Critical Thinking Questions 2021: Everything You Need to Know!
Introduction
The evolution of workplaces has seen people being hired for more than just their educational qualifications. The criteria for being hired has seen a tremendous shift in the digital age. Along with skill and knowledge in the necessary domain, companies are keen on hiring professionals with strong critical thinking capabilities. This ensures that the employees are able to deal with real-time issues with a practical approach.
Understanding basic critical thinking questions can add extra ability to problem-solving and complement to acquire your dream job. In this article, we have elaborated in detail about the types of questions and the kinds of questions that one needs to prepare while appearing for an interview.
Table of Contents
- Kinds Of Questions
- Basic Critical Thinking Questions
- Mathematics Based Critical Thinking Questions
- Science-Based Critical Thinking Questions
- Ethics And Morality Based Critical Thinking Questions
- English Language Based Critical Thinking Questions
1. Kinds Of Questions
We will discuss more on the following case-based critical thinking questions –
- Who?
- What?
- Where?
- When?
- Why?
- How?
In this modern age, every job requires specific skills and experience. Most of these skills have scope and responsibilities based on your position in the organization. Here are the six most common and essential aspects that are related to any interview profile. Preparing with them in mind will ensure you can think and analyze any situation critically.
| WHO | … do you think can deliver results?
… takes a decision in your organization? … will benefit from your work? … was your inspiration or guided you for your career? … would get affected by your work? … are the right professionals for these tasks? |
| WHAT | … do you bring to the organization?
… are your strengths or weaknesses? … changes can you bring from the current situation? … makes you an ideal candidate for this position? … examples you think match your current situations? … would you recommend the following scenario? … are your perspectives on a given situation? |
| WHERE | … do you see the same real-life scenarios?
… do you think we should change to improve from current operations? … do you see yourself in the next two or three years? … would you like to improve your present skills-set? … do you think the company can improve in the next five or ten years? |
| WHEN | … do you think you will finish the task..?
… did you learn these skills and gain experience? … did you decide that you were ideal for this position? … will your work start delivering results? … do you think the employee or owner will listen to your issues? … is the right time to push yourself or the team? |
| WHY | … is the company in this specific position?
… does this represent the best or worst scenario? … do people excel or slow down in an individual situation? … motivation and dreams are right for your position? … making the right decisions is the priority for competing? … the problems arise in old or new methods? |
| HOW | … do you describe the following?
… do you know the present scenario? … can you perceive your ideas and opinions on the organization? … do you benefit the organization? … do you think the market will respond to any change in the product or brand? … to reach customers directly? |
Professionals need to prepare answers for these critical thinking behavioural interview questions for job interviews. However, job descriptions change from one position to another organization. Still, candidates today need to have the ability to think and deliver to the best of their ability.
Nowadays, most top organizations have small critical thinking exam questions or a short aptitude test to check their potential employee’s abilities before taking them ahead for the one-on-one interviews. These provide recruiters with a chance to see the candidate’s ability to understand the current situation and respond to things in real-time life scenarios.
Here is a list of critical thinking questions that might aid you in preparing for such scenarios. These case-based critical thinking questions give you the option to agree or disagree. The questions bring out the professionals’ ability to handle the situation and give their opinion on any current situation. Professionals must be ready to have clear thoughts on both the positive and negative side effects of the question. Recruiters can present them with any critical thinking job interview questions with the present situation to check their situation awareness.
2. Basic Critical Thinking Questions
Preparing with these basic critical thinking questions will give you overall confidence with respect to the interview. These questions can be put forth with respect to any real-time situation. Therefore it is advisable to start preparing with these basic questions.
- How do you know this?
- How would your perspective be different if you were on the opposing side?
- How would you solve this problem?
- Do you agree or disagree — and why?
- How could we avoid this problem in the future?
- Why does it matter?
- What’s another way to look at this issue?
- How could it have ended differently?
- Can you give me an example?
- When will we be able to tell if it worked?
- Why did you ask that question?
- Who would be affected by this?
- What can this story teach us about our own lives?
- Why is this a problem?
3. Mathematics based Critical Thinking Questions
Mathematics as a subject expects critical thinking to solve most of its problems. An acute mind and sharp thinking capabilities will ensure you excel in this subject. Most competitive exams and job interview rounds tend to embed mathematics-based critical thinking questions. Recruiters try to give simple yet complex tasks to check the candidate’s quick thinking and problem-solving abilities in a given scenario. These critical thinking math questions can confuse you, and recruiters evaluate your presence of mind in these situations to manage them precisely.
Here are a few excellent Mathematics based Critical Thinking Questions
- How can mathematics be utilized to create a better world?
- How has mathematics benefited our society in the past or present in terms of economical, scientific or other developments?
- Has mathematics played a crucial role in shaping our world’s history? If so, when and how?
- Can maths be used as a language for communication? If so, how would you implement the same?
- What are the situations where mathematical patterns hold crucial importance in the real world?
- When will there be a situation where the “correct” answer will not be the best solution?
- How will you use number lines and diagrams to interpret answers to real-world difficulties?
- How do you use mathematics to quantify and analyze situations, events and phenomena?
- How is the likelihood of an event determined and communicated?
- How to ascertain the most suitable approach to adopt for tackling a particular mathematical problem?
4. Science Based Critical Thinking Questions
Science is all about formulating a theory and finding pieces of evidence to prove the same. Science-based critical thinking questions, expect logical answers and shreds of evidence to ascertain the same. Questioning science or its applications will help you to explore some of the facets of the nature of science, along with solving problems.
- What are the possible scientific anomalies that could potentially contradict evolutionary theory?
- How would our society have been shaped if atomic energy had never been equipped as a weapon?
- What does the discovery of another civilized world mean to our current society? What are the opportunities presented for both worlds?
- How would you go about the task if someone asked you to measure the weight of the Earth?
- Is there anything in particular that you would change genetically about humans that would make them a better species?
- Can technological progress ever be stopped as long as humans exist? Is it inevitable or should it be stopped?
- If all humans’ life expectancy was significantly increased, how would humanity change?
- How is it possible to engineer a human body to last forever? If so, then why or why not?
- What would happen to a human body if ___________ decided to begin working on “overdrive?”
- Are there possibilities that spirituality and science can ever become a single discipline? If so, how?
- Is there inherent order in nature? Is it all chaos and chance? Why do you feel this way?
- Can we predict what life will be like 30 years from now?
- How would humanity react to the discovery of extraterrestrial life?
- What are the most beneficial approach and the necessity to clean up our environment? Why do you feel this way?
- How far should human beings go ahead with technological augmentations to the human body? If they stop then why is it so?
- Is it possible to learn “too much?” Why or why not?
- How do you believe that the universe beyond our world is truly “infinite”?
- Hypothetically, name one scientific breakthrough that would provide the biggest benefit to humanity? Also, what can be considered the biggest threat to humanity?
5. Ethics and Morality Based Critical Thinking Questions
Ethics and morality form the basis of living a fulfilling professional as well as personal life. This is always an engaging subject to discuss with others. Use these questions to spark some lively debates and discussions.
- How do you differentiate between the truth and fact?
- What would be the one rule you would want the entire world to adhere to, and why?
- Are our civilization and order extremely necessary for survival? Why or why not?
- Do you have a particular person in your life whom you treat far differently from anyone else(positive or negative)? If so, how do you treat them and why?
- If you are presented with a chase to know how a loved one was going to die, would you want to take it? Why or why not?
- If someone asks you to lie with a very good reason for them, would you do it? Why or why not?
- Are we morally obligated to help those less fortunate than us? Why or why not?
- Should we have any laws that would govern social media? Why and how would you enforce these laws for the good of all?
- Are there any harsh truths about life that you consciously tend to ignore? If so then why?
- Should we consider colonizing our entire galaxy? Why or why not?
- Would you punish someone committing a crime for a perfectly moral reason? If not, why not? If so, how?
- Some people respect their power while others tend to openly abuse it? Why do you think they do it? If you had power, which kind of person would you be and why?
- Is it possible to live a normal life and never tell a lie? Why or why not?
- Do you consider it your responsibility to speak up about it, if someone tells an offensive joke? Why or why not?
- Why is it important to have values and beliefs and how can we build them independently?
- Is humanity inherently “good” or inherently “evil?” Why do you feel this way?
- Do different cultures and upbringing shape our definitions of good and evil?
- Is it always crucial for us to consider the effects of our words and actions on other people?
6. English Language Based Critical Thinking Questions
Language is primarily used to break down the barriers of communication between individuals. Also, it is extremely important for employees to possess strong communication skills in order to survive or thrive in an organization. Here are a few important critical thinking questions that would help you from an English language point of view
- Why do cultures and individuals tend to create narratives of their own experiences?
- What helps you to personally be able to distinguish between “good” and “bad” writing?
- How would you go about developing your own form of communication and teaching it to others?
- How would you describe/explain ____________ to someone who had never heard of it before?
- Is it preferable to having only one global language rather than having several? Why or why not?
- What are the ways in which you would improve your native language to ensure others can easily learn and understand it?
- If you could get writing advice from one writer, living or dead, who would it be and what would you ask them?
- Is there any particular form of communication you consider to be unnecessary or irrelevant? What is it and why don’t you think we need it?
These critical thinking questions for interviews can come from any situation or scenario and surprise you entirely to make a stance. But most of them expect you to be aware of the present conditions happening around you and the ability to answer them positively.
Conclusion
Businesses today are pacing in a highly competitive environment. Critical thinking has become one of the essential abilities that recruiters see in their potential candidates. Professionals need to emphasize these good critical thinking questions to be ready for future challenges in their day-to-day operations.
These critical thinking interview questions and answers offer beginners and experienced professionals insight into their situation handling abilities for getting attention from their recruiters.
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