BCG Casey: Critical-thinking Question Deep-Dive

Following our previous article on Intuition questions in Casey, we now take a deep dive into the Critical-thinking question, or CRI questions for short. 

At first glance, Critical-thinking questions might look just like Intuition questions. They share similar formats, present comparable business scenarios, and often blur the line between logic and intuition. But don’t be fooled, beneath the surface lies a very different skill set. Understanding what makes CRI unique is the key to avoiding costly mistakes on test day.

Once again, this article will serve as your complete and utter description of CRI questions.

Use the links attached to each section in this article to read more about each specific topic (you will need that), as well as the banner on the right to learn more about our product - the BCG Casey All-in-One.

Please read the main article on the BCG Casey if you haven’t done so.

Overview of Critical-thinking questions

CRI questions require candidates to apply logical reasoning to choose the correct option(s)

CRI questions are designed to test your ability to assess statements and determine whether they logically follow from the case information provided. In most cases, you’ll be asked to identify the most logical conclusion based on the facts or data at hand. 

Typical question phrasing includes prompts like 

• “Which of the following statements is true according to the case information?” 

• “Which of the following statements, if true, correctly explains [a certain outcome]?” 

The main point here is to focus on the logic: “Does the statement make sense based on what you know from the case?”

For example, in Question 3 of the Spicy Ramen Truck case (you can access the full test at this link or see the images below), candidates are asked to determine which options could plausibly explain the unusual decline in sales of the Red and Yellow bowls. To answer correctly, you need to consider each statement carefully and assess whether it logically aligns with the given data and situation.

CRI questions always come with a list of possible conclusions for you to evaluate. These can appear in either single-select format, where you’re required to choose only one best option, or multi-select format, in which more than one answer may be correct. Regardless of format, your task remains the same: apply sharp reasoning and eliminate any choices that do not logically follow from the case.

The correct options are selected based on the case information and the candidates' common sense

Typically, CRI questions are phrased along the lines of “Which of the following statements is true according to the case information?” or “Which of the following statements, if true, best explains a certain outcome?” These prompts make it clear that you are expected to ground your answer in the information given, while also applying logical thinking to assess which options make the most sense.

This approach highlights a key distinction between CRI and INT questions. While both may involve some level of interpretation, CRI questions rely primarily on the case’s data and logic, plus your general reasoning ability and common sense. 

In contrast, INT questions require more reliance on business knowledge and intuition, often calling for broader thinking or external knowledge beyond what's explicitly stated in the case.

To help you distinguish these two question types more clearly, we’ll provide a dedicated comparison section later. This will outline the differences in format, reasoning required, and typical phrasing, so you can approach each with the right mindset and strategy.

CRI questions appear 0-2 times per case

CRI questions tend to be relatively rare, often showing up just once or sometimes not at all. While they’re not as frequent as other question types like QNT or INT, it’s still crucial to understand how to recognize and approach them effectively. 

These questions test your ability to apply clear and structured logical reasoning, and because of that, even a single CRI question can carry significant weight in your overall performance.

Moreover, in some cases, CRI elements might be blended into other question types. For example, you may encounter a question that is technically categorized as QNT or INT but still requires you to assess the logic of a proposed explanation or conclusion. 

Let’s take a look at the following example. 

This question is a hybrid between a QNT and a CRI-type question. 

At first glance, it may resemble a typical critical or logical reasoning prompt, but there’s a strong quantitative component embedded within it. To arrive at the correct answer, you’ll need to perform a fair amount of calculation. 

CRI questions may include exhibits

CRI questions may include exhibits such as charts, tables, or diagrams to support the context and reasoning process. 

Similar to INT questions, these visual elements are meant to provide additional background - not to perform complex calculations, but to help candidates interpret and evaluate information more effectively. 

The goal is to assess a candidate’s ability to extract relevant insights from visual data and apply logical reasoning to make sound judgments.

Let’s take a look at the following CRI question.

Compared to exhibits in other tests like McKinsey’s PST or BCG’s Potential Test, those in CRI questions are often simpler and more straightforward. The most common formats include tables and familiar chart types such as bar, pie, and line graphs. 

Typically, each CRI question includes 1 to 3 exhibits, containing approximately 4 to 25 rounded and clean data points, often structured in tables with 2 to 5 rows and 2 to 5 columns, accompanied by necessary legends and footnotes.

Importantly, the data presented is not intended for numerical calculations, as in QNT questions. Instead, it serves as a basis for analyzing patterns, identifying inconsistencies, or drawing logical conclusions. 

Your task is to read the data carefully, understand what it implies, and use it to select the option(s) that best align with the information and logic presented in the case.

Question format

CRI question begins with a question text displayed as a message,

In the Casey test, CRI questions are displayed in a message-style format, simulating a real-time exchange between you and the client. Each CRI question follows a consistent structure that is made up of four main components. While some elements are always included, others may appear only when relevant.

1. (Always present) Context block

Every CRI question begins with a block of text that sets the scene. This section introduces the context behind the question and may vary in length depending on how much background information is needed. 

Unlike other standalone test questions, those in the Casey test are often interconnected - questions build upon one another as the case evolves. That means, in many situations, you’ll need to recall key insights or data points from earlier questions to properly understand and respond to the current one.

2. (Optional) Exhibits

Some CRI questions are supported by visual exhibits, such as charts, tables, or diagrams. These exhibits are meant to enrich the context and provide additional data for analysis, rather than serve as tools for calculation. 

In some cases, the current question might not introduce any new visuals but will ask you to refer back to exhibits presented in previous questions. 

For example, Question 3 in the Spicy Ramen Truck case is a CRI-type question: “Which of the following options can explain the declines seen in Question 2?” 

At first glance, this question appears to lack any accompanying exhibits. However, to answer it correctly, you need to refer back to the visual data already presented in Question 2, specifically, the exhibits showing the decline in portion sales. 

3. (Always present) Main question prompt

This is the core of the CRI question. It clearly states the task you’re expected to perform. 

For example, identifying the most logical explanation for a result, determining which statements are supported by the case data, or selecting conclusions that best explain an observed trend. 

The phrasing always encourages logical reasoning grounded in the information you’ve been given.

4. (Always present) Answer format instruction

Finally, every CRI question ends with a specific instruction telling you how to answer. These follow two common formats:

• Multi-select (MS): Instructions such as “Select all that apply”, “Select the fewest possible items”, or “Select three options”

• Single-select (SS): A straightforward “Select ONE answer”

... followed by one of two possible answer formats

These CRI questions are always followed by one of two possible answer formats: multiple-select (MS) or single-select (SS). Although the structure of the question text remains consistent, the way you respond depends on the format specified in the instruction line.

Multi-select 

This is the more common format. Multiple-select questions account for approximately 70 – 80% of all CRI questions.

In multiple-select questions, you are required to choose several correct answers from a list that typically ranges from 4 to 10 options. 

Each MS question is accompanied by a clear instruction indicating how many options to select. These instructions usually take one of the following forms:

• “Select all that apply”: You must select every correct option. However, no exact number is given, which introduces a degree of uncertainty.

• “Select the fewest possible items”: This format is particularly challenging, as you’re asked to minimize your selection while ensuring completeness, without knowing how many correct answers exist.

• “Select three”: This is the easiest variation to interpret, as it explicitly tells you the required number of selections.

For the open-ended MS formats like “select all that apply” or “select the fewest possible items,” the percentage of correct options generally falls between 30% and 60%. This means, in a list of 10 options, you might expect 3 to 6 to be correct, but it varies depending on the case.

Once you’ve read the question, you need to click “See options” to display the answer choices. If the question includes a long list (e.g., 10 options), they may fill the entire screen. The question text remains pinned to the top, but if you want to revisit the full question while reviewing the options, you can click the “Collapse” button in the top-left corner to bring it back into full view.

When interacting with the options:

• Click an option once to select it.

• Click again to deselect it.

• You can toggle your choices as many times as needed before submission.

• To reset your entire selection, simply click “Clear selection.”

Once satisfied with your answers, click “Done.” Be careful, once you hit “Done,” your choices are locked in. You cannot go back or revise your answer afterward.

Single-select 

Single-select (SS) questions make up the remaining 20 – 30%, appearing less frequently but still regularly throughout the test.

The single-select format mirrors the structure of MS questions, but with one critical difference: there is only ONE correct answer. 

All available choices are displayed directly within the answer box. If the list is too long to fit the screen, you can scroll sideways to view all options.

Importantly, this format is less forgiving than the MS format. Clicking on any option automatically submits your final answer. There’s no confirmation screen, no chance to undo, and no way to go back once a choice is made, so you need to be completely confident before making your selection.

Question content

CRI questions prompt candidates to select the most logical option(s) based on the provided information

CRI questions in the Casey test are designed to assess your ability to apply logical reasoning to complex business problems. 

These questions ask you to identify the most logical option(s) based on the information provided, whether that be a paragraph of text, a set of exhibits, or data built up from previous questions in the case.

Though the phrasing of CRI questions may vary, the core principle remains the same: Does this statement logically make sense, given what you know from the case? 

Common phrasing includes prompts such as 

• “Which of the following can be concluded based on the information from the above exhibit?”

• “Which of the following, if true, best explains…?”

• “Which of the following is a potential effect?” 

• “Which of the following conclusions can be inferred from the given data?”

• “Which of the following statements may be true according to the information from Question 2 and 3?”

A crucial part of solving CRI questions is understanding the level of certainty required. 

Some questions demand absolute certainty (“absolute true”, “best explain”), meaning the correct answer must be directly confirmed by the case information. Others allow for more speculative reasoning (“may be true”, “can be inferred”), asking what might explain a situation or what could be true if certain assumptions hold. 

Being aware of this subtle but important distinction will help you avoid incorrect choices and focus only on those options that match the logic and intent of the question. Recognizing the required level of certainty is essential for selecting the most appropriate options.

Options can be categorized on a 5-point scale based on the level of certainty from the case information

When evaluating answer options in CRI questions, one useful approach is to categorize each option using a 5-point scale that reflects how strongly the case information supports or contradicts the statement. 

This scale ranges from (+2: explicitly confirmed) to (–2: explicitly rejected), and helps guide your decision-making based on the level of certainty conveyed by the data.

• +2 (Explicitly confirmed): The statement is directly confirmed by the case information. There is no room for doubt.

• +1 (Implicitly confirmed): The statement is not explicitly confirmed; however, it can be inferred to be true, using information in the case.

• 0 (Inconclusive): The statement is neither confirmed nor rejected by the information in the case or by inference. If you feel the option is 50-50, it is likely inconclusive.

• –1 (Implicitly rejected): The statement is not explicitly rejected; however, it can be inferred to be false, using information in the case.

• –2 (Explicitly rejected): The statement is directly contradicted by the case information.

Which levels you should consider depends on how the question is phrased. 

• If it asks for what is "correct", you should select all positively supported options (both +2 and +1). 

• If it demands what is "absolutely true", you must stick strictly to +2 statements. 

• On the other hand, if the question asks what "might explain" a particular outcome, then +1 responses are also valid. 

This nuanced understanding of the scale is critical to navigating CRI questions with accuracy and confidence.

Sample case: Spicy Ramen Truck

To help you fully grasp how the “5-point certainty scale” works in CRI questions, let’s walk through a CRI question in the sample case: Spicy Ramen Truck. 

In this section, we will demonstrate how each answer option can be evaluated based on how strongly it is supported or contradicted by the case information, not by intuition, but through careful logical reasoning.

Case context

Brother Hai is the owner of a night-time spicy instant ramen truck in the downtown of Saigon. He offers common instant ramen cooked with a spice mix of his own formula. The ramen is offered with a variety of toppings: veggies, sausages, and eggs. He is quite well-known in the neighborhood, so well that people would form lines at midnight for one bowl of his ramen.

Last month, however, his customers suddenly dropped sharply, leaving him with only half the usual monthly revenue.

Your task is to help Brother Hai find out what happened, and offer a solution to this predicament.

The following exhibit describes the four variants of ramen sold by Brother Hai.

CRI question

After investigation, we found that the Red bowl and the Yellow bowl saw the largest percentage decline in portions sold (calculated in Question 2). 

So, which of the following options can explain the declines seen in Question 2?

Choose all that apply.  

A. A food poisoning incident caused by Brother Hai's spicy ramen

B. A news report concerning carcinogenic (i.e. cancer-causing) substances in sausages

C. A bad-mouthing competitor spreading rumors about Brother Hai's personality

D. A new night-time pizza truck opening up in the neighborhood

To get the most out of this exercise, we recommend that you take a few minutes to think through the question and come up with your own answer BEFORE reading our explanation.

Correct answer

The correct answer is B. A news report concerning carcinogenic (i.e. cancer-causing) substances in sausages.

Explanation

To answer this question, we grade each option on the 5-point scale from Explicitly Confirmed to Explicitly Rejected.

This question uses the qualifier "can", so we must select options with the "Implicitly Confirmed" (+1) and "Explicitly Confirmed" (+2) grades.

Analyzing the given options, we have this result:

• Options A, C, and D are implicitly rejected because, if they occur, they could lead to a drop in overall revenue, not just for one or two specific variants. 

• Option B is correct because an issue with the sausage would likely cause people to selectively steer away from the ramen that contains the sausage, not other products.

As you can see, solving CRI questions like this doesn’t require any business expertise or background knowledge. The key lies in applying structured reasoning and assessing how well each option fits with the case facts.

Intuition vs Critical-thinking questions

INT questions in the multiple-select format can appear quite similar to CRI questions at first glance. 

Both question types revolve around business-related content and may present answer choices that seem logically connected to a case scenario. Because of this surface-level resemblance, it's easy for candidates to mistake one for the other, especially when under time pressure.

However, despite their similar appearance, these two question types test fundamentally different skills and require different approaches to solve effectively.

This section will clarify the key differences between these two question types, helping you approach each one with the right mindset and strategy.

Question format

At a structural level, the question text in both CRI and INT formats is built using the same four core components:

• Context block: This is the background or setup that helps frame the question.

• Exhibits: These include tables, charts, or diagrams that may provide supporting data for the question.

• Main question prompt: This defines the task or decision the candidate is expected to make.

• Answer format instruction: This tells the candidate how to answer, such as “select all that apply,” “select the fewest,” or “select one.”

Both CRI and INT questions share two common answer formats: multi-select (MS) and single-select (SS), with MS being the most frequently used format for both types. This overlap in format often makes it easy to confuse the two question types at first glance.

Because the overall format is so similar, it’s difficult to distinguish between CRI and INT questions just by looking at how they’re presented. The visual layout and components don’t offer clear clues.

To truly tell them apart, you need to examine what the question is asking you to do, so let’s move on to the next section: Question content.

Question content

In our previous deep dive into INT questions, we learned that these questions tend to rely heavily on business intuition. That is your ability to make sound decisions based on practical business knowledge and experience. 

In contrast, CRI questions are designed to test logical reasoning, using only the information provided in the case and common sense. In this way, CRI questions are more similar to verbal or logical reasoning questions used by other firms, often phrased as “Which of the following is true according to the information given in the text?”

This difference in what the question relies on is the key distinction between INT and CRI. INT tests how well you can make business judgments; CRI tests how logically you can reason through case facts.

Let’s take a closer look using two sample questions from the case: Spicy Ramen Truck. We’ll reuse the case context to start the case. 

Brother Hai is the owner of a night-time spicy ramen truck in downtown Saigon. After a recent slump in business, an investigation reveals that Red Bowl and Yellow Bowl saw the largest percentage drop in sales.

Now consider this CRI-style question:

So, which of the following options can explain the declines seen in Question 2?

Choose all that apply.        

A. A food poisoning incident caused by Brother Hai's spicy ramen

B. A news report concerning carcinogenic (i.e. cancer-causing) substances in sausages

C. A bad-mouthing competitor spreading rumors about Brother Hai's personality

D. A new night-time pizza truck opening up in the neighborhood

This is a classic CRI question. You’re not required to bring in outside business knowledge. Instead, you simply need to evaluate which options logically explain the specific drop in Red and Yellow bowl sales. 

For example, Option B links directly to sausages, a topping that is only present in those variants. In contrast, the other options are too broad and would likely impact all ramen sales, not just specific ones. 

Everything you need to answer is already in the case.

Now compare that to the following INT-style question:

Brother Hai has a family to feed and must quickly find a way to boost his revenue.

Since addressing the causes behind the drop in Red and Yellow bowl sales may take time, which of the following short-term actions would you recommend?

Choose only one best option.

A. Add milk drinks to the menu so it helps counter the heat from his spicy ramen

B. Add a few types of easy-to-make drinks that are commonly eaten in other ramen vendors

C. Raise the price of his ramen to increase revenue

D. Negotiate with suppliers to bring down the price

This question, while set in the same context, is INT. The case does not give you enough information to directly evaluate each option. You must use your business judgment to assess feasibility and impact. 

For example, you might reason that adding complementary drinks (A or B) could increase sales, but you’d need to consider a few real-world business factors, such as how easy it is to prepare those drinks, whether customers would actually want them, and what other similar ramen vendors usually offer. 

This kind of thinking goes beyond what’s written in the case and requires you to apply your own practical judgment.

3 tips for preparation and during the test

To perform well in CRI questions, there are a few key preparation tips and in-test habits you should build.

Practice logical reasoning

The first and foremost step is to practice logical reasoning. 

Logical reasoning is the core skill that CRI questions are designed to assess. This means you need to get comfortable evaluating options based purely on logic and the given information, without relying on any outside knowledge.

For targeted prep, the BCG Casey Simulation by MConsultingPrep is highly recommended, as it closely mirrors the CRI format in the BCG Casey tests and helps you build the exact type of thinking required. If practicing here still does not fully satisfy you, you can also turn to GMAT Critical Reasoning or other tests such as the BCG Potential Test or the PST, which are widely available online.

Improve graph literacy

Another essential skill is graph literacy. 

Since many CRI questions involve exhibits like tables, bar charts, or pie charts, you need to be able to interpret visual data quickly and accurately. 

To improve, start by practicing with common chart types, such as tables, bar charts, line graphs, and pie charts. Then, expose yourself to less frequent formats like stacked bar graphs or scatter plots. 

Reliable practice sources include research and insights published by consulting firms like McKinsey, BCG, and Bain, as well as business publications such as The Economist, Financial Times, and case prep materials like PSTs or the BCG Casey Simulation. 

When approaching any chart, take time to read the title, headings, and legends first. Then describe what the chart is showing, starting with the overall trend before drilling into details. And finally, take note of any outliers or unusual patterns.

Note down key insights after each question

Finally, during the test, it’s a good habit to jot down key insights after each question. 

In CRI tests, questions often build on one another. By keeping brief notes on important takeaways, you make it easier to recall earlier information that might be useful later on. Organize your notes clearly and highlight or circle critical data so you can find it quickly when needed. 

This practice helps reduce errors, saves time, and keeps your thinking structured throughout the case.