11+ Selective Thinking Skills practice questions and answers 2026. Tap an option to test yourself — you'll see the correct answer and a plain-English explanation for every question. Free, no login.
Q11Every book in the rare collection is kept behind glass. Some books in the rare collection are over 300 years old. A visitor asks to handle a book from the rare collection. What is the main conclusion?
✓ Correct answer: D. The visitor will not be able to handle the book directly from behind the glass.
Every rare-collection book is behind glass, and the visitor wants a book from that collection; therefore the book is behind glass and the visitor cannot handle it directly.
Topic: Critical Thinking
Q12In a relay race, the team that finishes first only wins the trophy if every member of the team ran the full distance. Team A crossed the line first, but one of their runners twisted an ankle and stopped early. Team B finished second. What is the main conclusion?
✓ Correct answer: A. Team A finished first but will not receive the trophy.
Team A crossed the line first but cannot win the trophy because not every member ran the full distance; the argument's conclusion is that Team A finished first yet will not receive the trophy — not that Team B wins, since no evidence confirms Team B meets the condition either.
Topic: Critical Thinking
Q13A new café opens only if it passes both a hygiene inspection and a noise assessment. The Harbour Café passed the hygiene inspection with high marks. The noise assessment results have not yet been published. What is the main conclusion?
✓ Correct answer: D. It is not yet certain whether the Harbour Café can open.
Opening requires passing both tests; while the hygiene test is passed, the noise result is unknown, so it cannot be concluded that the café will open — certainty about opening is impossible at this stage.
Topic: Critical Thinking
Q14All mammals are warm-blooded. Some warm-blooded animals can fly. No cold-blooded animal has ever been observed living in Antarctica. What is the main conclusion?
✓ Correct answer: C. Any animal living in Antarctica must be warm-blooded.
The third statement tells us no cold-blooded animal lives in Antarctica, meaning every animal there must be warm-blooded; the other options go beyond what the argument establishes.
Topic: Critical Thinking
Q15A prize is given to any student who submits an entry and whose entry is judged original. Declan submitted an entry. The judges said his entry was 'very well written' but noted it closely resembled a well-known short story. What is the main conclusion?
✓ Correct answer: B. Declan will not receive the prize.
The prize requires both submission and originality; Declan submitted but his entry was not judged original (it resembled an existing story), so he does not meet both conditions and will not receive the prize.
Topic: Critical Thinking
Q16In Greenfield town, shops must close by 9 pm unless they hold a late-trading licence. Shops holding a late-trading licence must display it in their window. The corner store on Birch Road is open at 10 pm, but no licence is visible in its window. What is the main conclusion?
✓ Correct answer: B. The corner store is operating outside the rules.
To trade after 9 pm legally the store needs a licence, and that licence must be in the window; since the store is open at 10 pm with no licence visible, at least one rule is being broken, so the store is operating outside the rules.
Topic: Critical Thinking
Q17Priya says: 'The school canteen sells out of pies every single day, so the canteen should order more pies.' Which assumption is Priya making?
✓ Correct answer: D. Selling out every day means demand exceeds supply
Priya's conclusion that more pies should be ordered only follows if selling out indicates unmet demand — that is, that more customers wanted pies but could not get them.
Topic: Critical Thinking
Q18Tom argues: 'It rained on every sports day our school has held for the last three years, so we should move sports day to the school hall.' What must Tom be assuming?
✓ Correct answer: C. Rain will continue to fall on sports day in future years
Tom's recommendation to move indoors is only sensible if he assumes the past pattern of rain will repeat — otherwise there is no reason to change the venue.
Topic: Critical Thinking
Q19Grandma says: 'I always water my tomatoes daily and they grow beautifully, so you should water yours daily too if you want them to grow well.' What is she assuming?
✓ Correct answer: D. Daily watering is what causes her tomatoes to grow well
Grandma's advice is only valid if she assumes daily watering is the reason her tomatoes succeed, rather than some other factor such as soil quality or sunlight.
Topic: Critical Thinking
Q20Callum says: 'Mia finished her homework before dinner every night this week. She must be very organised.' Which assumption is necessary for this conclusion?
✓ Correct answer: B. Finishing homework before dinner is a sign of being organised
Callum can only conclude Mia is organised if he assumes that completing homework before dinner is evidence of good organisation.
Topic: Critical Thinking
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