Civil Service Administrative Practice Test

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• A line supervisor can play an important role in helping subordinates to make healthy mental, emotional, and social adjustments. Which of the following would not be considered part of the supervisor's role?
• The statement that senior members of a unit require the most attention implies which of the following about supervision and experience?
• Occasionally some of the men in a department will indulge in active horseplay. This should be:
• According to the material, what is the relationship between impartiality and intellectual honesty?
• Of the following, the best measurement of a supervisor's ability to do his job is:
• A newly appointed employee makes blunders apparently regardless of the type of assignments given to him, what should you do first?
• Among the problems that particularly confront a new supervisor in relation to his subordinates, the one which requires the exercise of the most unusual degree of skill and diplomacy is:
• If a unit shifts from rigid control to a participative approach, which step is most appropriate?
• Why should supervisors submit written reports of unusual occurrences promptly?
• Which action best ensures employees understand the rules governing office conduct?
• “Interest is essentially an attitude of continuing attentiveness, found where activity is satisfactorily self-expressive. Whenever work is so circumscribed that the chance for self-expression or development is denied, monotony is present.” On the basis of this quotation, it is most accurate to state that:
• A subordinate supervisor who has quite a following with the workers disagrees with you on a point in administration. What is the best course of action?
• In a day-to-day management context, which practice best promotes warmth in supervisor-subordinate relationships?
• Bureau chief central stenographic unit cooperation emphasis: which point is most appropriate to emphasize?
• If an administrator makes a serious mistake in the details of an order issued to the staff, he or she should:
• Before a division-wide conference, which action by the secretary is least appropriate?
• When expanding clerical staff to handle higher volume, what is a key step to ensure consistent work?
• If, as a supervisor, you find yourself in a position where your authority is not clear and well defined, the first thing you should do is to:
• Of the following, the least justifiable reason for the establishment of a central unit is that:
• Before taking action on adding functions to your unit, which action requires prior approval of your supervisor?
• In general, when dealing with subordinates, an administrator should adopt:
• In teaching a procedure to any member of staff, which method is the most desirable for a supervisor to follow? To teach the procedure by:
• Which statement best describes unified but decentralized hierarchies?
• During instruction of a new, complicated procedure, which approach would be least helpful for subordinates?
• Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of a good administrator?
• As supervisor of a stenographic unit, you find that one stenographer is efficient and another is careless. The most appropriate action for you to take in this matter is to:
• In light of the idea that personal problems can affect job performance, which approach should a supervisor take?
• If it becomes necessary for a supervisor to hold a corrective interview with a worker, good practice dictates that the reprimand should be given:
• During a period of inflation, which characteristic describes what happens to the purchasing power of money?
• Two subordinates who frequently quarrel when paired on tasks can best be addressed by which initial step?
• As the supervisor, what is the most appropriate first step when a transferred employee with a history of uncooperativeness reports to you for work?
• If a supervisor in the department asks his subordinates for suggestions to solve a particular problem they will usually, which of the following is true?
• Which method should be used when correcting unsatisfactory work to help the employee understand and improve?
• In planning training for a new employee, which factor should receive the greatest consideration?
• A supervisor is indefinite in assigning responsibilities for various phases of work. This action is most likely to result in:
• Which practice is recommended for assigning unpleasant routine work to manage morale?
• Participation of operating officials in developing new procedures is generally desirable because:
• You observe a woman performing a task improperly. When you discuss this with her, you are told that her previous superior taught her this method. Of the following, the best action for you to take at this point is to:
• When a worker comes to you with an unusual emergency, and you as the supervisor are unable to consult your superior on the handling of the emergency, the best procedure to follow is to:
• What is the primary purpose of developing written instructions when the workload increases and temporary staff are added?
• Which supervisory duty is most suitable to delegate to an employee?
• When a newly appointed administrator struggles to organize, what is the most appropriate first step?
• To provide stenographic and typing support efficiently when turnover is high, the preferred setup is:
• An employee in your unit consistently completes tasks quickly but carelessly. A supervisor from a unit that is to receive him asks for your assessment. Which response is most appropriate?
• A supervisor praises subordinates for satisfactory aspects of their work only when he or she is about to criticize them for unsatisfactory aspects. Such a practice is undesirable primarily because:
• Assume that you have an employee who is extremely efficient but who is continually complaining about the work assigned. You have noticed that the complaints have a bad effect on the other employees. It would usually be best to:
• Which statement about involving operating officials in plan development is most accurate?
• In making corrections of or criticizing an employee's work, it is least desirable to:
• What is the best single measure of a supervisor's ability to perform his job?
• What is a constructive approach after a subordinate makes a mistake to support improvement?
• If a rule does not clearly cover a matter, what is the recommended course of action?
• Which statement is least accurate about modern concepts of the supervisor-subordinate relationship?
• The immediate task of a supervisor of a clerical staff, augmented by an increase in temporary employees to put out an increased volume of work in accordance with a well-established routine, is to:
• What is the chief advantage of centralizing stenography to a transcribing unit?
• If a subordinate makes a work suggestion that would give better service but would result in gain by some persons and in loss by others, the supervisor should:
• Which practice best fosters worker input for procedure improvements?
• Prior to discussing them with his superior, a supervisor often discusses with his subordinates certain procedures under consideration. Of the following, the principal reason this technique has been found useful is that:
• When a subordinate consistently performs at a higher level, management should focus on recognizing and reinforcing appreciation rather than giving preferential treatment. Which option best reflects this approach?
• If a subordinate does a good piece of work, the best procedure is to:
• In planning to complete a heavy workload, which approach is most effective?
• What is the effect of inconsistent delegation of responsibilities on a team?
• Which statement about trial-and-error learning in training is most accurate?
• If you have an employee who is willing and tries hard but is consistently incompetent, what is the best course of action?
• Which action best promotes a positive supervisor-subordinate relationship in day-to-day management?
• An administrator who pitches in and personally helps out with a rush job would:
• When a subordinate offers a suggestion that is not practical, what is the proper response?
• Which outcome is most likely when responsibilities are not clearly defined?
• The quotation about leadership implies which of the following about leadership and other administrative qualities?
• Often a staff wastes time doing unproductive work as part of a particular routine or in traveling about while working. The first possibility a supervisor should investigate as the cause of this situation is:
• Which of the following statements is not essential for good personnel relations?
• Which statement aligns with modern supervisor-subordinate relationships as described in the material?
• In attempting to correct unsatisfactory work of employees, it will be found most effective:
• Why is impartiality regarded as an important qualification for an administrator?
• In a unit with 40 employees, after breaking the job into simple components and assigning each component, should more than one person be instructed on the procedure to be followed on each component?
• Of the following, the least desirable procedure for an administrator to follow is to:
• Listed below are several administrative duties and a method of accomplishing each duty. While the duties are all correct, only one method of performing the duty is correct. It is:
• When a subordinate proposes a change to a proven procedure, what should the supervisor do first?
• When a new employee suggests a change to a procedure after several years of smooth operation, what is the appropriate response?
• An important responsibility that you have as an administrator is to make certain that all required work is completed on time. Of the following procedures, the one which is most likely to lead to accomplishing this aim is for you to:
• A common problem for administrators who have not organized responsibilities into unified but decentralized hierarchies is that:
• When formulating a plan to make an activity more efficient, which factor should you least regard?
• Which statement best describes effective lines of authority in supervision?
• When arguments arise between employees over the advantage of seating arrangements to give the best light, the best procedure for a supervisor to follow to deal with the situation efficiently and fairly is to:
• After five years of success, a new employee proposes a change in procedure. What should the supervisor do?
• Which statement best supports unity of command within a department?
• Which supervisory practice is not recommended for obtaining prompt performance from staff?
• What is a likely consequence when an administrator is able to admit failures, mistakes, or lack of knowledge?
• To insure accurate copying of long reports from rough-draft originals, which procedure is most effective?
• A supervisor criticizes an employee's work by telling him that he is disappointed with it. The supervisor's method of handling this type of a situation is usually considered:
• One method an administrator may use to correctly evaluate the ability of his workers is to:
• If an administrator must use authority to obtain acceptance of an idea, what is the most probable reason?
• Of the following, the quality which contributes most toward a good supervisor is:
• In order to properly design a form for office use, which consideration should come first?
• An administrator who does not have all the traits for good leadership should:
• Assume you are the supervisor of a stenographic unit. One stenographer discovers an erroneous statement in a letter dictated by a bureau head. Because of prior criticism for rephrasing, what is the best action for you to take?
• If morale is affected because a manager is disliked by workers, the best initial response is to
• In attempting to improve the work habits of the staff, a supervisor's chief concern should be to:
• The suggestion that all the secretaries assigned to the bureau chiefs of a certain agency be transferred to a newly established unit would most probably result in:
• When an employee questions a staffing decision and is upset, what is the best approach?
• If an intelligent employee assigned to a routine job is restless, a supervisor could most probably correct this situation by?
• An employee 'called on the carpet' for poor performance tells his supervisor that his recent behavior has been due to a serious family problem. The supervisor suggests several social agencies which may be able to help him. The supervisor's action was:
• What is the chief advantage of a central transcribing unit compared with the previous arrangement?
• If work is frequently delayed because workers await your arrival to make decisions, what conclusion is most helpful for a supervisor to draw?
• In assessing a subordinate's performance, what should a supervisor emphasize to maintain motivation?
• In developing a plan to increase operational efficiency, which factor should be given the least weight?
• From a supervisory viewpoint the most desirable trait which an employee can have, of the following, would be:
• As the division chief, which policy is best when moving away from rigid controls to allow staff participation?
• What principle of proper supervisory relationship to subordinates is suggested by the old saying 'Twice I did well, and that I heard never, Once I did ill, and that I heard ever'?
• When feedback is delivered by expressing disappointment and pointing out shortcomings, this approach is generally considered:
• Which option is a less justifiable aim of centralizing administrative functions?
• Which statement best describes the impact of giving subordinates a voice in planning procedures?
• Which practice best fosters commitment to personal development as a leader?
• When teaching a new office procedure, which approach is most effective?
• What is the appropriate response when a subordinate performs well?
• When an employee's total work must be criticized, a supervisor can best improve the effect of the criticism by:
• If an administrator finds out that he is disliked by the workers under his supervision, and that the situation is affecting the morale and the efficiency of the department, the best thing the administrator can do is to:
• Of the following responsibilities of a supervisor, the most important is:
• "An administrator should be a leader whom his men will follow with enthusiasm." A competent administrator should realize that this type of leadership is most effectively based upon:
• Of the following, the most valid statement dealing with the relations between supervisors and subordinates in a department is that:
• Of the following, the most important reason for investigating the cause of an accident is to:
• The one of the following qualities which makes an administrator respected by his employees is that he or she is:
• The job interest of the employees in your department is best secured by:
• When a newly appointed employee makes frequent blunders, what is the best initial action?
• If decentralization leads to poor coordination between units, which outcome is most likely?
• In handling errors by staff, the unit head should be most concerned with which goal?
• One implied cause of difficulties in an organization's personnel relations is that its employees:
• Which description best captures the advantage of the pulling-strings management method?
• After a recent promotion, an employee becomes irritable and frequently loses his temper. What is the most advisable first action for the supervisor to take?
• The most productive aid to the administrator in discovering improvements in work procedures is to:
• In supervising a new employee, the one of the following which is not generally accepted as a good basic principle is to:
• Which action best demonstrates leadership by example through supervising to drive ongoing improvement?
• A new employee suggests changing the method of performing a routine job. As an administrator, what should you do?
• Which of the following attitudes is most conducive to cooperation when dealing with subordinates?
• In an unusual emergency where contacting a supervisor would take too long, what is the best procedure to follow?
• Which action best demonstrates leadership by example through supervision aimed at ongoing improvement?
• Which action best supports timely completion of work?
• Generally a good way for an administrator to retain the confidence of his subordinates is to:
• If a situation arises that is not clearly covered by rules and regulations, what is the recommended course of action?
• A newly promoted individual discovers that a subordinate with greater seniority resents him. How can he best win the respect and cooperation of the subordinate?
• You notice that one employee stops work an hour before quitting time although he produces as much work as his fellow workers. As supervisor you should:
• An organization which provides full information about itself to its employees is most likely to:
• When a subordinate on routine work requests a change to increase engagement, what is the most appropriate response?
• Which statement best reflects the idea that leadership can compensate for deficiencies in other administrative qualities?
• Which statement accurately describes the effect of inflation on the purchasing power of money?
• To maintain the best morale in his or her staff, a supervisor should?
• Which principle best explains the need for explicit lines of authority and defined duties?
• A good way of obtaining high quality work from the department is for the administrator to:
• What is the supervisor's best starting point to resolve unclear authority over subordinates?
• If two workers argue about seating and lighting, what is the fairest corrective measure?
• When instructing staff on a revised procedure, which approach is least helpful?
• When subordinates request advice on solving problems, a bureau chief sometimes asks for their input. This behavior is best described as:
• The difference between an ordinary supervisor focused only on getting the work done and a constructive supervisor who develops favorable attitudes lies in which idea?
• What is the stated advantage of the approach where the leader steps back and lets others take charge only when necessary?
• When an unpleasant routine job is to be assigned, to whom should it generally be assigned?
• The best method of handling an employee who is chronically dissatisfied is to:
• If an order contains a serious error, the prudent action is to
• If you face a situation where guidance is not clearly provided by policy, what should you do?
• An employee reports an accident to the office by phone and notes the name of the recipient and the time. What is the purpose of this precaution?
• The staff of a unit has been wasteful in the use of stationary, paper, and other office supplies. Of the following, the most desirable action for the supervisor to take to reduce this waste is to first:
• All but one of the following are considered sound principles to follow in leading workers. The one which is not considered a sound principle is:
• When reviewing records, you notice that a certain worker's assignments consistently take longer than others; what is the best action to take?
• What is the greatest work incentive that a supervisor should recognize?
• If a supervisor needs to enforce rules that are unpopular, what is the best approach?
• Which circumstance most strongly indicates to a supervisor the need for a personal conference with an individual under supervision?
• Which statement describes the value of keeping records of your jobs for future references?
• When an employee comes to the administrator's office to discuss a personal matter, what is the recommended approach?
• What best supports the statement that supervisors should be careful what they say in the presence of subordinates?
• If a supervisor has criticized one of his subordinates for making a mistake, the supervisor should:
• On being promoted to a supervisory position, an individual should recognize that the position is primarily one of:
• In improving work habits, what should be the supervisor's primary approach?
• If a supervisor omits thefts from his reports, what is the best course of action?
• From the viewpoint of an administrator, the chief value of authority is its use as a means of:
• The chief task of a supervisor of a trained clerical staff with the normal work load to perform is to:
• For a new supervisor, which task requires the most diplomacy?
• Which practice best supports fairness and impartiality in supervision?
• Which behavior is most likely to undermine efficiency in a team setting?
• For stenographic and typing services within a division facing turnover, the most satisfactory arrangement is:
• Following the practice of praising only when about to criticize is undesirable because:
• Which action best demonstrates a supervisor's focus on developing both skill and attitude?
• If an administrator is able to admit failures, mistakes, or lack of knowledge, he or she usually:
• Which statement best restates the preventive approach for administrators?
• Which practice would be considered poor supervision?
• If one of your subordinates does not produce an exceptionally fine piece of work, what is usually the best approach?
• When one exceeds the span of control in a department, it is almost inevitable to have:
• What is the recommended approach to mistakes by a new employee during onboarding?
• A supervisor who has good supervisory ability will have a group of subordinates who:
• When delegating a task to subordinates, what is the best practice?
• Suppose an employee makes a suggestion to you that is ridiculous. Of the following, the most proper action by you should be to:
• A chief staff officer, serving as one of the immediate advisors to the department head, has demonstrated a special capacity for achieving internal agreements and for sound judgment. Developments such as this are:
• The supervisor has a reputation as a "conscientious officer." The best example of this statement is that such officer:
• On returning from vacation and finding a replacement administrator changed your methods, what is the best approach?
• To gain the respect of a long-tenured employee after promotion, which approach is most effective?
• When bureau chiefs must meet an urgent deadline and overtime stenography is requested, how should the central transcribing unit respond?
• The recommendation to discontinue interviews with dissatisfied employees and handle grievances in writing only is best described as...
• What is the best way for an administrator to get prompt and effective service from subordinates?
• The major function of all administrators with regard to the departmental policies is to:
• When giving corrective feedback, which practice is recommended?
• Of the following, the most significant quality in relation to good supervision is:
• The direct, immediate guidance and control of subordinates in the performance of their tasks is called:
• When conducting an interview to discuss unsatisfactory aspects of a generally satisfactory employee's work, what is the most effective opening?
• In an organization, which method is ordinarily most effective for obtaining conformance to office rules and regulations?
• Assume that you have a woman in your department who is very conscientious and does more and better work than anyone else. In this case, as her supervisor, you should:
• Which statement best demonstrates effective leadership by a supervisor?
• When informing a generally satisfactory supervisor that some aspects of his work are unsatisfactory, what is the most effective interview approach?
• A man under you supervision complains against a decision you have made in assigning staff. You consider the matter to be unimportant but it seems to be very important to him. He is excited and very angry. The best way to handle this case is to:
• The administrator best exemplifies leadership ability by:
• If an employee is emotionally upset when he comes to a supervisor with a problem, the supervisor should, in most instances:
• If you never receive any problem reports from subordinates, what is the most probable reason?
• What is the best way for an administrator to stay informed about new regulations?
• The most basic of the following duties of a supervisor is that of:
• A supervisor can best develop an employee's understanding of a job and his skill in performing by:
• Normally, operating personnel tend to resist and resent changes or innovation in existing procedures. To the supervisor, the most basic solution to this problem is to:
• Generally the best procedure for a supervisor to follow to get a planned heavy work load completed is to:
• "Subordinates must obey orders without delay or question, but at the same time the administrator takes on a definite responsibility." Of the following, the most acceptable statement concerning such responsibility is that the administrator should:
• In a department facing a staffing shortage due to an employee's failure to report, what should you do first?
• On the basis of the quote about interest and monotony, which statement is most accurate?
• If a supervisor omits a major problem from reports, what is the most appropriate supervisory response?
• A sound organization may be said to exist when:
• Based on the quotation that 'The successful administrator wins victories through preventive rather than through curative action,' which statement is most accurate?
• According to the above paragraph, in order for an organization to have good personnel relations, it is not essential that:
• Before implementing a new procedure to check the accuracy of subordinates' work, what is the most important consideration?
• An organization which provides full information about itself to its employees is most closely associated with which outcome?
• Upon promotion to administrator in a well-running organization, what is the most appropriate initial approach to gain goodwill?
• Supervisors were cautioned not to seek popularity at the expense of efficiency. This caution rests on the assumption that which of the following is true?
• When establishing a central check on subordinates' work, which factor is most important to consider before implementing the procedure?
• Direct, immediate guidance and control of subordinates in the performance of their tasks is achieved through which supervisory function?
• A line supervisor's role includes which of the following?
• Which action best promotes a positive supervisor-subordinate relationship in day-to-day management?
• Suggestions on improving methods of work when submitted by a new employee should be:
• The improvement in skill and the development of proper attitudes are essential factors in building correct work habits. Which of the following is the most valid implication for a supervisor?
• It is a serious mistake to assume that a weak person in charge of a division can be bolstered by surrounding him with one or more subordinate supervisors who are of known ability. This solution is poor primarily because the:
• Which practice best reflects the essence of servant leadership?
• Under the best administrative conditions, 'authority' becomes a problem of:
• Although it is not necessary to list and define every supervisory responsibility, it is essential for an individual placed in a supervisory position first to:
• To be a leader whom his men will follow with enthusiasm, a competent administrator should rely on:
• In management, the principle of preventing errors emphasizes what focus?
• Why is it important to note the name of the recipient and the time when reporting an accident by phone?
• To keep employees engaged, the most effective approach is to