Critical Thinking Questions
100+ questions to spark deeper discussions, challenge assumptions, and improve decision-making. Organized by category for easy use in meetings, workshops, and classrooms.
What Are Critical Thinking Questions?
Critical thinking questions are prompts designed to move beyond surface-level discussion and encourage deeper analysis. Unlike simple factual questions that have one correct answer, critical thinking questions require reasoning, evidence evaluation, and consideration of multiple perspectives.
The best critical thinking questions share common characteristics: they're open-ended, they challenge assumptions, and they don't have obvious "right" answers. They force us to examine our reasoning and consider alternatives we might have overlooked.
Whether you're facilitating a team meeting, leading a classroom discussion, or preparing for an important decision, having the right questions ready can transform the quality of thinking in the room.
The 5 Essential Critical Thinking Questions
Start with these foundational questions for any problem or decision.
What is the problem or issue?
Clearly define what you're trying to solve before jumping to solutions.
What are the assumptions?
Identify what you're taking for granted that might not be true.
What is the evidence?
Examine the data and sources supporting different positions.
What are alternative viewpoints?
Consider how others might see this situation differently.
What are the implications?
Think through the consequences of different choices.
100+ Critical Thinking Questions by Category
Organized by type so you can find the right question for any situation.
Questions About Assumptions
Uncover hidden beliefs and challenge what we take for granted.
- •What assumptions are we making here?
- •What would we need to believe for this to be true?
- •How do we know this assumption is valid?
- •What if the opposite were true?
- •Where did this belief come from?
- •Have we tested this assumption recently?
- •What are we taking for granted?
- •Is this based on evidence or habit?
- •What assumptions might our customers/users have?
- •What would change if this assumption were wrong?
Practice these questions with our Assumption Mapping exercise.
Questions About Evidence
Evaluate the quality and reliability of information.
- •What evidence supports this conclusion?
- •How reliable is this data source?
- •Is this correlation or causation?
- •What evidence would change our mind?
- •Are we cherry-picking data that confirms our view?
- •What does the opposing evidence say?
- •How recent is this information?
- •Is this sample size large enough to draw conclusions?
- •What context might be missing from this data?
- •Have these results been replicated?
Practice these questions with our Ladder of Inference exercise.
Questions About Perspectives
Consider different viewpoints and stakeholder interests.
- •Who else is affected by this decision?
- •What would our critics say about this?
- •How would this look from the customer's perspective?
- •What viewpoint haven't we considered?
- •Who benefits from this approach? Who loses?
- •How would someone from a different department see this?
- •What would a newcomer notice that we've become blind to?
- •How might this decision affect people five years from now?
- •What cultural factors might influence how this is received?
- •If we were our competitor, how would we respond to this?
Practice these questions with our Six Thinking Hats exercise.
Questions About Logic & Reasoning
Examine the structure and validity of arguments.
- •Does this conclusion follow from the premises?
- •Are there any logical fallacies in this argument?
- •What's the weakest point in our reasoning?
- •Is this an either/or situation, or are there other options?
- •Are we conflating two different issues?
- •What's the strongest counterargument?
- •Is this reasoning consistent with our past decisions?
- •Are we using the same standards we'd apply to others?
- •What logical leaps are we making?
- •Could someone reach a different conclusion from the same facts?
Practice these questions with our Logical Fallacies Workshop exercise.
Questions About Consequences
Explore outcomes, risks, and unintended effects.
- •What are the potential unintended consequences?
- •What's the worst-case scenario?
- •What could go wrong that we haven't considered?
- •What are the second-order effects of this decision?
- •How would we recover if this fails?
- •What are we sacrificing by choosing this path?
- •What opportunities does this close off?
- •How reversible is this decision?
- •What would success look like? What would failure look like?
- •In six months, what might we wish we had done differently?
Practice these questions with our Pre-Mortem Analysis exercise.
Questions for Problem-Solving
Get to the root of issues and find better solutions.
- •What problem are we actually trying to solve?
- •Why does this problem exist?
- •Why is that? (repeat 5 times)
- •Is this the real problem, or a symptom of something deeper?
- •How have others solved similar problems?
- •What would need to change for this problem to disappear?
- •What constraints are we working within?
- •Which constraints are real vs. self-imposed?
- •What resources do we have that we're not using?
- •What would we do if we had unlimited resources?
Practice these questions with our Five Whys exercise.
Critical Thinking Questions for Team Building
Use these questions in team meetings, retrospectives, and offsites to encourage reflection and improve collaboration.
- 1.What's a decision our team made that we should revisit?
- 2.What process do we follow out of habit rather than effectiveness?
- 3.What do we avoid talking about that we probably should discuss?
- 4.What would our team look like if we were performing at our best?
- 5.What skill does our team lack that would make the biggest difference?
- 6.What's something we've learned recently that changed how we work?
- 7.What would our competitors say is our biggest weakness?
- 8.If we could start this project over, what would we do differently?
- 9.What's one thing each person brings to the team that's underutilized?
- 10.What are we doing that we should stop doing?
Critical Thinking Questions for Students
Help students develop analytical skills with these classroom-ready questions.
- 1.What's the main argument being made here?
- 2.What evidence supports this claim?
- 3.What evidence contradicts this claim?
- 4.How might bias affect this source?
- 5.What questions does this raise for you?
- 6.How does this connect to what we already know?
- 7.What would you need to know to evaluate this claim?
- 8.Can you think of an exception to this rule?
- 9.How would you explain this to someone younger?
- 10.What's another way to interpret this information?
How to Ask Better Critical Thinking Questions
✓ Do This
- • Start with "why," "how," or "what if"
- • Ask open-ended questions
- • Give time for thinking before answers
- • Follow up with "tell me more"
- • Ask for evidence and reasoning
- • Encourage multiple perspectives
✗ Avoid This
- • Yes/no questions
- • Leading questions with obvious answers
- • Rushing to the next question
- • Accepting the first answer without probing
- • Questions that put people on the defensive
- • Asking questions you already know the answer to
Put These Questions Into Practice
Our critical thinking exercises use these questions in structured activities designed for teams. Generate a custom workshop in 30 seconds.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are critical thinking questions?
Critical thinking questions are prompts designed to encourage deeper analysis, challenge assumptions, and stimulate thoughtful discussion. They go beyond simple yes/no answers and require reasoning, evidence evaluation, and consideration of multiple perspectives.
How do you ask critical thinking questions?
Effective critical thinking questions start with words like "why," "how," "what if," and "what evidence." They should be open-ended, require explanation rather than recall, and encourage the responder to consider alternatives and examine their own reasoning.
What are the 5 critical thinking questions?
The five foundational critical thinking questions are: 1) What is the problem or issue? 2) What are the assumptions? 3) What is the evidence? 4) What are alternative viewpoints? 5) What are the implications and consequences?
How can I use critical thinking questions in meetings?
Use critical thinking questions to challenge groupthink, explore assumptions before making decisions, and encourage quieter team members to share perspectives. Start with "What might we be missing?" or "What would have to be true for this to work?"