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Reasoning · reflection

Cognitive Reflection Task (CRT)

Three short math/word problems with answers that "feel" right but aren't. The original Frederick (2005) CRT plus three bonus questions. Type your first instinct — then your final answer after reflection.

What makes this one different

Standard CRT just counts correct answers. We capture your first instinct separately from your final answer. The gap between them measures how well you can override an intuitive response — that's the actual cognitive signal.

Question 1 / 6
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Results

Correct first instinct
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Correct final
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Reflection gain
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Reflection gain = correct final − correct first instinct. If it's positive, you actually overrode impulses. If zero, your instincts are either already good or you didn't stop to think.

History

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What problem does it solve?

Shane Frederick's 2005 CRT is famous for a reason: it isolates cognitive reflection — the ability to recognize that an intuitive answer is wrong and override it. It's just three questions, but it correlates with a wide range of rational-thinking measures: probabilistic reasoning, expected-value calculations, even some religious-belief statistics.

Who is this for

How to interpret your results

3/3 on the original Frederick CRT is the median for MIT students. 0/3 is normal for the general population.

Reflection gain > 0 means you actually overrode impulses. = 0 means your instincts are well-calibrated (or you didn't stop to think).

Limitations

  • Once you've seen the answers, you can't unsee them. We randomize which 3 of 6 you see to limit memorization effects.
  • CRT scores are not a measure of IQ. They're a measure of one specific kind of reflective override.
  • Cultural familiarity with the problem format affects performance.

FAQ

Why do the questions feel like trick questions?

That's the point. They expose the gap between fast intuitive thinking and slower reflective thinking. If a question doesn't trick you, your reflective system is online.

What if I get all 6 right on first instinct?

Either you've seen them before, or your intuitive system happens to match the correct mathematical answer — both fine. The reflection gain metric still applies to questions where your first instinct was wrong.

How do I use Cognitive Reflection Task (CRT) step by step without mistakes?Follow the order given in the usage section: Three (plus three bonus) classic trick problems that test whether you answer intuitively or stop and reflect. We log your first instinct vs. your final answer. The step-by-step part matters less than the unit check that sits inside it. Confirm every unit matches the thing you are actually trying to measure before you press calculate - that single check catches more wrong answers than any other habit, and it costs about ten seconds.
What are the common mistakes when using Cognitive Reflection Task (CRT)?Most common mistakes come down to four habits: entering 20 when the field expects 0.2 because the field is a percentage; leaving a field blank and accepting the default without checking what it stands for; changing one input and reading a result that was calculated before the change; and quoting the output as an exact figure when the page describes it as a reference estimate. Press calculate again after any edit, and treat the number as a reference point rather than a final answer.
How do I read the result from Cognitive Reflection Task (CRT)?Read the final figure first, then come back to this section for the conditions behind it: 3/3 on the original Frederick CRT is the median for MIT students. 0/3 is normal for the general population. Reflection gain > 0 means you actually overrode impulses. = 0 means your instincts are well-calibrated (or you didn't stop to think). Keep two things apart: the number itself, which comes from the values you typed, and the assumptions it depends on, which decide whether that number is meaningful. The page sets out what a higher or lower result means for your case, so check that direction as well as the magnitude.
Can I act on the Cognitive Reflection Task (CRT) result directly?Treat it as one reference sheet before you decide, rather than as the answer itself: Once you've seen the answers, you can't unsee them. We randomize which 3 of 6 you see to limit memorization effects. CRT scores are not a measure of IQ. They're a measure of one specific kind of reflective override. Cultural familiarity with the problem format The output describes a magnitude under the conditions you entered. It does not include what it actually costs to act, what might change while you act, or how the other side behaves. Before you commit, compare the result against reality and note which assumptions do not hold where you are.