BBC LA County BBC Problem-Solving and Decision-Making 2

Question 1

A clerk receives two urgent requests simultaneously — one from a supervisor and one from a department director. What is the best first step?

Accepted Answer

Inform both parties of the conflict and ask for prioritization guidance

Answer

Complete the supervisor's task first since they assigned it

Answer

Complete whichever task is shorter to free up time

Answer

Ignore the supervisor's request and serve the director

Question 2

You discover a calculation error in a report that has already been distributed to five departments. What should you do first?

Accepted Answer

Notify your supervisor immediately and help prepare a correction

Answer

Wait to see if anyone notices the error

Answer

Quietly correct your personal copy and say nothing

Answer

Blame the error on the person who gave you the original data

Question 3

When analyzing a workplace problem, which approach best ensures you address the root cause rather than just the symptom?

Accepted Answer

Ask 'why' repeatedly to trace the issue back to its origin

Answer

Apply the first solution that comes to mind

Answer

Implement the solution used for a similar past problem

Answer

Escalate every problem immediately to management

Question 4

A coworker asks you to approve a form that requires a supervisor's signature, saying the supervisor is unavailable. What should you do?

Accepted Answer

Refuse and explain that only an authorized supervisor can approve the form

Answer

Sign it yourself to help the coworker meet the deadline

Answer

Leave the signature line blank and submit the form anyway

Answer

Ask another coworker to sign in the supervisor's place

Question 5

You are given a project with unclear instructions. The best course of action is to:

Accepted Answer

Clarify ambiguities with your supervisor before proceeding

Answer

Guess the intent and complete the project your own way

Answer

Do nothing until the instructions are crystal clear

Answer

Ask a coworker to interpret the instructions for you

Question 6

Which of the following is the LEAST effective strategy when you encounter an unfamiliar problem at work?

Accepted Answer

Make a decision based solely on personal instinct without research

Answer

Consult relevant policies and procedures

Answer

Seek guidance from a more experienced colleague

Answer

Break the problem into smaller, manageable parts

Question 7

A database you rely on for daily tasks is down. Your best immediate action is to:

Accepted Answer

Report the outage to IT and identify manual workarounds to maintain productivity

Answer

Wait indefinitely until the system comes back online

Answer

Leave work early since you cannot complete your tasks

Answer

Access a colleague's computer without permission to use their login