PSEE Situational Judgment and Work Ethics 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which of the following best demonstrates integrity in public service?
- Accepting gifts from contractors when no one is watching
- Following rules only when supervisors are present
- Maintaining consistent ethical conduct regardless of who is observing (Correct answer)
- Sharing government information with friends for personal advantage
Correct answer: Maintaining consistent ethical conduct regardless of who is observing
True integrity in public service means behaving ethically at all times, not just when being observed, as it reflects genuine commitment to public trust.
Question 2: A coworker consistently takes long lunch breaks, causing you to cover their work. What is the MOST appropriate first step?
- Report them to HR immediately
- Start taking long breaks yourself
- Address the issue directly and professionally with your coworker first (Correct answer)
- Post about it on social media
Correct answer: Address the issue directly and professionally with your coworker first
Addressing issues directly with a coworker in a professional manner is the appropriate first step before escalating to management or HR.
Question 3: You receive an email with a link claiming to be from your agency's IT department asking you to verify your password. What should you do?
- Click the link and enter your credentials immediately
- Forward the email to all colleagues as a warning
- Do not click the link; report it to your agency's IT security team as a potential phishing attempt (Correct answer)
- Reply to the email with your password
Correct answer: Do not click the link; report it to your agency's IT security team as a potential phishing attempt
Legitimate IT departments never ask for passwords via email; this is a common phishing attack that should be reported to cybersecurity staff.
Question 4: Which statement best describes the concept of 'conflict of interest' in government service?
- When two employees disagree about work methods
- When a personal interest could improperly influence an official decision (Correct answer)
- When a supervisor and employee have different goals
- When an agency competes with another government body
Correct answer: When a personal interest could improperly influence an official decision
A conflict of interest occurs when a government employee's personal interests could compromise their impartiality and objectivity in making official decisions.
Question 5: You finish your assigned tasks one hour before the end of your shift. What is the most appropriate action?
- Leave work early without telling anyone
- Use the time to browse personal websites
- Inform your supervisor and ask if there are additional tasks that need attention (Correct answer)
- Take a long break in the lounge
Correct answer: Inform your supervisor and ask if there are additional tasks that need attention
Checking with your supervisor when additional time is available demonstrates initiative and commitment to the team's goals.
Question 6: A friend who is applying for a government job asks you to put in a good word with the hiring committee. You serve on that committee. What should you do?
- Advocate strongly for your friend since you know their capabilities
- Disclose the relationship to the committee and recuse yourself from evaluating that application (Correct answer)
- Silently downgrade your friend's application to appear unbiased
- Accept or deny without disclosure since friendships are private
Correct answer: Disclose the relationship to the committee and recuse yourself from evaluating that application
Disclosing personal relationships and recusing yourself from related decisions protects the merit system and demonstrates ethical conduct.
PSEE Situational Judgment and Work Ethics 2
Which of the following best demonstrates integrity in public service?