gcse critical thinking

Newest Articles

• Maximizing Online Resources for GCSE Revision
• Answering questions in order of difficulty: Exam techniques
• Summarizing Techniques for GCSE Revision
• Preparing for Short Answer Questions
• Planning and time management
• Using a calendar to plan revision
• Creating a study plan
• Managing distractions during revision
• Note taking and summarizing
• Note taking tips for GCSE students
• Summarizing techniques for GCSE revision
• Making mind maps for GCSE revision
• Practice and revision tests
• Taking practice tests for GCSEs
• Making mock exams for GCSEs
• Using online resources for GCSE revision
• Active learning
• Creating flashcards for GCSE studying
• Making study groups for GCSE studying
• Using mnemonic devices for GCSE studying
• Study habits
• Improving memory techniques
• Developing reading comprehension skills
• Developing critical thinking skills
• Study environment
• Creating an effective study schedule
• Creating a study space for GCSEs
• Organizing materials for GCSEs
• Exam strategies
• Preparing for essay questions
• Preparing for short answer questions
• Preparing for multiple choice questions
• Exam techniques
• Answering questions in order of difficulty
• Reading the questions carefully
• Time management during exams
• Exam practice
• Using examiners' reports to improve results
• Focusing on weak areas in exams
• Practicing past papers
• Tuition and tutoring
• Choosing the right tuition center
• Using tuition to improve grades
• Finding a tutor for GCSEs
• Books and study guides
• Using past papers to improve performance
• Using textbooks to prepare for exams
• Choosing the right study guide

Online resources

• Accessing online practice tests and quizzes
• Finding online study guides and notes
• Using online tutorials for GCSEs
• Supporting students
• Understanding the importance of rest and relaxation
• Encouraging stress management techniques
• Helping students develop good study habits
• Motivating students
• Helping students stay organized
• Providing positive reinforcement
• Creating achievable goals and rewards
• Finding resources
• Choosing the right study materials
• Finding the right tuition center or tutor
• Accessing online resources and practice tests

• Accessing Online Practice Tests and Quizzes

Are you looking for a convenient way to prepare for your GCSE exams? Accessing online practice tests and quizzes is a...

• Using Online Tutorials for GCSEs

As students across the country prepare for their GCSEs, many are turning to online tutorials and resources to give...

Finding Online Study Guides and Notes

Are you looking to take your academic studies to the next level? With the right study guides and notes, you can easily...

• Organizing Materials for GCSEs: An Overview
• Creating an Effective Study Schedule
• Using Textbooks to Prepare for Exams
• Choosing the Right Tuition Center
• Creating Study Groups for GCSE Studying
• Improving Memory Techniques: Effective Study Habits for GCSE Students
• Positive Reinforcement: A Guide for Parents and Students
• Accessing Online Resources and Practice Tests
• Using Tuition to Improve Grades
• Creating the Perfect Study Space for GCSEs
• Creating Flashcards to Improve GCSE Studying
• Making Mind Maps for GCSE Revision
• GCSE Mock Exams: A Comprehensive Overview
• Preparing for Essay Questions
• Note Taking Tips for GCSE Students
• Developing Reading Comprehension Skills
• Preparing for Multiple Choice Questions
• Maximizing Your Practice Tests for GCSEs
• Using a Calendar to Plan your GCSE Revision
• Choosing the Right Study Materials
• Encouraging Stress Management Techniques: A Guide for Parents and Students
• Finding a Tutor for GCSEs
• The Importance of Rest and Relaxation for Parents and Students
• Understanding the importance of reading questions carefully for exam preparation

How to use past papers to prepare for a GCSE exam

• Setting Achievable Goals and Rewards for Students
• Helping Students Develop Good Study Habits
• Creating a Study Plan
• Helping Students Stay Organized and Focused
• Time Management During Exams: Tips and Strategies
• Focusing on Weak Areas in Exams
• Choosing the Right Study Guide
• Finding the Right Tuition Center or Tutor

Managing Distractions During Revision

• Maximizing Exam Results Through Examiners' Reports
• Developing Critical Thinking Skills: A Guide for GCSE Students
• Harnessing Mnemonic Devices for GCSE Studying
• How to Use Past Papers to Improve Performance

Recent Posts

Which cookies do you want to accept?

Critical thinking definition

Critical thinking, as described by Oxford Languages, is the objective analysis and evaluation of an issue in order to form a judgement.

Active and skillful approach, evaluation, assessment, synthesis, and/or evaluation of information obtained from, or made by, observation, knowledge, reflection, acumen or conversation, as a guide to belief and action, requires the critical thinking process, which is why it's often used in education and academics.

Some even may view it as a backbone of modern thought.

However, it's a skill, and skills must be trained and encouraged to be used at its full potential.

People turn up to various approaches in improving their critical thinking, like:

• Developing technical and problem-solving skills
• Engaging in more active listening
• Actively questioning their assumptions and beliefs
• Seeking out more diversity of thought
• Opening up their curiosity in an intellectual way etc.

Is critical thinking useful in writing?

Critical thinking can help in planning your paper and making it more concise, but it's not obvious at first. We carefully pinpointed some the questions you should ask yourself when boosting critical thinking in writing:

• What information should be included?
• Which information resources should the author look to?
• What degree of technical knowledge should the report assume its audience has?
• What is the most effective way to show information?
• How should the report be organized?
• How should it be designed?
• What tone and level of language difficulty should the document have?

Usage of critical thinking comes down not only to the outline of your paper, it also begs the question: How can we use critical thinking solving problems in our writing's topic?

Let's say, you have a Powerpoint on how critical thinking can reduce poverty in the United States. You'll primarily have to define critical thinking for the viewers, as well as use a lot of critical thinking questions and synonyms to get them to be familiar with your methods and start the thinking process behind it.

Are there any services that can help me use more critical thinking?

We understand that it's difficult to learn how to use critical thinking more effectively in just one article, but our service is here to help.

We are a team specializing in writing essays and other assignments for college students and all other types of customers who need a helping hand in its making. We cover a great range of topics, offer perfect quality work, always deliver on time and aim to leave our customers completely satisfied with what they ordered.

The ordering process is fully online, and it goes as follows:

• Select the topic and the deadline of your essay.
• Provide us with any details, requirements, statements that should be emphasized or particular parts of the essay writing process you struggle with.
• Leave the email address, where your completed order will be sent to.
• Select your prefered payment type, sit back and relax!

With lots of experience on the market, professionally degreed essay writers , online 24/7 customer support and incredibly low prices, you won't find a service offering a better deal than ours.

Skills for Learning : Critical Thinking

Critical thinking is perhaps the most important skill you will develop at university.

Critical thinking is the ability to:

• Approach new topics with an open mind, putting aside your own personal opinions and biases.
• Identify relevant and reliable information sources for your assignments.
• Compare and contrast what different authors say about a topic, analysing and evaluating their arguments.
• Question information on a topic and challenge pre-existing ideas. 
• Develop your own clear, logical arguments based on sound reasoning and evidence. 

We run interactive workshops to help you develop your critical thinking skills. Find out more on the Skills for Learning Workshops page.

We have online academic skills modules within MyBeckett for all levels of university study. These modules will help your academic development and support your success at LBU. You can work through the modules at your own pace, revisiting them as required. Find out more from our FAQ What academic skills modules are available?

Choosing sources for an assignment

Choosing useful and reliable information to read is the first step in demonstrating critical thinking.

Imagine a friend told you that someone had created a dinosaur in a lab. Your first question would ask where they found this information. If they had obtained it from social media or from a friend, you might question its accuracy. Similarly, your tutors will check whether the sources you’ve chosen to support your arguments are valid.

Your tutors will look at your references and bibliography to see what information sources you have used. They want to see that you have consulted up-to-date, reliable sources. If the sources you use are unreliable or inappropriate, then your arguments won’t be considered trustworthy.

To help you identify reliable sources, download the CRAAP Test Worksheet.

• CRAAP Test Worksheet

Or, you can evaluate each source you locate using the 'REVIEW' criteria in the REVIEW Sources Checklist. You can also use this worksheet to record your evaluation of sources.

• REVIEW Sources Checklist
• Find out more on literature searching and how to evaluate sources on our  Finding Information pages .
• The Skills and Subject Support pages are a useful way of finding the key resources for your course.

Be a critical reader

Reading critically means not taking information at face value. Analyse and evaluate what you read. As you work, ask questions of ('interrogate') the sources.

Find out more about critical reading on our Reading page .

Note-making

As you read, make notes, but avoid copying long quotes or chunks of information. Note-making should be a critical process. 

Write notes in your own words, including your own response to your reading. Download the Approaches to Note-Making Worksheet for ideas on how to approach this.

• Approaches to Note-Making

The Cornell Notes Guide (also sometimes called 'Column Notes') and the Evidence Matrix Worksheet provide more specific guidance on these techniques.

• Cornell Notes Guide
• Evidence Matrix Worksheet

Your tutors want to see you examining current academic debates in your field. You should compare and contrast sources, using this evidence to develop your own argument.

Practise your skills at paraphrasing and summarising from your reading. Download our Paraphrasing and Summarising Information worksheet to help you with this. 

• Paraphrasing and Summarising Information

Synthesising information from different sources improves the criticality of your academic writing. Download our Synthesising Sources in Writing worksheet which explains how to do this. 

• Synthesising Sources in Writing Worksheet

Writing critically

Tutors often tell students that their writing is too descriptive and needs to be more critical. You might be asked to analyse material more closely or explain your points more thoroughly. All of these points relate to critical thinking.

Here are our three top tips for making sure your work demonstrates your critical thinking skills:

• 1. Decide on your thesis statement
• 2. Use the 'PEAL' structure
• 3. Focus on analysis and evaluation

One mistake students sometimes make is to write everything they know about a topic, without developing their own thesis statement.*

Once you have completed some broad reading on the topic, organise your ideas. This way, you can create a clear plan for responding to the question. At this stage, you should decide what your main argument/case will be. Try to sum it up in one sentence (this will be your thesis statement). Download the Essay Planning Worksheet to help you.

• Essay Planning Worksheet

*Your thesis statement is a sentence in your introduction that sums up your overall argument or position.

PEAL stands for Point, Evidence, Analysis, Link. To make a strong argument, your points need to be supported by evidence. You should make it clear to the reader how the evidence helps demonstrate your point. Using the PEAL structure for writing paragraphs can help. Download the PEAL Paragraph Structure Worksheet to help you.

• PEAL Paragraph Structure Worksheet

Use reporting verbs to explain or comment on your evidence from published sources. Download our Reporting Verbs Worksheet to help you.

• Reporting Verbs Worksheet

When we write descriptively, we answer questions such as ‘Who wrote it?’, ‘What did they say?’ and ‘When did it happen?’. You will always need some descriptive writing in your assignments as it gives context. However, you should avoid too much description. Prioritise critical discussion, demonstrating your independent thinking. You will gain marks for analysing and evaluating the evidence to draw your own conclusions. Download the CRAAP Test and Critical Analysis Questions Worksheets to help you.

• Critical Analysis Questions Worksheet
• Essay X-ray tool

Our interactive Essay X-ray tool can also help you begin to formulate sentences that demonstrate critical thinking. 

Improving your critical thinking skills

Critical thinking is a skill that takes time and conscious effort to develop. Here are our top tips for improving your critical thinking skills:

• Complete set reading prior to seminars. Attend seminars with specific questions to ask or ideas to put forward. Speaking in front of a group can be a daunting prospect. However, taking part in class discussions will really help you develop your critical thinking skills.
• Chat about key topics with friends. Discussing ideas, asking questions and debating points will strengthen your critical abilities further.
• Check drafts of your work to see if you have a balance between description and critical thinking. Highlight areas that are just description and see if you can make them more critical. You should leave out anything that isn’t central to the development of your argument. Check the structure and argument of a draft by creating a reverse outline. Download the Reverse Outlines Worksheet to help you.
• Reverse Outlines Worksheet

Your browser does not support iframes.

Skills for Learning home

• Academic Integrity Module in MyBeckett
• Assignment Calculator
• Building on Feedback
• Disability Advice
• International Students' Academic Introduction
• Manchester Academic Phrasebank
• Quote, Unquote
• Skills and Subject Suppor t
• Turnitin Grammar Checker

{{You can add more boxes below for links specific to this page [this note will not appear on user pages] }}

Artificial intelligence tools

Before using any generative artificial intelligence or paraphrasing tools in your assessments, you should check if this is permitted on your course.

If their use is permitted on your course, you must  acknowledge any use of generative artificial intelligence tools  such as ChatGPT or paraphrasing tools (e.g., Grammarly, Quillbot, etc.), even if you have only used them to generate ideas for your assignment or for proofreading.

Resources & Worksheets

• Approaches to Note Making
• SQ3R Technique Worksheet

Skills for Learning FAQs

0113 812 1000

• University Disclaimer
• Accessibility

• +44 (0)20 7584 5355
• [email protected]

• Meet the team
• Meet the tutors
• Meet our consultants
• Testimonials
• Pro-Bono Tuition
• Social Impact
• Primary Level
• 7+ Entrance
• 8+ Entrance
• 11+ Entrance
• ISEB Common Pre-Test
• 13+ Common Entrance
• 16+ Entrance
• Home Schooling
• Assessments
• GCSE & A level Retakes
• SEND Support
• Mental Health

Out of London

• Residential

Inspiring GCSE Critical Thinking students to be reasoned learners

Gcse critical thinking tutor.

A GCSE Critical Thinking tutor helps students grow into both independent and critical thinkers. Students learn how to analyse and evaluate their own reasoning as well as that of others.

A tutor works with students to develop a confident understanding and analysis of high level argumentation.

GCSE Critical Thinking tuition provides students with crucial life skills. Namely the ability to assess the coherence of arguments, information and evidence.

A GCSE Critical Thinking tutor strengthens pupils’ reasoning and argumentation skills across all subjects.

GCSE Tuition

GCSEs – or IGCSEs – are the final stage of compulsory education in the UK. These courses take place between the ages of 14 and 16 (Years 10 and 11).

Students sit exams in May/June of Year 11. Results are published in August and graded from 1 to 9. 1 being equivalent to between an F or G and 9 being slightly higher than an A*.

GCSEs and IGCSEs are arguably the most important exam students take before going on to further education. Most colleges require a minimum of 5 I/GCSEs at grade 4 or above (C or higher). However, some even require grade 9 (A or A*) in the subjects a student will study at A level.

Most of our tutors are based in London and tutor students on an hourly basis, travelling from one family home to another.

The minimum lesson length is an hour and the tutor may request travel expenses depending where you live and where they are travelling from.

Popular lesson slots are after school, between 4.30 p.m. and 7.30 p.m., and at the weekends. If a child is out of school, the lessons can take place during the day.

We can arrange a tutor to travel to your home if you live outside of London.

In order to make this viable for the tutor, the minimum lesson time is 2 hours (but you can book 3 or more hours).

If you live further afield, a day of tuition where 4 hours are broken up by lunch is a very popular option. This arrangement often happens at the weekends and during half-terms and holidays.

We ask that you cover the cost of the tutor’s travel time as well as their travel costs.

If you live abroad, or are embarking on a period of extended travel, you may request a residential tutor to support your children.

This can be for a period of anything from a few weeks to a year – or even longer.

The residential tutor normally works Monday to Friday. Tuition is either worked around school hours or arranged according to the family’s schedule if the child is not attending school.

The curriculum can either mirror what the child would be doing at school or be tailor-made to the student (whether following a traditional curriculum, or allowing greater freedom in what is taught such as project-based learning).

If your location means it is tricky for you to meet a tutor face-to-face, we can arrange tuition online.

Tutors on our books are teaching students all over the world: from France and Italy, to the US and Russia. We are experts at handling lesson arrangements over different time zones.

We are satisfied that even if students can’t meet tutors in person, they can still benefit from the knowledge and energy tutors bring to their online lessons.

Online tuition is conducted via Skype with a selection of other screen and material-sharing software. This ensures that lessons are fully interactive and that students gain the maximum from the sessions.

• Departments, units, and programs
• College leadership
• Diversity, equity, and inclusion
• Faculty and staff resources
• LAS Strategic Plan

• Apply to LAS
• Liberal arts & sciences majors
• LAS Insider blog
• Admissions FAQs
• Parent resources
• Pre-college summer programs

Quick Links

Request info

• Academic policies and standing
• Advising and support
• College distinctions
• Dates and deadlines
• Intercollegiate transfers
• LAS Lineup student newsletter
• Programs of study
• Scholarships
• Certificates
• Student emergencies

Student resources

• Access and Achievement Program
• Career services
• First-Year Experience
• Honors program
• International programs
• Internship opportunities
• Paul M. Lisnek LAS Hub
• Student research opportunities
• Expertise in LAS
• Research facilities and centers
• Dean's Distinguished Lecture series
• Alumni advice
• Alumni award programs
• Get involved
• LAS Alumni Council
• LAS@Work: Alumni careers
• Study Abroad Alumni Networks
• Update your information
• Nominate an alumnus for an LAS award
• Faculty honors
• The Quadrangle Online
• LAS News email newsletter archive
• LAS social media
• Media contact in the College of LAS
• LAS Landmark Day of Giving
• About giving to LAS
• Building projects
• Corporate engagement
• Faculty support
• Lincoln Scholars Initiative
• Impact of giving

Why is critical thinking important?

What do lawyers, accountants, teachers, and doctors all have in common?

What is critical thinking?

The Oxford English Dictionary defines critical thinking as “The objective, systematic, and rational analysis and evaluation of factual evidence in order to form a judgment on a subject, issue, etc.” Critical thinking involves the use of logic and reasoning to evaluate available facts and/or evidence to come to a conclusion about a certain subject or topic. We use critical thinking every day, from decision-making to problem-solving, in addition to thinking critically in an academic context!

Why is critical thinking important for academic success?

You may be asking “why is critical thinking important for students?” Critical thinking appears in a diverse set of disciplines and impacts students’ learning every day, regardless of major.

Critical thinking skills are often associated with the value of studying the humanities. In majors such as English, students will be presented with a certain text—whether it’s a novel, short story, essay, or even film—and will have to use textual evidence to make an argument and then defend their argument about what they’ve read. However, the importance of critical thinking does not only apply to the humanities. In the social sciences, an economics major , for example, will use what they’ve learned to figure out solutions to issues as varied as land and other natural resource use, to how much people should work, to how to develop human capital through education. Problem-solving and critical thinking go hand in hand. Biology is a popular major within LAS, and graduates of the biology program often pursue careers in the medical sciences. Doctors use critical thinking every day, tapping into the knowledge they acquired from studying the biological sciences to diagnose and treat different diseases and ailments.

Students in the College of LAS take many courses that require critical thinking before they graduate. You may be asked in an Economics class to use statistical data analysis to evaluate the impact on home improvement spending when the Fed increases interest rates (read more about real-world experience with Datathon ). If you’ve ever been asked “How often do you think about the Roman Empire?”, you may find yourself thinking about the Roman Empire more than you thought—maybe in an English course, where you’ll use text from Shakespeare’s Antony and Cleopatra to make an argument about Roman imperial desire.  No matter what the context is, critical thinking will be involved in your academic life and can take form in many different ways.

The benefits of critical thinking in everyday life

Building better communication.

One of the most important life skills that students learn as early as elementary school is how to give a presentation. Many classes require students to give presentations, because being well-spoken is a key skill in effective communication. This is where critical thinking benefits come into play: using the skills you’ve learned, you’ll be able to gather the information needed for your presentation, narrow down what information is most relevant, and communicate it in an engaging way. 

Typically, the first step in creating a presentation is choosing a topic. For example, your professor might assign a presentation on the Gilded Age and provide a list of figures from the 1870s—1890s to choose from. You’ll use your critical thinking skills to narrow down your choices. You may ask yourself:

• What figure am I most familiar with?
• Who am I most interested in? 
• Will I have to do additional research? 

After choosing your topic, your professor will usually ask a guiding question to help you form a thesis: an argument that is backed up with evidence. Critical thinking benefits this process by allowing you to focus on the information that is most relevant in support of your argument. By focusing on the strongest evidence, you will communicate your thesis clearly.

Finally, once you’ve finished gathering information, you will begin putting your presentation together. Creating a presentation requires a balance of text and visuals. Graphs and tables are popular visuals in STEM-based projects, but digital images and graphics are effective as well. Critical thinking benefits this process because the right images and visuals create a more dynamic experience for the audience, giving them the opportunity to engage with the material.

Presentation skills go beyond the classroom. Students at the University of Illinois will often participate in summer internships to get professional experience before graduation. Many summer interns are required to present about their experience and what they learned at the end of the internship. Jobs frequently also require employees to create presentations of some kind—whether it’s an advertising pitch to win an account from a potential client, or quarterly reporting, giving a presentation is a life skill that directly relates to critical thinking. 

Fostering independence and confidence

An important life skill many people start learning as college students and then finessing once they enter the “adult world” is how to budget. There will be many different expenses to keep track of, including rent, bills, car payments, and groceries, just to name a few! After developing your critical thinking skills, you’ll put them to use to consider your salary and budget your expenses accordingly. Here’s an example:

• You earn a salary of $75,000 a year. Assume all amounts are before taxes.
• 1,800 x 12 = 21,600
• 75,000 – 21,600 = 53,400
• This leaves you with $53,400
• 320 x 12 = 3,840 a year
• 53,400-3,840= 49,560
• 726 x 12 = 8,712
• 49,560 – 8,712= 40,848
• You’re left with $40,848 for miscellaneous expenses. You use your critical thinking skills to decide what to do with your $40,848. You think ahead towards your retirement and decide to put $500 a month into a Roth IRA, leaving $34,848. Since you love coffee, you try to figure out if you can afford a daily coffee run. On average, a cup of coffee will cost you $7. 7 x 365 = $2,555 a year for coffee. 34,848 – 2,555 = 32,293
• You have $32,293 left. You will use your critical thinking skills to figure out how much you would want to put into savings, how much you want to save to treat yourself from time to time, and how much you want to put aside for emergency funds. With the benefits of critical thinking, you will be well-equipped to budget your lifestyle once you enter the working world.

Enhancing decision-making skills

Choosing the right university for you.

One of the biggest decisions you’ll make in your life is what college or university to go to. There are many factors to consider when making this decision, and critical thinking importance will come into play when determining these factors.

Many high school seniors apply to colleges with the hope of being accepted into a certain program, whether it’s biology, psychology, political science, English, or something else entirely. Some students apply with certain schools in mind due to overall rankings. Students also consider the campus a school is set in. While some universities such as the University of Illinois are nestled within college towns, New York University is right in Manhattan, in a big city setting. Some students dream of going to large universities, and other students prefer smaller schools. The diversity of a university’s student body is also a key consideration. For many 17- and 18-year-olds, college is a time to meet peers from diverse racial and socio-economic backgrounds and learn about life experiences different than one’s own.

With all these factors in mind, you’ll use critical thinking to decide which are most important to you—and which school is the right fit for you.

Develop your critical thinking skills at the University of Illinois

At the University of Illinois, not only will you learn how to think critically, but you will put critical thinking into practice. In the College of LAS, you can choose from 70+ majors where you will learn the importance and benefits of critical thinking skills. The College of Liberal Arts & Sciences at U of I offers a wide range of undergraduate and graduate programs in life, physical, and mathematical sciences; humanities; and social and behavioral sciences. No matter which program you choose, you will develop critical thinking skills as you go through your courses in the major of your choice. And in those courses, the first question your professors may ask you is, “What is the goal of critical thinking?” You will be able to respond with confidence that the goal of critical thinking is to help shape people into more informed, more thoughtful members of society.

With such a vast representation of disciplines, an education in the College of LAS will prepare you for a career where you will apply critical thinking skills to real life, both in and outside of the classroom, from your undergraduate experience to your professional career. If you’re interested in becoming a part of a diverse set of students and developing skills for lifelong success, apply to LAS today!

Read more first-hand stories from our amazing students at the LAS Insider blog .

• Privacy Notice
• Accessibility

National Extension College

Call free on: 0800 389 2839

• GCSE courses
• A level courses
• AS level courses
• Functional Skills
• Fast Track courses
• Bookkeeping qualifications
• Business and management qualifications
• Counselling courses
• Creativity & arts qualifications
• Developing your skills courses
• Teaching qualifications
• Fee Information
• Non-examination assessment
• Career tracks
• NEC services for schools
• International Curriculum
• Student stories

Join in... The latest news and blogs from NEC

Student stories, our courses, policy and campaigns, lifelong learning, home schooling, guest blogs, results day, why study critical thinking and problem solving monday, 28 june 2021.

NEC’s interactive online Critical Thinking and Problem Solving courses, give students the chance to prepare for university admissions tests and the world of work. Course writer and NEC tutor Cressida Tweed shows how these courses develop your transferable skills and add to your CV.

What is critical thinking and problem solving?

Learning key concepts such as the difference between explanation and argument, implicit assumptions and key logical fallacies help students perform better at university. 

Problem solving is a bit like detective work!

It is about finding solutions to numerical problems by developing strategies to select relevant information. NEC’s online Problem Solving course requires maths skills up to GCSE standards as you’ll need to be able to use simple fractions and analyse information in tables and graphs. It puts these mathematical skills into practice and allows you to approach everyday problems in a logical way.

Critical thinking is a form of verbal reasoning; it requires you to understand, analyse and evaluate arguments, focusing on the logic and effectiveness of the reasoning. Learning how to think instead of what to think will help you to develop skills that will aid your ability to write more compelling and well-reasoned essays.

How can critical thinking and problem solving help you get to university?

With predicted grades, quality of work experience and applications, prospective university students are often of a similar high caliber, particularly for courses like medicine or PPE. A levels focus on the acquisition of specific skills around the content of a course (for example analysing sources in history, or understanding concepts and scientific methods in biology or chemistry) but they don’t really test the academic skills needed to succeed in Higher Education. Hence why a range of universities are offering entrance examinations. 

Studying critical thinking or problem solving can give you the edge over other university applicants.

What makes nec’s critical thinking and problem solving courses different.

Understanding the techniques behind problem solving and critical thinking can really help you develop the skills required for entrance examinations and university study; this is the focus of the NEC courses. While most thinking skills online courses focus on practice and universities recommend using past papers, these courses first teach you the conceptual content necessary before doing the practice. In Critical Thinking for example, understanding what an argument is and the most common logical fallacies can really help with the development of the skills needed to do well in the tests. But it does more than that: it will help you develop the academic skills needed to succeed in your university course. 

For a limited time, you can enrol on our Critical Thinking and Problem Solving courses for an introductory price of £80 each (down from £105), or £145 for both, giving you a saving of up to £65. Enrol now to secure your place and give yourself the best chance of succeeding in higher education.

Add a new comment

Current comments: 0, leave a reply cancel reply.

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Share this story

More stories.

• Unlocking the Power of AI in Education: A Student’s Guide
• How to Create a Positive Home Learning Environment for Distance Learners
• Resits or retakes – what is the difference?
• Motivation to Study
• News adding to your stress?
• Homeschooler Andrew’s experience of studying IGCSE Chemistry
• Mia’s NEC experience and her pursuit of knowledge
• Andrew’s experience: How homeschooling helps balance education and family commitments
• How homeschooling is helping Amelia work towards a medical career
• Distance learning as a mature student working abroad: Chun’s Experience
• GCSE Results Day 2023: Your Complete Guide
• A level Results Day 2023: Navigating the Process for Applying to University
• A level Results Day 2023: Your Comprehensive Guide
• University of Cambridge Institute of Continuing Education offers tuition fee bursary for NEC A level students
• Rapid change and the need to upskill and reskill means more of us are likely to be second-chance learners
• How NEC Considers Web Accessibility for Students
• Embracing Distance Learning: A Path to Inclusive Education and Lifelong Learning
• Why study Classics as a teacher?
• Exploring School Attendance Challenges: A Podcast Discussion
• Navigating the Complexities of Inclusion and Protective Characteristics in Education
• Stages and transitions in education: How to deal with them
• Exploring the NEC Podcast – Postbag: Insights and Discussion
• ADHD in the Classroom
• What is the difference between GCSEs and IGCSEs?
• Why Study an AS Level?
• Demystifying the Exam Booking Process with NEC: Everything You Need to Know
• Why study A level Geography?
• What Qualifications Do I Need to Be a Nurse?
• Why is it important to study maths?
• What is an AS level?
• Why Should Children Learn Computer Programming?
• National Extension College: Bringing education to you
• The benefits of offering Classics to your students
• Is education the answer to social mobility? The contribution of the National Extension College.
• Top 10 revision tips for exam success
• How to tackle exam stress
• What do I do if I want a career change?
• A Head Teacher’s Priorities for 2024

Privacy Overview

How to tackle critical thinking and general papers at 16 plus

11 Plus, 13 Plus, Other School Entrance, Biology, Chemistry, English, Maths, Physics, Psychology & Science

June 6th, 2022 Last updated: June 8th, 2022

In this article, Sobia, an experienced teacher and tutor, examines the unique nature of 16 plus general papers and critical thinking examinations. Drawing on her experience supporting applicants to top selective schools via the 16 plus, Sobia gives us an insight in what the exams might include and how to ace them.

16 plus General Paper Assessments

Examinations at 16+ usually involve an extra paper (or two!) in addition to the subject specific papers that a student will sit. The extra paper is often termed a general paper, but can also be called critical thinking or reasoning, depending on the school and its requirements.

Students can feel somewhat confused by this requirement, not really knowing what to expect, and many schools do not release their general or critical thinking papers online, which can add an extra element of mystery to these papers.

Example Schools

For example, Kings College School has the requirement at 16+ for students to sit a Maths paper, an English paper and a General paper. Latymer Upper School requires students to sit papers in Maths, Written Communication and General Problem Solving/Critical Thinking. Sevenoaks on the other hand has a sixth form entrance paper with multiple sections on different subjects, and the student has to choose two sections to answer. Brighton College requires Maths and English, also a Verbal Reasoning paper and subject specific papers. This is just a selection of popular choices at sixth form, but it is clear that the requirements can be quite diverse.

Meet our 16 Plus Tutors

Subject Specific Papers

Firstly, a note on subject specific papers: these papers, especially for more demanding schools, may involve questions that typically, go beyond the GCSE curriculum content in terms of understanding. For example, you may need to apply your subject knowledge to an unfamiliar situation (in history this could be closely analysing extracts from historical documents and commenting on them; in physics this could involve solving a more complex extended problem). Longer answer questions are also common in 16+subject specific papers, where a student is expected to demonstrate in-depth knowledge of a particular subject area or principle.

General and Critical Thinking Papers

Moving onto the general and critical thinking papers, what do they entail? The Latymer Upper writing paper, while not technically a general paper as such, does involve writing essays on e.g. a personal experience and also an argumentative essay. The general paper has a number of MCQ on a range of thinking and problem solving areas such as verbal reasoning but may also include quantitative and abstract reasoning. Below, I have included some links for the best papers to practise reasoning skills for 16+ verbal reasoning and critical thinking MCQ.

Verbal Reasoning at 16 Plus

Verbal reasoning at 16+ is very different to that at e.g. 11+ or 13+, in that it does not involve letter codes, anagrams or word definitions! Instead, students are usually required to read a short paragraph and then answer an Multiple Choice Question (MCQ) on what the conclusion of the paragraph is, or to identify a flaw in its argument, an underlying assumption and so on. Each question would be worth only one mark, so students would need to scan long paragraphs quickly and identify some of the strategies used in these questions and quick ways to solve them and move on to the next question!

If the general paper also includes numerical and abstract reasoning, these are more similar to those encountered at 11+ and 13+ but obviously of greater difficulty level. For example, the CAT4 tests are commonly used for entrance exams, however, the level of the test depends on the entry level, with level G being the highest level with the hardest questions (used at 16+ level by some schools). Abstract reasoning usually includes elements of non verbal reasoning (identifying patterns, odd shape out, pattern sequences and so on) and also spatial reasoning (rotating objects in 3d space, reflections, and the dreaded cubes and nets!). Numerical reasoning can involve solving problems involving ratio’s, currency, time and typical logic problems with numbers. All these are worth practising in advance!

Question Types

Finally, a general paper can also involve short answer questions, or slightly longer answers (almost like short essay length questions). For example Kings School Canterbury has general papers that have a series of questions with short answers, that provide stimulus material on a range of philosophical, scientific, numerical and abstract problems,. The student is required to analyse the material to give their considered critical opinion, demonstrating problem solving abilities in the process. In addition to this some schools provide a range of short essay titles in a general paper, and a student must pick 2-3 to write a mini essay on, for example, “Is Art useful?”, ‘Should the Internet be Banned in Schools?” and so on.

So as you can see, general, critical and reasoning papers can involve a range of question types and are attempting to test a number of abilities and skills. Depending on what the paper in question is, below are some useful links for preparing for this paper at 16+:

Reasoning (verbal, abstract, numerical)

Short Answer and Essay General Paper:

https://www.kings-school.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/Sixth-Form_-General-Paper-2019-1.pdf

https://www.asc.ox.ac.uk/sites/default/files/migrated-files/GeneralPastPapers.pdf

Cat4 Level G Practice Sample:

https://www.testprep-online.com/cat4-level-g?idev_id=143&idev_username=ACHQ&utm_source=IdevTPO&utm_medium=AffiliateTPO&utm_campaign=AffiliateCampaign

Good luck with your preparation!

Sobia is one of our most experienced entrance exam tutors in Maths, English, Critical thinking, Science, VR and NVR at 11+, 13+ and...

Sobia is one of our most experienced entrance exam tutors in Maths, English, Critical thinking, Science, VR and NVR at 11+, 13+ and 16+ with a solid track record of success over the years and...

If you liked this article, subscribe to our newsletter

By subscribing to our newsletter you agree to receive email from us and agree to our Terms and Conditions*

Start the discussion! Cancel reply

How can a tutor help my child in the 4+ assessment.

In this article, experienced early years teacher and 4+ tutor Tatiana examines what the 4 plus is and how best to prepare. Tatiana is available for in person 4+ tuition in London.

Author Tatiana Read 4 minutes

What is the CAT4 test and how can you prepare your child to take it?

In this blog, Holly explores why schools use CAT4 testing, the different elements of the test, what the results of the CAT4 test mean and how you can help your child to tackle the tests.

Author Holly Read 3 minutes

Nine Plus (9+) resources for English and Reasoning

When preparing students for the 9 Plus school entrance exams, you may find that there aren't a great number of resources out there (especially compared with the 7 or 8 Plus). This blog suggests a few resources which can be used by students as a starting point for 9 Plus preparation.

Author Owl Tutors Read 2 minutes

You might be interested in

Author: Tatiana

Author: Holly

+44 020 3457 8474 [email protected]

Owl Tutors Limited Company Number: 07679444 VAT Number 182078794 Unit 2A, The Plough Brewery 516 Wandsworth Road London SW8 3JX United Kingdom

2024 Copyright Owl Tutors | Terms & Conditions | UK | Privacy Policy

Physical Education Research Digest

Critical Thinking: Creating Meaning in Physical Education (PE) by Denise Dewar and Sue Weir

Denise and Sue are seconded teaching fellows at the University of Edinburgh. While working in schools, they both encountered initiatives aimed at the development of thinking skills. These experiences evolved into a project about ‘critical thinking’ and exploring how these ways of working could be fostered in PE settings and beyond. This blog reports on key insights from their collective self-study that has tracked the impact of their efforts to introduce critical thinking to undergraduate PE students. As part of the PERF’s Practitioner Inquiry (PINQ) Project, their research has been guided by LaBoskey’s key elements for self-study (2004).

Critical Thinking: Creating Meaning in Physical Education (PE)

Critical thinking is an amorphous term (Tan, 2017). It has numerous interpretations on both its definition and on the processes involved in developing critical thinking.  Most definitions highlight the connections to the upper three levels of Bloom’s (1956) taxonomy: analysis, synthesis and evaluation. These forms of thinking skills have been associated with a number of ‘Critical thinking’ learner dispositions including; open and fair mindedness, flexibility of thought, inquisitiveness and willingness to take risks (Lai, 2011).

Within the PE literature, critical thinking is a term first popularised by McBride (1992). He viewed PE as an ideal setting to develop critical thinking, which he defined as:

Reflective thinking that is used to make reasonable and defensible decisions about movement tasks or challenges (p112)

The short term focus within this quotation can be seen in the way in which any critical thinking is applied to the immediate tasks and challenges within a class situation.  Our own efforts, however, have been geared towards viewing critical thinking from both a short and long term perspective.  As can be seen in the figure below (click on image to enlarge), pupils not only respond to unique movement problems and reflect on and justify the decisions they make in class, but are also encouraged to view PE critically as part of their overall physical activity habits and lifestyle.

One key driver for connecting with these longer term ambitions comes from Dewey’s (1933) work on ‘deep’ learning. He explores the connection between ‘thinking’ and ‘meaning’ to create what he termed ‘profound learning’.  More recent research with a focus on ‘meaning’ has identified personal experience as a central feature. In the PE context, Beni et al (2016) explain how pupils with personalised experiences can feel more ‘meaningful’ connections to learning tasks, which are more likely to commit to a physically active lifestyle.

Our knowledge of critical thinking initially developed through our reading and shared discussions with each other and with critical friends.  Knowledge and understanding was further developed by piloting with the undergraduate PE teachers through lectures, seminars and practical workshops.   Our lecture to second year students was included as a key part of the curriculum course and was followed by a seminar which allowed students to discuss their understanding of critical thinking and explore ideas for their teaching of core PE.  Within practical workshops, fourth year students reflected on their own wider experiences of dance and chose a ‘purpose’ best suited to them, the students created a group performance based on these personal experiences.   They then performed the dance, evaluated the performance collectively and then reflected on the thinking involved in the creative process.

Data were gathered through a mixed methods approach: pre and post workshop questionnaires with students together with our own individual and shared reflections with two experienced teacher educators acting as critical friends throughout the research process.  In both years of the project we were surprised by the decisions students made when presented with choices in the lesson.   This reinforced our belief in offering pupils opportunities to not only make decisions but also justify these decisions to gain more insight into them (McBride, 1992).   Also, in the second year of the project, we felt we were more explicit in teaching thinking skills and dispositions within the workshops and using the language of thinking from the literature.  The importance of reflection time was highlighted in collective reflections, as we felt students needed time to make sense of the task and the thinking process.

Student Experiences

From data collected following the second year of workshops all students were able to identify when they used thinking skills and dispositions within the session.  We felt this indicated a deeper understanding of the concepts and tied in with our own reflections of being better able to ‘model critical thinking’ (McBride, 1992, p 118).

In harmony with our reflections, students also highly valued pupil reflection as a key component of critical thinking, with over half (52%) indicating that this would be an area of their own practice they would like to enhance.

Most students (93%) thought the session was made ‘meaningful’ with most of them connecting this to being given choices throughout the session, being able to express themselves freely and the nature of the session being sociable and enjoyable.

Concluding thoughts

As an ongoing longitudinal study, we have had some valuable findings so far.  The responses from the students have been encouraging, particularly as all students recognise the importance of critical thinking within PE.   In addition, as we have grappled with the key critical thinking concepts, our shared reflections have helped us make more sense of the non-linear nature of the design and enactment process of this type of project.

In the future, we will continue to integrate key components of critical thinking in the gymnastics element of curriculum and pedagogy course for year 2 and will reflect individually and collectively on the enactment process.  In addition, we will continue to share our critical thinking journey with other practitioners as part of the PINQ project and more widely.

Beni, S, Fletcher T and Ni Chronin, D (2016) Meaningful Experiences in Physical Education and Youth Sport: A review of literature, Quest, DOI: 10.1080/00336297.2016.1224192

LaBoskey, V. K. (2004). The methodology of self-study and its theoretical underpinnings. In J. J. Loughran, M. L. Hamilton, V. K. LaBoskey & T. Russell (Eds.), International handbook of self-study of teaching and teacher education practices (Vol. 2, pp. 817-869). Dordrecht: Kluwer Academic Publishers

Lai, E.R. (2011) Critical thinking: a literature review. Research report. Pearson.

McBride, R. 1992. Critical thinking—An overview with implications for physical education.  Journal of Teaching in Physical Education , 11: 112–125.

Tan, C (2017) Teaching Critical thinking: Cultural challenges and strategies in Singapore. British Educational research journal, 43:5 988-1002

Share this post:

Leave a reply cancel reply.

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

• International edition
• Australia edition
• Europe edition

Scrap GCSEs and A-levels, says Tony Blair Institute in call for ‘radical reform’

TBI recommends English schools focus on aspects such as critical thinking and creativity to ready pupils for jobs in digital world

GCSEs and A-levels should be scrapped in favour of a system that better prepares school-leavers for the workplace, a report has suggested.

The study conducted by the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change (TBI) has recommended that the education system in England be radically changed so that students can thrive in a work environment that is becoming increasingly shaped by automation and artificial intelligence.

The current educational landscape in England relies too heavily on passive forms of learning focused on direct instruction and memorising and needs more emphasis on the so-called four Cs – critical thinking, creativity, communication and collaborative problem-solving, the organisation said.

Recommending replacing the exams system with new qualifications that involve regular assessment between 16 and 18 years old, the report suggested that a series of low-stakes assessments for pupils at the end of secondary schooling could “help inform pupil choice and hold schools to account”.

Writing in the Daily Telegraph, Sir Tony Blair said of the current system: “While there is a place for these sorts of exams, we cannot rely on them alone: they only measure certain skills, they do not always do this accurately, and they invite narrow teaching styles aimed at passing tests rather than building other key aptitudes.

“We have analogue learning for a digital age: a paper-based system that revolves around snapshot judgments instead of assessing whether schools are preparing young people for the future they face. In the meantime, some of the world’s top performers are forging ahead.”

James Scales, skills policy lead at the TBI, said: “While pupils elsewhere are learning how to think critically, communicate and solve problems as a group, our system remains anchored firmly in the past. This is holding back our young people and the country as a whole. Without the radical reform required to produce a new generation of forward thinkers, we won’t build the high-wage, high-skilled economy we need.”

The report recommends establishing an expert commission to reform the national curriculum, one based on minimum proficiencies in numeracy, literacy and science, which will eventually incorporate more digital skills. It also cites transferring the responsibility for the design of the curriculum to a non-political body and changing the strategy and approach of Ofsted, the schools watchdog, to focus on safeguarding and quality of school management, as integral to the proposed changes.

The focus on a small range of traditional academic subjects, which are referred to as the English baccalaureate, or Ebacc, is causing other subjects to be overlooked, meaning government reforms have damaged learning and “stifled efforts to improve social mobility”, the report added.

after newsletter promotion

Geoff Barton, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, said the report adds to growing calls for “fresh thinking” on qualifications, the curriculum and inspection. Reform is needed because “at the current rate of progress the attainment gap between disadvantaged and other children will never close. We need a system which looks to the future rather than one which is rooted in the past,” he said. A spokesperson from the Department for Education said: “GCSEs and A-levels are highly respected around the world and we have also introduced T-levels as the new gold standard technical qualification for young people post-16.”

More on this story

Fall in England’s GCSE grades signals a return to pre-pandemic normality

Surge in GCSE and A-level candidates penalised for ‘malpractice’ in England

‘We were ready’: Birmingham academy celebrates GCSE results in difficult year

Number of top A-level grades falls sharply as north-south divide grows

Covid disruption must still be taken into account in 2023 GCSEs, say schools

This year’s A-level results in England explained in five charts

Share your reaction and experiences on GCSE results day 2022

‘I’m holidaying on a boat’: celebrities’ words of wisdom on A-level results day

GCSE results expected to confirm widening of north-south attainment gap

Why A-levels are far from returning to pre-Covid normality

Most viewed.