The Watson Glaser Critical Thinking Appraisal is widely used by law firms to screen applicants for training contracts, vacation schemes, and other early career programmes. It measures how well you can analyse information, identify assumptions, evaluate arguments, and draw sound conclusions. Many applicants underestimate it.
What the Watson Glaser is
The Watson Glaser is a multiple-choice critical thinking test. The standard version has 40 questions across five sub-sections: inference, recognising assumptions, deduction, interpretation, and evaluation of arguments. It is timed at 30 minutes. You must answer based only on the information provided — not your general knowledge or personal opinions.
The five question types
Inference questions ask whether a conclusion follows from a statement, on a five-point scale from definitely true to definitely false. Recognising assumptions asks whether a given assumption is or is not made in a statement. Deduction asks whether a conclusion follows logically and necessarily from the premises. Interpretation asks whether a conclusion follows beyond a reasonable doubt from a passage. Evaluation of arguments asks whether arguments are strong or weak relative to a given question. Each type requires a slightly different mental approach.
The key rule: use only the information given
The most common error on the Watson Glaser is using outside knowledge or common sense instead of limiting yourself to the passage. If a statement says "all cats are black", the correct inference is that a specific cat is black — not that this is obviously false in real life. You are being tested on logical reasoning from the given information, not on your knowledge of the world.
How to prepare
Start by learning each of the five question types in detail. Practice materials are available from publishers such as JobTestPrep and Assessment Day. There is no official Watson Glaser practice test publicly available, but many similar practice tests exist. Focus on understanding why you got a question wrong rather than just doing more volume. Time management matters — 30 minutes for 40 questions is tight.
Common preparation mistakes
Many candidates practise informal reasoning puzzles rather than practising the specific Watson Glaser format. Others focus only on the question types they find easy. Work on your weakest type first. A score that is strong in four types but weak in one will hurt you. The test is also available in a shorter 30-question timed format for some employers — always check which version you are taking.
Checklist
- Learn each of the five question types before starting practice
- Use official-format practice tests, not general logic puzzles
- Practise with a strict 30-minute timer
- Review every wrong answer and understand the exact reasoning
- Focus extra practice time on your weakest question type
- Read each question carefully and answer only from the given information
Common mistakes to avoid
- Using common sense or general knowledge instead of the given passage
- Not distinguishing between the five question types
- Practising without timing
- Only using informal logic puzzles instead of proper test-format practice
- Rushing through and making avoidable reading errors