Logical Fallacy Quiz: Can You Spot the Flawed Argument?

12 real-life arguments. Can you name the trick behind each one? Plain-English explanations after every question — no sign-up.

0 / 12 answered

You point out a flaw in your coworker's plan. He shoots back: "You failed your own project last year — who are you to judge?"

You: "We should have stricter food-safety checks." Them: "So you want to shut down every small restaurant and starve people?"

"Either we cancel the whole trip, or we go broke. Pick one."

"If we let kids use calculators, soon they won't add at all, and eventually nobody will be able to think!"

"This skincare must work — a famous actor swears by it."

"Everyone's buying this coin. You don't want to be the only one left out, right?"

"I met two rude people from that city — people there are all rude."

"The book is true because it says so — and it says so because it's true."

Reporter: "Did your company dump waste in the river?" CEO: "We employ thousands of hardworking people in this town."

Q10

"You HAVE to donate right now — look at these crying children. Don't you have a heart?"

Q11

"You say I should recycle? But you fly on planes all the time!"

Q12

"I wore my lucky socks and we won the game. The socks did it."

Answer all 12 questions to see your result 👆

The 12 fallacies in this quiz (cheat sheet)

Ad Hominem: Attacking the person instead of their argument.
Straw Man: Distorting someone's point into an easier one to attack.
False Dilemma: Pretending there are only two options when there are more.
Slippery Slope: Claiming one small step inevitably leads to disaster.
Appeal to Authority: Treating fame or title as proof, not actual evidence.
Bandwagon: "Everyone does it," so it must be right.
Hasty Generalization: Drawing a big conclusion from a tiny sample.
Circular Reasoning: Using the conclusion as its own proof.
Red Herring: Throwing in an irrelevant distraction to dodge the point.
Appeal to Emotion: Using feelings instead of reasons to persuade.
Tu Quoque: "You do it too" — dodging by pointing at hypocrisy.
False Cause: Assuming that because B followed A, A caused B.

What is a logical fallacy?

A logical fallacy is a flaw in reasoning that makes an argument misleading — even when it sounds convincing. Spotting them is one of the most useful thinking skills you can build: it protects you from manipulative ads, weak arguments, and your own bad calls.

The good news? Most everyday arguments reuse the same dozen fallacies. Learn these 12 and you'll start noticing them everywhere — in debates, marketing, the news, and your group chat.

FAQ

What is a logical fallacy?

A flaw in reasoning that makes an argument invalid or misleading, even when it sounds convincing.

Is this logical fallacy quiz free?

Yes — 12 questions, instant results, no sign-up.

What's the difference between a cognitive bias and a logical fallacy?

A bias is a flaw in how you think; a fallacy is a flaw in how an argument is built.

How many logical fallacies are there?

Dozens, but most everyday arguments use the same ~12–15 — the ones in this quiz.

How can I get better at spotting fallacies?

Practice on real examples — which is exactly what PurrLearn's critical-thinking course does.