WGU D265: Critical Thinking: Reason and Evidence
D265 is the current critical thinking course on newer WGU plans (the successor to the retired C168), covering argument analysis, the Toulmin model, evidence evaluation, biases, and fallacies. It ends in an OA.
Fennie is independent and not affiliated with Western Governors University. This is an unofficial study guide.
What makes it hard
The fallacy-and-bias catalog is the memorization load, and the OA presents arguments to classify rather than terms to define. The Toulmin model's parts (claim, grounds, warrant) get tested structurally, and students who learned definitions without practicing on passages misfire under time pressure.
What you'll cover
- • Argument structure and the Toulmin model
- • Deductive and inductive reasoning
- • Logical fallacies
- • Cognitive biases
- • Evaluating evidence and sources
The D265 study guide
How to study for WGU D265, step by step.
- 1
Take the pre-assessment first
Strong readers sometimes pass the PA cold. Whatever you miss almost certainly lives in the fallacy catalog or the Toulmin structure questions.
- 2
Learn the Toulmin parts on real arguments
Claim, grounds, warrant, backing: practice labeling them in actual passages, because the OA tests the structure on examples, not as definitions.
- 3
Memorize fallacies and biases with examples
Each fallacy needs a name, a definition, and a memorable example. The example is what surfaces during a timed classification question.
- 4
Classify fresh passages daily
The OA's core move is handing you an argument and asking what's wrong with it. Short daily classification practice builds the speed rereading never will.
- 5
Retake the PA, then book the OA
Most students are ready inside two weeks. A comfortable pre-assessment pass means schedule now rather than over-reviewing.
Today's D265 plan
What a Fennie Daily Plan looks like for D265. Yours is built from your syllabus and adapts every day to your deadlines and progress.
- Review: Logical fallaciesReview · 25 min
Work back through the D265 material on logical fallacies. In the app, Fennie builds this from your own notes and syllabus.
- Practice: Cognitive biasesPractice · 20 min
Targeted problems on cognitive biases, the kind D265 actually tests.
- Quick quiz: Evaluating evidence and sourcesQuiz · 10 min
Five generated questions to expose weak spots on evaluating evidence and sources before the exam does.
- Preview: Argument structure and the Toulmin modelPreview · 10 min
A first pass over argument structure and the toulmin model so the next session starts from familiar ground.
First plan free, no card required. Fennie is independent and unaffiliated with your school.
FAQ
Is WGU D265 hard?
No. It's a gentler gen-ed. The memorization is the fallacy-and-bias catalog, and practicing classification on real passages makes the OA straightforward.
Is D265 the same as C168?
D265 is the current critical thinking course that replaced the retired C168 on newer degree plans, adding the Toulmin model emphasis. Students search both codes.
How long does D265 take?
Typically 1-2 weeks. Daily classification practice is the accelerator; passive rereading is the delay.
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