Situational Judgment Flashcards
7 cards from real Ohio Civil Service Exam practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Situational Judgment flashcards as text
You are working at a public-facing counter and a citizen you are helping suddenly becomes confused and appears to be experiencing a medical emergency. What is your FIRST action?
Answer: Call for emergency assistance (911 or on-site first aid) immediately
A potential medical emergency requires immediate activation of emergency services as the top priority over all other tasks.
You are asked by your supervisor to complete a task that you believe may be unethical but is not clearly illegal. What is the BEST first step?
Answer: Express your ethical concern to your supervisor and seek clarification on the reasoning and any applicable policy
Raising an ethical concern with your supervisor first gives an opportunity for clarification or correction before escalating.
A coworker confides in you that they have been falsifying their time records and asks you not to tell anyone. What should you do?
Answer: Encourage the coworker to self-report and make clear that you are obligated to report the misconduct if they do not
Encouraging self-reporting while making clear your own reporting obligation is the appropriate balanced response to known misconduct.
You are assigned a long-term project with no interim checkpoints set by your supervisor. How should you manage the project?
Answer: Set your own interim milestones, periodically update your supervisor on progress, and flag issues early
Self-managed milestones and proactive supervisor updates demonstrate initiative and prevent deadline surprises.
During a phone call with a citizen, the citizen becomes threatening and uses profanity directed at you personally. What is the BEST action?
Answer: Calmly warn the citizen that you will end the call if the behavior continues, and do so if it does not stop
A clear warning followed by ending the call if the behavior continues is the appropriate professional boundary for threatening interactions.
You are completing a form for a citizen and realize that filling it out as the citizen requests would result in a benefit they are not entitled to under the rules. What do you do?
Answer: Explain the eligibility rules to the citizen and complete the form accurately based on the facts
Explaining eligibility rules and completing the form accurately fulfills your duty to the citizen and protects program integrity.
Your agency introduces a new software system and you are struggling to adapt while your coworkers seem to manage fine. What is the BEST response?
Answer: Ask a coworker or your supervisor for additional training or guidance to get up to speed
Proactively seeking help when struggling with new tools ensures productivity and shows professional initiative.