A legal critical thinking test uses short pieces of legal work to measure how well someone draws inferences, spots assumptions, makes deductions, interprets evidence and evaluates arguments. This guide explains the five types of question, works through a generic example, summarises the research, and gives practical advice for candidates and law firms.

What the test measures

Legal work depends on careful reasoning: reading a client's account and noticing what it assumes, deciding what follows from a clause, weighing two arguments and judging which is stronger. These skills can be measured before someone has any legal training, which makes them valuable for trainee solicitor, paralegal and legal apprenticeship selection.

The Viewpoint Legal Critical Thinking Test has 30 questions in 30 minutes, in five sections. It uses short, fictional pieces of legal work, and no legal knowledge is required. The five sections cover:

• Inferences: judging how likely a conclusion is, given the facts.

• Assumptions: recognising what a statement takes for granted.

• Deductions: deciding whether a conclusion must follow.

• Interpretation: weighing evidence to decide whether a conclusion is justified.

• Evaluating arguments: judging whether an argument is strong and relevant.

The report shows an overall score band and results for each section.

A worked example

The following is a generic illustration written for this article, not an item from the Viewpoint test.

A client says: "My landlord must return my deposit because I left the flat in the same condition as when I moved in."

Assumption: the client's argument assumes that the condition of the flat is the only thing that decides whether the deposit is returned. That may not be so: unpaid rent, for example, might also matter. Recognising this unstated assumption is the skill being measured.

Evaluating arguments: "The deposit should be returned because the client is a long-standing tenant" is a weak argument, because length of tenancy is not relevant to the stated reason. "The deposit should be returned because the check-in and check-out inventories match" is strong, because it directly supports the claim about condition.

What research says

An expert consensus statement led by Facione described critical thinking as purposeful, self-regulatory judgement involving interpretation, analysis, evaluation and inference [1]. Critical thinking tests in this tradition are widely used in professional selection, especially in law. As with all reasoning tests, they work best as one strand of evidence alongside interviews and exercises.

Using the test well

For law firms, the test fits early in trainee, paralegal and apprentice recruitment, and it sits alongside the Legal Comprehension Test, the Legal Copy Typing Test and our legal SJTs. Read results in bands from Very Low to Very High, and use the section results to shape interview questions.

For candidates, read each passage carefully, keep to the information given, and pay attention to the instructions, which differ between sections. Don't bring in what you know about the law.

See the Legal Critical Thinking Test page, our guide to critical reasoning, or our article on legal comprehension tests.

Frequently asked questions

How long does the Viewpoint Legal Critical Thinking Test take?

It has 30 questions in five sections, with a time limit of 30 minutes.

Do I need legal knowledge?

No. The passages are fictional, and everything needed to answer is given.

Which roles is it for?

Trainee solicitors, paralegals, legal apprentices and other roles in legal practice.

What does the report show?

An overall score band and results for each of the five sections.

References

1. Facione, P. A. (1990). Critical thinking: a statement of expert consensus for purposes of educational assessment and instruction. Millbrae, CA: The California Academic Press.