launch exams
Critical Argument, First Principles, Probabilistic, and Systems Thinking lead the first release.
Free Vidbyte diagnostic
You've been tested on what you know. This tests how you think.
Most tests measure stored knowledge. The Reasoning Evaluator measures the thinking patterns underneath learning: how you break down claims, update beliefs, spot causes, model systems, and escape bad frames.
- 12
reasoning types
- 8-12
scenario questions per exam
- 0
signup required to begin
Why this exists
The upstream problem is not effort. It is using the wrong cognitive tool.
Even ambitious learners get stuck when they apply analogy to a causal problem, certainty to a probabilistic one, or linear fixes to a system with feedback loops. The evaluator makes those invisible reasoning habits visible, then gives each one a name, score, and path forward.
point score
Each result combines answer quality, reasoning quality, and confidence calibration.
day local save
Unauthenticated results can persist locally before account creation unlocks the full Fingerprint.
Pick a mode
Start with the reasoning type most likely to be limiting you.
Each card represents a standalone diagnostic. The first four are the recommended launch set; the rest form the complete Reasoning Fingerprint.
Launch examStarts in 2 minutes
Critical Argument Analysis
Tests whether you can map premises, detect weak inference, name fallacies, and steel-man before critique.
Rarely developed01
- Premise identification
- Validity detection
- Fallacy naming
- Steel-manning
Launch examStarts in 2 minutes
First Principles Reasoning
Tests whether you can break a problem down to foundational truths before reasoning back up.
Rarely developed02
- Assumption identification
- Decomposition depth
- Reconstruction quality
- Independence from convention
Launch examStarts in 2 minutes
Probabilistic and Bayesian Reasoning
Tests whether you can think in probabilities, update beliefs, respect base rates, and avoid overconfidence.
Rarely developed03
- Base rate sensitivity
- Bayesian updating
- Overconfidence detection
- Calibration
Launch examStarts in 2 minutes
Systems Thinking
Tests whether you can see feedback loops, delays, leverage points, and second-order effects.
Rarely developed04
- Feedback loop identification
- Delay recognition
- Leverage point identification
- Second-order thinking
Next waveStarts in 2 minutes
Causal Reasoning
Tests whether you can separate correlation from mechanism and reason back to root causes.
Rarely developed05
- Confounding detection
- Mechanism specificity
- Reverse causation detection
- Causal depth
Next waveStarts in 2 minutes
Strategic and Game-Theoretic Reasoning
Tests whether you can model other agents, incentives, credible signals, and stable outcomes.
Rarely developed06
- Perspective-taking depth
- Dominant strategy identification
- Equilibrium recognition
- Sequential reasoning
Next waveStarts in 2 minutes
Deductive Reasoning
Tests whether you can apply general rules to specific cases and derive necessary conclusions.
Sometimes developed07
- Validity vs truth
- Conditional reasoning
- Negation handling
- Complexity scaling
Next waveStarts in 2 minutes
Analogical Reasoning
Tests whether you can transfer deep structure between domains and spot where the analogy breaks.
Unevenly developed08
- Structural similarity
- Transfer fidelity
- Breakdown identification
- Analogy generation
Final waveStarts in 2 minutes
Inductive Reasoning
Tests whether you can generalize from patterns while respecting sample size and selection bias.
Sometimes developed09
- Pattern fidelity
- Generalization calibration
- Alternative hypothesis generation
- Sample bias detection
Final waveStarts in 2 minutes
Counterfactual Reasoning
Tests whether you can evaluate what would have happened under conditions that did not occur.
Rarely developed10
- Minimal change principle
- Decision vs outcome quality
- Counterfactual scope
- Hindsight bias detection
Final waveStarts in 2 minutes
Mental Models Application
Tests whether you can select the right cognitive framework and avoid stretching it past its domain.
Rarely developed11
- Model selection
- Application fidelity
- Misapplication detection
- Model combination
Final waveStarts in 2 minutes
Lateral and Reframing Reasoning
Tests whether you can escape a problem's hidden frame and open solution spaces others miss.
Rarely developed12
- Constraint identification
- Reframe quality
- Solution space expansion
- Depth of lateral move
Exam flow
The test is built to reveal the route your mind takes.
Scenario questions, confidence ratings, and structured justifications expose reasoning quality instead of rewarding lucky answers.
Choose one reasoning type
Start with the exam that matches the decisions, subjects, or recurring mistakes you care about most.
Work through real scenarios
Answer practical situations that reveal how you reason, not whether you memorized a logic definition.
Rate your confidence
Confidence ratings expose overconfidence and underconfidence, turning calibration into part of the diagnosis.
Read your Reasoning Profile
Get a score, sub-dimension breakdown, plain-English diagnosis, and concrete exercises for improvement.
Results profile
The output tells users where their reasoning breaks down and why.
A useful diagnostic has to be specific enough that the user recognizes themselves in it.
The Score
A direct score out of 100 with a clinical verdict, percentile context, and no vague encouragement.
The Breakdown
Sub-dimension bars show whether the failure was decomposition, base rates, feedback loops, mechanism specificity, or another precise skill.
The Diagnosis
A narrative explanation cites the user's answer patterns and explains where reasoning broke down.
The Path Forward
Three daily exercises target the weak reasoning pattern with a clear mechanism for improvement.
Conversion gate
One exam gives you a score. Twelve exams give you a Reasoning Fingerprint.
The full Fingerprint maps all twelve reasoning types in one radar chart, showing which gaps are most affecting learning speed. Creating a free Vidbyte account unlocks the saved profile and makes it the user's diagnostic homepage.
Sequenced release
Launch sequence
The first release focuses on the four most search-rich and immediately relatable exams, then expands in two later waves.
Wave 1
Initial launch
Critical Argument Analysis, First Principles, Probabilistic, Systems Thinking
Wave 2
Eight weeks later
Causal, Strategic, Deductive, Analogical
Wave 3
Eight weeks after wave 2
Inductive, Counterfactual, Mental Models, Lateral/Reframe
Questions
Reasoning Evaluator FAQ
The questions users ask before they trust a cognitive diagnostic.
What does the Reasoning Evaluator test?
Vidbyte's Reasoning Evaluator tests how you think across twelve reasoning types, including first principles, systems thinking, probabilistic reasoning, causal reasoning, and critical argument analysis.
Is this a knowledge test or an IQ test?
No. The evaluator is not measuring memorized facts or fixed intelligence. It uses scenario-based questions to diagnose reasoning habits that can be practiced and improved.
Do I need an account to take a reasoning exam?
No. The initial reasoning exams are designed to be free and no-signup. Account creation is only needed to save results and unlock the full Reasoning Fingerprint.
What is a Reasoning Fingerprint?
The Reasoning Fingerprint is a radar-style profile that maps your relative strengths and weaknesses across all twelve reasoning types.
How are written responses evaluated?
Open responses are intended to be evaluated against structured rubrics for each reasoning type, scoring reasoning quality rather than polished vocabulary.
Which reasoning exams should I start with?
Most users should start with Critical Argument Analysis, First Principles, Probabilistic Reasoning, or Systems Thinking because those four reveal the most common high-impact thinking gaps.
Start with one exam
Find the thinking pattern that is slowing down your learning.
Take the first reasoning exam, read the diagnosis, then build toward the full Fingerprint as more exams come online.