Are you a "Critical Thinker?" Take this quiz to find out!

“Critical thinking skills” is a hot topic in educational circles these days. Many employers are discovering newly-minted college graduates possess little or none and are advocating that colleges include classes to teach students how to think through problems logically.

If you’re a college administrator, here is a test you can administer to your students to determine if they might benefit from a curriculum that includes instruction in critical thinking skills. The test was developed by Arnold Googlelink, Ph.D, of Southwestern Rhode Island University who last week published a paper in which he recommended that students who answer three or more answers incorrectly should be required to take at least one course.  

1. You are casting actors for a movie about Winston Churchill. Who is the most logical choice for the lead role?

A. Colin Firth

B. Jude Law

C. Oprah Winfrey

D. Daniel Craig

Answer: C. Everyone in Hollywood knows you don’t cast a Brit in a movie about an English person, just as you don’t cast an American in a movie about a Yank.

2. You are programming an 800 number for your employer, a leading cable company. Which of these recorded messages should customers hear first?

A. To order a Pay Per View fight, press *#

B. If your Internet isn’t working, visit our website for help
C. To continue in English, press one; para continuar en espanol, presione dos

D. To speak to a representative, press O at any time.

Answer: A, because Pay Per View orders generate incremental revenue for your employer. Do not under any circumstances offer option D; the company only has one call center rep and she is overwhelmed.

3. You are a news editor. Which of these late-breaking AP stories should you choose as the lead?

A. Kanye tweets Kim "Happy Anniversary"

B. Michelle Duggar pregnant again

C. 10 million killed in Asian tsunami

D. Dallas Prep defeats Houston Riverview 35-6 for state championship

Answer: 73 million Americans watch The Kardashians, 42 million watch 19 Kids and Counting, many Americans think there are too many Asians anyway (and 41 percent can't identify Asia on a map), and Dallas and Houston aren’t in your coverage area, so the answer should be obvious – A. (Exception: If you are a Texas editor, D.) Always go with the story that will interest the greatest number of readers. 

  

4. Your boss has assigned you to write a press release. What is the first thing you should do? 

A. Make sure there is enough toner in the copier

B. Determine the type font you should use

C. Find out what the press release is about

D. Order a BLT on toast, hold the L, mayo on the side

Answer: B. In PR, image is everything.

  

5. You manage a restaurant. Which of these situations should you address first? 

A. A customer is choking and turning blue

B. The health department just slapped a "Closed for Violations" sticker on your front window

C. The chef reports he is out of today's special

D. A customer just left a waitress a $500 tip on a $20 check and you want to post a photo of the note he left with it on Instagram so it can appear on Facebook under the heading, "You Won't Believe What This Hardworking Waitress Found" 

Answer: D. There are a lot of good people in the world and it is your responsibility to make sure everyone knows it. Plus your restaurant will get lots of free advertising out of it. 

6. You are a Wall Street analyst. Which of these events is most likely to have the biggest impact on the market?

A. Fed announces it will leave interest rates untouched for now

B. Apple to purchase every NYSE-listed company for 50 percent premium over yesterday’s closing stock prices

C. China says it will no longer accept U.S. dollars, demands payments in Russian rubles instead

D. Nation’s top 20 banks close; FDIC says deposits weren’t insured

Answer: A. Many events can “move the market” but interest rates, as determined by the Federal Reserve, are far and away the most significant.  

7. You are an Emergency Room physician. Place these patients in the order of priority in which they should be seen. 

A. Girl with paper cut

B. Man with flu symptoms

C. Woman with platinum insurance plan

D. Boy with a spear in his eye

Answer: A, B, C then D. First come, first served.

8. You are running to become the first female president. Which of these media reports should you address first?

A. You ignored the law and used your own server when you headed a major governmental department and had it erased 

B. You are running on a platform to empower women but your family's foundation accepted millions in donations from countries that oppress women

C. Like a news anchor who lost his job, you said you were in danger in a war zone when, in fact, you weren't

D. None of the above

   
Answer: D.  You will win anyway so what difference does it make? You don’t have to address any of these unpleasant issues.