thinking measures your ability to analyze a situation, identify what is being asked, evaluate evidence, recognize assumptions, and choose a sound solution. Questions often take the form of short scenarios, logic puzzles, or "which conclusion is best supported" prompts.
Concepts to master
- Identifying the problem before jumping to a solution.
- Evidence versus assumption: an assumption is unstated but required for an argument to work.
- Cause versus correlation: two things occurring together does not prove one caused the other.
- Sufficient versus necessary conditions: a condition may be required without being enough.
- Weighing trade-offs and recognizing when information is missing.
- Logical structure: if-then reasoning, contrapositives, and spotting circular arguments.
Common traps
- Confusing correlation with causation in data-based scenarios.
- Accepting a conclusion that goes beyond the evidence.
- Ignoring a stated constraint (budget, deadline, policy).
- Choosing the most detailed answer rather than the most logically supported one.
- Reversing an if-then statement ("If A then B" does not mean "If B then A").
Rule of thumb
Restate the question in your own words, list the given facts, and mark any gap between facts and conclusion. The correct answer closes that gap without adding new assumptions.
Worked example
A store's sales rose the same month it began offering free delivery. Conclusion offered: "Free delivery caused the increase." This is weak because other factors (season, promotion, weather) are uncontrolled. A stronger conclusion is simply that sales increased during the delivery trial; causation requires a comparison period or control group.