COA Assessment & Evaluation Techniques 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A manager wants to assess an office assistant's ability to handle multiple tasks simultaneously. Which evaluation method is MOST appropriate?
- Written knowledge test
- In-basket exercise (Correct answer)
- Peer review survey
- Self-assessment checklist
Correct answer: In-basket exercise
An in-basket exercise simulates real work scenarios where the employee must prioritize and respond to multiple tasks, directly measuring multitasking ability.
Question 2: Which of the following is a primary disadvantage of using only self-assessments in employee evaluations?
- They are too expensive to administer
- They may be inflated due to leniency bias (Correct answer)
- They cannot be used for administrative decisions
- They require extensive training to complete
Correct answer: They may be inflated due to leniency bias
Self-assessments frequently suffer from leniency bias, where employees rate themselves more favorably than objective measures would support.
Question 3: In a 360-degree feedback system, which group provides input that is typically MOST useful for identifying development opportunities?
- Senior executives
- Subordinates (Correct answer)
- Direct supervisor
- External clients
Correct answer: Subordinates
Subordinates observe day-to-day supervisory behaviors and communication styles that supervisors may not see, making their feedback uniquely valuable for development.
Question 4: An office manager notices scores on a skills test cluster around the middle range, with few very high or very low scores. This distribution is called:
- Positive skew
- Negative skew
- Normal distribution (Correct answer)
- Bimodal distribution
Correct answer: Normal distribution
A normal distribution, or bell curve, has most scores clustered around the mean with fewer scores at the extremes.
Question 5: Which evaluation timing strategy involves assessing employee performance continuously rather than only at year-end?
- Summative evaluation
- Formative evaluation (Correct answer)
- Criterion-referenced evaluation
- Norm-referenced evaluation
Correct answer: Formative evaluation
Formative evaluation is ongoing and designed to provide feedback during the process, allowing for course corrections before a final review.
Question 6: When evaluating clerical accuracy, which metric is MOST objective?
- Supervisor's general impression of thoroughness
- Number of data entry errors per 1,000 keystrokes (Correct answer)
- Peer ratings of attention to detail
- Employee's self-reported confidence level
Correct answer: Number of data entry errors per 1,000 keystrokes
Error rate per keystroke is a quantifiable, measurable metric that removes subjective interpretation from accuracy assessment.
Question 7: A COA candidate is asked to evaluate the effectiveness of a new filing system. Which step should come FIRST?
- Survey staff satisfaction with the new system
- Define the criteria and standards for an effective filing system (Correct answer)
- Compare the new system to competing vendors
- Calculate the cost savings of the new system
Correct answer: Define the criteria and standards for an effective filing system
Establishing clear criteria and standards before collecting data ensures the evaluation is focused, consistent, and produces meaningful conclusions.
COA Assessment & Evaluation Techniques 2
A manager wants to assess an office assistant's ability to handle multiple tasks simultaneously.
Which evaluation method is MOST appropriate?