Critical Thinking & EPQ Strategy

Critical thinking is assessed in UCAS personal statements, university entrance assessments (UCAT, LNAT, TSA, MAT), and A-Level questions requiring evaluation of arguments. An argument consists of premises (evidence or reasons) and a conclusion. Deductive arguments claim that if premises are true, the conclusion must be true (valid). Inductive arguments claim that premises make the conclusion probable (strong or weak). Common fallacies to identify: Ad hominem—attacking the person making the argument rather than the argument itself. Straw man—misrepresenting an opponent's argument to make it easier to attack. Appeal to authority—using a person's reputation as evidence rather than their argument's merit. False dichotomy—presenting only two options when more exist. Post hoc ergo propter hoc—assuming causation from correlation in time ('A happened before B, therefore A caused B'). Slippery slope—claiming one event will inevitably cause a chain of extreme consequences without justification. At university entrance (TSA, LNAT, BMAT), you will be asked to identify the flaw in an argument, find the assumption an argument depends on, or assess which additional piece of evidence would most weaken or strengthen the argument. Practice recognising the logical structure before evaluating the content.