Becoming a Critical Thinker: How to Prepare for the Watson Glaser Test

Jun 12, 2023

Written By Sophie Wilson

One daunting part of the application process is the Watson-Glaser. This is a test designed to assess your critical thinking, and is used by many law firms in their assessment process. So, how do you prepare for the test?

Watson Glaser overview

The Watson Glaser is made up of 40-80 questions split into five sections. These sections include:

- Inferences: Working out if a statement is true or false based on a preceding passage

- Assumptions: Figuring out if a statement has made an assumption based on a preceding passage

- Deductions: Drawing a conclusion from a passage

- Interpretations: Working out if a conclusion logically follows a passage

- Arguments: Evaluating if an argument is strong or weak

The test will take between 30 to 60 minutes.

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Preparing for the Watson Glaser

There are a variety of practice tests online that you can carry out. This is definitely recommended, as these tests may be something that you have not experienced before. It’s a good idea to do a couple of tests beforehand, to familiarise yourself with the structure of the test, the time constraints, and your strengths and weaknesses. You can try out AllAboutLaw’s Watson Glaser practice test here.

It’s also a good idea to read a variety of non-fiction materials. Drawing out what articles are debating and what the author’s opinions are can be helpful in training your brain to critically analyse information. It allows you to see how conclusions are being made, and to question this perspective.

These articles here and here also provide a wider overview of what the test involves. The wording of the questions can be slightly confusing, and getting your head around what the assumption question means, and what the definition of a strong or weak argument is, will be helpful.

Top tips for the test

Firstly, timing. Watch the clock and ensure that you have time to answer all of the questions. This is where doing practice tests (under timed conditions) will come in handy. Failing to finish will drastically reduce your chance of succeeding. An answer you are not sure of is better if it means that you finish the test, rather than only completing half of it and being certain of every answer.

Also, read the question carefully (and maybe even twice). Watching out for things like double negatives, red herrings and certain keywords that direct you to particular answers is essential.

Good luck!

Selection & Assessment