CLBA - Canadian Language Benchmark Assessment Responding to Spoken Instructions Questions and Answers

Question 1

A supervisor tells an employee: "First, please take these boxes to the mailroom.
After that, come back to my desk for your next task." What is the most effective immediate response to confirm understanding?

Accepted Answer

Repeating the instructions back: "Okay, boxes to the mailroom first, then back to your desk."

Answer

Saying, "Okay, I will," and leaving immediately.

Answer

Asking, "What is the next task?"

Answer

Writing the instructions down in a notebook without saying anything.

Question 2

You are on a phone call receiving technical support. The agent gives you a series of 5 steps to fix an issue with your computer, but they are speaking very quickly. Which of the following is the most appropriate and effective request?

Accepted Answer

"Could you please repeat that more slowly? I want to make sure I follow the steps correctly."

Answer

"You are talking too fast."

Answer

"I don't understand anything you're saying."

Answer

"Just send me an email instead."

Question 3

A team leader gives the following verbal instruction for a new task: "I need everyone to review the client feedback from the last month, identify the top three complaints, and then brainstorm at least five potential solutions for our meeting this afternoon." What is a critical error an employee might make if they only heard the first part of the instruction?

Accepted Answer

Only identifying the top three complaints without brainstorming solutions.

Answer

Forgetting to check the date of the feedback.

Answer

Brainstorming solutions before identifying complaints.

Answer

Asking a colleague for their opinion on the feedback.

Question 4

You receive a voicemail from a clinic: "This is a reminder for your appointment tomorrow at 10:30 AM with Dr. Smith. Please use the west entrance as the main lobby is closed for cleaning, and remember to bring your health card." What action is required based on these instructions?

Accepted Answer

Entering the clinic through the west entrance.

Answer

Calling back to confirm the time.

Answer

Arriving early to find the correct entrance.

Answer

Emailing a copy of your health card in advance.

Question 5

Which of the following best describes a key difference in following spoken instructions between a person at CLB Stage I (Benchmarks 1-4) and a person at CLB Stage II (Benchmarks 5-8)?

Accepted Answer

A person at Stage I typically needs instructions to be simple and related to immediate needs, often with gestures, while a person at Stage II can follow more complex, multi-step instructions on a wider range of topics.

Answer

A person at Stage I can follow no instructions, while a person at Stage II can follow simple ones.

Answer

A person at Stage I can only follow instructions in a face-to-face conversation, while a person at Stage II can follow them over the phone.

Answer

A person at Stage II never needs instructions to be repeated, while a person at Stage I always does.

Question 6

A manager is explaining a new digital filing process and says, "Save all invoices as PDFs in the 'Client Accounts' folder, and use the naming convention 'ClientName_InvoiceNumber_Date'." You are unsure what format the date should be in (e.g., YYYY-MM-DD or DD-MM-YY). What is the most proactive response?

Accepted Answer

Asking a clarifying question immediately, such as "Could you please specify the date format you'd like us to use?"

Answer

Guessing which date format to use.

Answer

Waiting to see how other colleagues format the date.

Answer

Ignoring the date part of the file name.

A supervisor tells an employee: "First, please take these boxes to the mailroom.After that, come back to my desk for your next task." What is the most effective immediate response to confirm understanding?

A supervisor tells an employee: "First, please take these boxes to the mailroom.
After that, come back to my desk for your next task." What is the most effective immediate response to confirm understanding?