problem solving / critical thinking

You use your problem solving and critical thinking in almost every lesson (not just maths!) especially in exams. Often it is your critical thinking and problem solving skills that help you to better understand the subject. These skills in particular will make you highly employable. Many graduate jobs require you to sit assessments before you're considered for the job and these will typically test your verbal and numerical reasoning - in other words, your problem solving and critical thinking.

How you're developing your problem solving skills and critical thinking

You may not notice it, but you're probably already doing a lot of things that show you're a great problem solver. If you're not, then here are some suggestions of how and when you can start developing your problem solving and critical thinking skills.

• Each time you stop to define the problem before you start to try to solve it

• Each time you get round a problem by using your knowledge

• Each time you use your common sense and general knowledge to help you reach the answer in an exam or task

• Each time you use a process of elimination

• Each time you follow instructions carefully

• Each time you ask for help

• Each time you explore problems by thinking about the pros and cons of possible solutions

• Each time you explore complex problems by identifying when there are no simple technical solutions

• Each time you explore complex problems by analysing the causes and effects

• Each time you create solutions for complex problems by generating a range of options

• Each time you evaluate the positive and negative effects of a range of options

• Each time you analyse complex problems by using logical reasoning

• Each time you analyse complex problems by creating and testing hypotheses

• Each time you implement strategic plans to solve complex problems and then assess their success and make adjustments as needed

develop your Critical thinking

By using online courses, you can better understand employability skills and take extra steps to develop any skills you need work on.

To develop your problem solving skills, try these online resources and look for more.

You can keep track of anything you do to develop your employability skills on UNIFROG.

10 Ways to Improve Your Problem-Solving Skills

How to Improve Your Problem-Solving Skills

Build your evidence

You need to be able to prove to future employers or universities that you have the skills they want. Try preparing an example answer to the question: "Can you tell us about a time you've used your problem solving and critical thinking to improve a situation" "Can you tell us about a mistake you've made"

Situation

• Explain the situation you were in.

• Aim to answer the questions ‘what/where/when’, for example, “In the third year of my business studies degree” or “when I was working as a retail assistant in a shop last summer”.

Task

• What did you do, and what did the task or role involve?

• Explain your tasks and responsibilities briefly.

Action

• What did YOU do to meet the objective of/complete the task?

• You might want to cover what you did and how you did it, including what skills you used.

Result

• What was the outcome?

• Did you make a difference?

• Can you quantify this?

Reflection

• What did you do well?

• What didn’t go as well as you’d hoped?

Strengthen

• After reflection, what would you have done differently?

• What could have been improved to achieve an even greater success?