Ace the Bar Course Aptitude Test With BCAT Practice Tests and Study Guides
The BCAT test includes the following components: Inference questions, Recognition of assumption questions, Deduction questions, Interpretation questions, and Evaluation of arguments questions.
You can prepare for each of the categories with the preparation you see on your right, including:
- 4 Evaluation of Arguments practice tests that will help increase your ability to draw conclusions from observed or alleged facts.
- 3 Recognition of Assumptions practice tests in which you determine whether a certain statement is obvious, justifiably or not.
- 5 Deduction practice tests in which the challenge is to decide if certain conclusions are true based on their premises.
- 4 Interpretation practice tests involve determining whether or not each of the conclusions offered in the paragraph follows logically from the information provided.
- 7 Inference practice tests that will help identify and differentiate between strong and weak arguments.
This page will help you prepare for the BCAT Test and includes a detailed guide and some free sample questions.
BCAT - Bar Course Aptitude Tests
What Is the BCAT?
The Bar Course Aptitude Test (BCAT) is based on Watson-Glaser Critical Thinking Appraisal (WGCTA) which is a widely used test in the law sector, accepted by many law firms. Pearson Vue administers the exam which tests test takers critical thinking skills and reasoning required for BPTC and other jobs in the legal field.
Since 2013, the BCAT has been a compulsory critical thinking skills test for any candidate who wants to gain entry to the BPTC (Bar professional training course) and get certified by the Bar Standards Board (BSB).
What Is On the Bar Course Aptitude Test?
The BCAT exam takes an hour and is split up into five different sections which aim to get a full picture of the applicants’ skills.
These sections are listed below:
Drawing inferences from facts - This section asks you to draw conclusions based on provided facts that are either observed or supposed.
You are given a short paragraph of information, followed by a statement that could be inferred from the text.
Your task is to determine whether or not the statement is valid based on the facts provided.
Drawing conclusions can only be done from evidences and robust logic.
It includes evaluating information before drawing a conclusion, judging the likelihood of different conclusions being correct, selecting the most appropriate, and avoiding generalisation beyond the evidence.
Recognition of assumptions - The next section is based on assumptions. You are first given a statement which is followed by an assumption. You must work out if the statement contains the assumption or not.
Assumptions are statements that are assumed to be true. Identifying them helps to reveal information gaps and enrich perspectives.
Evaluation of arguments - You are given a statement followed by a number of possible arguments relating to the statement. You have to decide if the argument is strong or weak.
Evaluating arguments helps to determine whether to believe or act accordingly. It includes the ability to evaluate them objectively, putting prior beliefs and emotions aside.
Deductive reasoning -You are given a series of stated facts which are followed by a proposed conclusion. The task in this section is to determine if the conclusion is supported by the first statement. Learn more about deductive reasoning test practise here.
Logical interpretation - Here you are given a paragraph of information followed by a statement on that text. You have to decide if this possible conclusion follows or not.
Passing the BCAT will require you to work efficiently under time pressure.
Free BCAT Practice Test
The following questions have been developed by JobTestPrep’s experts and highly resemble questions you'll likely face on the Bar Course Aptitude Test (BCAT). Give it a try!
Logical Reasoning:
Read and decide if the conclusion necessarily follows from the premises or not.
Question 1:
All Poverty-stricken people suffer from multiple physical illnesses. All people with multiple physical illnesses are displeased with their life.
Conclusion: People pleased with their life are not poverty-stricken.
Question 2:
Some citizens pay taxes. Many citizens receive income support.
Conclusion: Some taxpayers and some income support takers have citizenship.
Recognition of Assumptions
Each statement is followed by several proposed assumptions. You are to decide for each assumption if it was made or not.
Wife to husband: Our joint income is lower than it could be. But soon I will begin to work at an additional part-time job, and I will earn extra income.
Assumption 1:
Proposed Assumption: The wife's getting a second job is the most efficient way of increasing the couple's joint income.
Assumption 2:
Proposed Assumption: The couple's expenses have increased significantly lately.
Evaluation of Arguments
For an argument to be strong, it must be both important and directly related to the question. decide if the argument is strong or weak.
Should employees who have over five years of experience in the company be bound by law to give employers advance notice of 60 days upon resignation?
Argument 1:
Yes; senior employees are a great asset to a workplace and employers need sufficient time to find them an adequate replacement.
Argument 2:
No— employees who have resigned are less efficient than their co-workers.
Want more practice? We got you covered in the next section!
Working Well Under Time Pressure - Your Biggest Challenge on the BCAT
One of the most critical skills you must acquire to pass the BCAT is working accurately under time pressure. The test consists of 60 items which must be completed in 55 minutes - which means you'll have less than one minute for each question.
The time pressure undoubtedly adds to the stress and the tendency to make callous mistakes. That can be prevented by formulating organised techniques to find the correct answer to any question.
Learn all about these techniques right here in the next paragraph - Critical Thinking Tips.
Critical Thinking - The Number #1 Skill To Ace the BCAT
Your critical thinking ability is what is under examination on the BCAT, and this requires you to have the ability to assess a situation and consider multiple perspectives while separating the facts from opinion and assumption.
Simply put; it involves not accepting information at face value. Below are a number of tips to help you tackle the test questions.
Critical Thinking Tips
- Ask yourself questions about what you are reading, to identify what comes from fact and what is an assumption.
- Think about the quality of the arguments put forward. Rate the assumptions you have found and object to them if you feel they are not valid.
- Consider the intended audience of the text. Who was this written for? How does the information presented in the article impact its intended audience? Is the author trying to be persuasive, appeal to emotions, or push the audience to a specific conclusion?
- Think about all sides of the argument, even those that do not reflect your own views.
- Put your thoughts on paper. Try drawing out your thoughts via pictures, matrices, flow charts, diagrams, or whatever format works for you. Arranging information in this way can help you organise your thoughts and make connections you didn’t see earlier.
- Create your own summary.Thoughts, or questions on the provided reading material. Writing it down helps you organise your thoughts and understanding.
- Evaluate different conclusions. Decide who stands to benefit from a chosen conclusion, and the impact that the conclusion would have on others.
How We Will Help You Prepare for BCAT
Mastering critical thinking skills for the BCAT is achievable. The process demands accurate practise exercises, and JobTestPrep is here to help.
We have developed practice tests that mimic the real test questions, as well as providing comprehensive answers and explanations to give you a well-rounded preparation experience.
Our preparation package includes multiple study guides, drills and practice test with 40 questions on each section of the test.
With the help of our practice tests, you can expect to improve your score and increase your chances of making it onto the BPTC. Start now!
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BCAT Scoring
Test results are provided upon finishing the test. You will be given a score report to confirm the result.
There is a great correlation between the BCAT score and a candidate’s performance on the BPTC.
The BCAT result is presented in four categories: Pass (strong)/ Pass/ Pass (marginal)/ Fail.
Score range: 20-44
Score range: 45-49
Score range: 50-60
Score range: 61-80
BCAT Deadline
To keep tabs on confirmed dates, please visit Bars Standards Board website. The BCAT can be taken at any time between the opening and closing dates, but it is recommended that you sit the test as close to the opening date as possible and allow for 30 days between visits.
You can sit the test at any Pearson Vue test centre, which maintains locations world over. Visit the Pearson Vue website to schedule your test date.