Watson-Glaser
Critical Thinking Test

The Watson-Glaser Critical Thinking Appraisal (WGCTA) is the world's most widely used assessment of critical thinking ability. Developed by Goodwin Watson and Edward Glaser in 1925, it measures five distinct cognitive skills: inference, recognition of assumptions, deduction, interpretation and evaluation of arguments. It is used globally by law firms, consultancies, graduate programmes and employers to identify strong analytical thinkers.

An IQ test measures general cognitive ability — memory, processing speed, pattern recognition and verbal and numerical reasoning. The Watson-Glaser specifically measures critical thinking: the ability to analyse arguments, identify assumptions, reason logically and evaluate evidence. You can have a high IQ and still score poorly on Watson-Glaser if you have not developed disciplined analytical thinking habits. Conversely, deliberate practice with critical thinking significantly improves Watson-Glaser scores.

In the official Watson-Glaser assessment, scores are compared to a normative population. For competitive professional roles — particularly in law and consulting — employers typically expect candidates to score in the top 25 to 30 percent. For the most selective firms, the bar is even higher. On our assessment, a score of 70 or above indicates strong critical thinking ability, while 85 and above places you in the exceptional range.

Yes — significantly. Unlike many cognitive abilities, critical thinking responds strongly to deliberate practice. Reading analytical writing, practicing formal logic, studying argument mapping, debating, and working through case studies all measurably improve Watson-Glaser scores. Most people who practice consistently for 4 to 6 weeks before a formal test see meaningful improvement, particularly in inference and argument evaluation.

This is a free practice assessment inspired by the Watson-Glaser framework and designed to help you understand and develop the five critical thinking skills it measures. The official Watson-Glaser Critical Thinking Appraisal is a proprietary assessment published by Pearson and is administered in controlled conditions by employers and institutions. Our test is for educational practice and self-development purposes.

The Watson-Glaser is used extensively by major UK and international law firms including Clifford Chance, Linklaters, Freshfields and Allen and Overy. It is also used by management consultancies, investment banks, civil service fast-stream programmes, the NHS leadership academy, the British military officer selection process and many graduate schemes at FTSE 100 companies. It is particularly dominant in the legal sector.