20 Critical Thinking Interview Questions to Ask Candidates (2026)

Critical thinking interview questions test a candidate’s ability to analyze, evaluate and think independently. Can the candidate make logical connections between issues and ideas? The traditional job interview is not enough to determine if a candidate has what it takes to fill a position. Asking critical questions helps to determine if a candidate will meet the expectations and requirements of the role.

Rushing to hire a candidate during the interview is the reason most employees are experiencing job abandonment. It means going back to the hiring process and investing more time and effort in the process. Most positions require a candidate to have the ability to think on their feet and be reflective in a bid to improve processes in the company.

Sometimes it’s hard to assess whether a past job experience makes a candidate qualify for the role. However, investing in critical thinking interview questions helps you not only fill the position with a qualified candidate but also one who will bring new ideas and perspectives to the job.

Why Use Critical Thinking Questions

Asking candidates critical thinking interview questions enables you to determine if the candidate is:

• Responsible enough to solve problems and follow through
• Creative enough to think out of the box when it comes to problem-solving
• Able to analyze and solve problems even when required information or resources are lacking
• Able to justify their critical thinking process. Can they explain how they got to a particular answer and did they take responsibility for their actions?
• Able to picture themselves in the role and whether they understand what kind of work they will be doing

The interviewer must make sure that the questions asked are related to the position and are meant to reveal a candidate’s skills. Posing off-putting interview questions to candidates who are already feeling pressure from the interview will not help you find a good candidate for the role. For example, questions like “How many cars are in (name a location) right now?” may not reveal a candidate’s skill. However, a question like, “how do you explain blockchain technology to a 4-year-old” will show you their skills, and their ability to deal with different kinds of people.

Remember that the reasoning behind these questions is not whether the candidate gives a right or wrong answer. Your main aim is to evaluate how the candidate reacts to situations or problems that are out of their comfort zone.

Sample Critical Thinking Interview Questions

The following critical thinking questions, combined with various behavioral questions, will help you find a good candidate for leadership roles.

1. Explain a time when you had to solve a problem without all the resources.
2. Have you ever had to make an immediate decision? How did you go about handling the situation and were the results satisfactory?
3. Describe a situation when you achieved a set goal.
4. Have you ever been in a leadership role? What was the experience?
5. Have you ever anticipated a problem and taken measures to prevent it?
6. How do you handle disagreements with colleagues?
7. Have you ever been criticized for your work? How did you handle the criticism?
8. A customer received a faulty item. They did not get the help they needed on the phone and now they are at the reception creating a fuss. How do you deal with them?
9. How would you explain A/B testing to 13-year old’s?
10. What did you last read and what did you like about it?
11. Have you ever gone above and beyond on a project? What was the project about and what did you find interesting about it?
12. What would you have changed in your previous company?
13. What is it you didn’t like about your previous role?
14. Have you ever struggled with lack of motivation? How did you overcome it?
15. Where do you see yourself in five years career wise? How do you plan on getting there?
16. Your manager gives incorrect data during a live presentation. What will you do about it?
17. Have you ever had to correct your manager or convince them to try a different approach?
18. Your team is having a difficult time concluding a project because they can’t agree on the best approach to achieving the desired result. How do you get the colleagues to work together to find a solution?
19. How do you convince people your way is the right way?
20. A coworker presents an awkward solution to a problem the company is facing. How do you handle the situation?

How to Assess Critical Thinking in Candidates

These questions will require the candidates to use past experiences or analytical skills to provide answers. A variation of these questions will give insight into how the candidate thinks and makes sound judgments. For example, in the question:

“Explain a time when you had to solve a problem without all the resources.”

The candidate should demonstrate initiative and resourcefulness in this question. The candidate should explain how they used the available information, analyzed the situation by breaking down the problem, considering the outcome of using various actions, investigated the issue, acted on the chosen activity and whether they reviewed the results. The candidate demonstrates their ability to make decisions, without being afraid of conflict, getting it wrong or taking risks. They also show lessons learned from the process to improve the outcome.

A candidate who accepts that some of the decisions made turned out wrong is great so long as they explain how lessons learned were used to avoid the mistake again. You can pick out good candidates depending on the role by noting the candidate’s ability to:

• Ask for information or advice when they hit a snag
• Work as a team player since they understand that they have the same goal- the success of the company
• Demonstrate that they can work as individuals when needed and are practical when making decisions
• Demonstrate that they applied changes or implemented procedures that changed processes in past experiences.
• Manage challenging situations and will not quit at the first sight of problems, even when solutions are not readily available.
• Logically justify actions taken.

Avoid candidates who:

• Don’t check facts and jump into conclusions
• Take things for granted and make assumptions
• Fail to answer or at least try to solve the problem
• Provide obvious answers or the first thing that comes to their mind at the time

The above critical thinking interview questions will help you find candidates who think critically with an autonomous mindset — a candidate who seeks to innovatively and creatively solve problems and improve processes at your company.