3M Assessment Tests

3M Situational Judgement Test

1. Question 1 of 10

   You are a receptionist at a physiotherapy practice. At 11am the practice’s online booking system goes down; patients are ringing and cannot book. A patient in the waiting room needs her follow-up appointments arranged before she leaves, which takes ten minutes. Your practice manager wants the insurance paperwork for three patients completed today, taking an hour. The IT contractor answers within minutes when called. Which response below would be most effective, and which would be least effective?

   1. Take patients' details by phone and tell them the practice will call back to book when the system returns, without reporting the outage to the IT contractor.
   2. Book the waiting patient's follow-up appointments first since she is in front of you, then ring the IT contractor and start the insurance paperwork.
   3. Ring the IT contractor about the booking system straight away, book the waiting patient's follow-ups while you wait for them, and do the insurance paperwork afterwards.
   4. Start the insurance paperwork since your manager wants it today, and deal with the booking system and the waiting patient as the morning allows.
   Show the answer

   Most effective: C. Ring the IT contractor about the booking system straight away, book the waiting patient's follow-ups while you wait for them, and do the insurance paperwork afterwards.

   Least effective: A. Take patients' details by phone and tell them the practice will call back to book when the system returns, without reporting the outage to the IT contractor.

   A: Fails to escalate a genuine fault: it builds a manual workaround for an outage nobody has been told about, so the system stays down all day and the backlog grows with it.

   B: Delays the decision: the contractor answers in minutes and then works in the background, so calling first costs almost nothing and starts a repair that every ringing patient is waiting on.

   D: Substitutes own judgement for the stakeholder's: an hour of paperwork due at some point today is put ahead of a system outage affecting every patient trying to book and a patient waiting at the desk.

   The most effective response is to ring the IT contractor about the booking system straight away, book the waiting patient’s follow-ups while you wait for them, and do the insurance paperwork afterwards: the contractor answers within minutes and then works in the background, so that call sets the longest-running fix going at almost no cost, and the ten minutes with the patient fits neatly into the wait. The paperwork has the rest of the day. It beats booking her follow-up appointments first because she is in front of you, since the call is the thing that unblocks everyone else and takes moments. It beats starting the insurance paperwork because your manager wants it today, because an hour of paperwork with a whole day available should not precede an outage affecting every patient trying to book. The least effective response is taking details by phone for a callback without reporting the outage at all: it manages the symptoms of a fault nobody has been told about, so it persists all day and the callback list grows. That is worse than the other two, which sequence badly but do not leave the fault unreported. The principle: start the fix with the longest lead time first, then use the waiting time for the people in front of you.

2. Question 2 of 10

   You work in a picture framing shop. A customer brought in a print for framing, promised for Saturday, for a birthday on Sunday. On Thursday you discover the moulding she chose is discontinued and none is left. A very similar moulding is in stock and could be ready for Saturday. She is contactable by phone. Your shop owner is in this afternoon. Which response below would be most effective, and which would be least effective?

   1. Say nothing and carry on looking for the original moulding, and tell her on Saturday if none has turned up by then.
   2. Ring her today, explain the moulding is discontinued, describe the similar one that could still be ready for Saturday, and ask which she would prefer.
   3. Frame the print in the similar moulding so it is ready for Saturday, and explain the substitution when she comes in to collect it.
   4. Ring her to say there is a problem with the moulding she chose and that you will call back once you have looked into what else is available.
   Show the answer

   Most effective: B. Ring her today, explain the moulding is discontinued, describe the similar one that could still be ready for Saturday, and ask which she would prefer.

   Least effective: A. Say nothing and carry on looking for the original moulding, and tell her on Saturday if none has turned up by then.

   A: Hides the problem / silent deadline slip: she needs the frame for a birthday on Sunday, and being told on Saturday that it does not exist leaves her no time at all. Searching quietly is not a reason for silence.

   C: Substitutes own judgement for the stakeholder's: she chose that moulding deliberately, and framing it in another and explaining at collection presents her with a decision already taken and a frame already cut.

   D: Delays the decision: you already know the moulding is discontinued and that a close alternative could meet Saturday, so calling without those facts leaves her unable to decide and shortens her time.

   The most effective response is to ring her today, explain the moulding is discontinued, describe the similar one that could still be ready for Saturday, and ask which she would prefer: she chose that moulding herself, the substitution changes what she ordered, and on Thursday she still has time to pick the alternative or take the print elsewhere. Giving her the facts and the option is what preserves the choice. It beats framing the print in the similar moulding and explaining the substitution at collection, because that takes the decision out of her hands. It beats ringing to say there is a problem and that you will call back once you know what else is available, because you already hold everything she needs to decide. The least effective response is carrying on looking for the original and telling her on Saturday if none turns up: it leaves her expecting a frame for a Sunday birthday and tells her only when nothing can be done. That is worse than the substitution, which at least delivers a frame, and worse than the holding call, which at least makes contact. The principle: when what someone ordered is no longer possible, tell them at once, tell them what is possible instead, and let them choose.

3. Question 3 of 10

   You work on the security desk of an office building. A contractor asks to be let into the server room, saying he is booked to replace a faulty switch and is running late. He has no work order and is not on today’s authorised list, but he knows the IT manager’s name and is wearing a company uniform. The IT manager is contactable by phone. Your security supervisor is on site. Which response below would be most effective, and which would be least effective?

   1. Escort him to the server room and stay with him while he works, so that access is supervised even though he is not on the authorised list.
   2. Let him in, since he knows the IT manager by name, is in company uniform and is clearly expected, and note the visit in the log for the record.
   3. Turn him away and tell him to rebook through the proper channel, since he is not on the authorised list and has no work order.
   4. Ask him to wait in reception while you ring the IT manager to confirm the visit, and tell your security supervisor what you are doing.
   Show the answer

   Most effective: D. Ask him to wait in reception while you ring the IT manager to confirm the visit, and tell your security supervisor what you are doing.

   Least effective: B. Let him in, since he knows the IT manager by name, is in company uniform and is clearly expected, and note the visit in the log for the record.

   A: Breaches confidentiality or process: supervision is not authorisation. An unverified visitor is in the server room either way, and standing beside him does not establish that he should be there.

   B: Acts on assumptions without checking: a name and a uniform are precisely what someone seeking unauthorised access would present, and the one person who could confirm it is a phone call away. Logging it afterwards records the failure rather than preventing it.

   C: Applies the rule without using it: the list is a control, not the only source of truth, and a genuine engineer is sent away with a failed switch unfixed when a two-minute call would have settled it.

   The most effective response is to ask him to wait in reception while you ring the IT manager to confirm the visit, and tell your security supervisor what you are doing: the authorised list is the control and the IT manager can extend it, so a short wait and a phone call resolves the question either way. Telling your supervisor means the decision is not yours alone. It beats turning him away and telling him to rebook through the proper channel, because that applies the rule correctly and wastes a genuine visit when verification takes two minutes. It beats escorting him to the server room and staying with him, because that grants the access first and verifies nothing; being watched is not the same as being authorised. The least effective response is letting him in because he knows the IT manager by name and is in uniform: it grants server room access on the strength of the two things easiest for an unauthorised visitor to produce, and records it afterwards. That is worse than escorting him, which at least supervises, and worse than turning him away, which at least refuses. The principle: when someone falls outside a control, verify with the person who owns it before deciding either way.

4. Question 4 of 10

   You are an administrator at a care home. Your manager has asked you to finish the monthly staffing rota by Friday; it is Tuesday. At 10am a relative rings to say she is visiting this afternoon and needs to know whether her father’s care plan review has been booked, because she must arrange time off work. Finding out takes about fifteen minutes. Your manager is on site. Which response below would be most effective, and which would be least effective?

   1. Tell the relative you will ask your manager to call her back about the care plan review, since she knows the residents and can answer the question far more fully than you could.
   2. Carry on with the rota, since your manager set a Friday deadline for it, and leave the relative's question until you have the rota finished and can look into it properly.
   3. Tell the relative that care plan reviews are usually booked six- monthly, so her father's is probably due soon, and suggest she asks at reception when she visits this afternoon.
   4. Take her number, check the care plan review booking now since it takes about fifteen minutes, ring her back this morning, and carry on with the rota afterwards.
   Show the answer

   Most effective: D. Take her number, check the care plan review booking now since it takes about fifteen minutes, ring her back this morning, and carry on with the rota afterwards.

   Least effective: B. Carry on with the rota, since your manager set a Friday deadline for it, and leave the relative's question until you have the rota finished and can look into it properly.

   A: Passes responsibility to others: it moves a fifteen-minute check onto a manager who has not been asked, and leaves the relative waiting on a call that may not come before this afternoon.

   B: Ignores the customer's actual need: a fifteen-minute question is parked behind a task with three days of slack, and the relative is trying to book time off today. Nothing is gained by the delay.

   C: Acts on assumptions without checking: it answers with a general pattern instead of the booking, and asks her to chase it herself on a visit she is trying to plan around.

   The most effective response is to take her number, check the care plan review booking now, and ring her back this morning: the question takes fifteen minutes and has a deadline of this afternoon, while the rota has three days in hand, so doing the short urgent thing first costs the rota almost nothing. It beats asking your manager to call her back about the review, because it is a fifteen-minute check you can do yourself, and routing it through a manager who has not been asked adds delay to something the relative needs today. It beats telling her reviews are usually booked six-monthly and to ask at reception, because a general rule is not an answer about her father, and it puts the work back on her. The least effective response is carrying on with the rota until it is finished: it leaves a time-sensitive question unanswered in favour of a task with three days of slack, so she cannot arrange her leave and nothing is gained. That is worse than the other two, which answer her badly but at least answer her. The principle: when a short task has a deadline today and a long one has a deadline on Friday, do the short one first.

5. Question 5 of 10

   You work in a hospital pharmacy stores team. Your colleague Amir is checking a large delivery against the order alone, a job normally done by two people so that quantities are double checked. He is halfway through and the fridge lines still need putting away within the hour. You have finished your own tasks. The stores supervisor is at a meeting until midday. Which response below would be most effective, and which would be least effective?

   1. Carry on with your own area and leave Amir to finish, since he started the check and interrupting halfway through might cause him to lose his place.
   2. Put the fridge lines away yourself while Amir finishes the check, so that the cold chain is protected and he is not interrupted.
   3. Tell Amir you are free and join him on the check so it is properly double checked, then put the fridge lines away together.
   4. Ring the stores supervisor out of her meeting to ask whether the delivery check should be paused until two people are available.
   Show the answer

   Most effective: C. Tell Amir you are free and join him on the check so it is properly double checked, then put the fridge lines away together.

   Least effective: A. Carry on with your own area and leave Amir to finish, since he started the check and interrupting halfway through might cause him to lose his place.

   A: Lets a two-person control run with one: a double-check that exists to catch quantity errors in medicines is being done by one person, and the reason for not helping is a worry about interrupting. Standing by a known control failure is the failure here.

   B: Splits the wrong task: it protects the fridge lines and leaves the single-person check running, so the control designed to catch quantity errors stays broken for the rest of the delivery.

   D: Escalates prematurely: you are the second person, you are free, and the answer she would give is obvious. Interrupting a meeting to be told to do what you can already do costs time the fridge lines do not have.

   The most effective response is to tell Amir you are free and join him on the check so it is properly double checked, then put the fridge lines away together: the check is a two-person control precisely because one person miscounts, you are free, and joining him restores the control for the rest of the delivery and still gets the fridge lines away in time. It beats putting the fridge lines away yourself while he finishes the check, because that protects the cold chain and leaves the quantity check still being done by one person, which is the more serious gap. It beats ringing the stores supervisor out of her meeting to ask whether the check should be paused, because you are the second person she would send, so the call only delays it. The least effective response is carrying on with your own area and leaving him to finish alone: it lets a medicines quantity check run without its double-check, and the reason offered is a concern about interrupting him. That is worse than the other two, which act on part of the problem. The principle: when a two-person control is running with one person and you are free, become the second person.

6. Question 6 of 10

   You are a library assistant at a university. Your colleague Priya is covering the enquiry desk alone during the lunch hour while you shelve returns. Walking past, you see six students queuing and Priya working through them one at a time; a seventh gives up and leaves. Shelving is a routine task with no deadline attached to it. Priya has not asked for help and looks flustered. Which response below would be most effective, and which would be least effective?

   1. Find the duty manager and report that the enquiry desk is understaffed at lunchtimes so the rota can be reviewed before the same queue builds up again tomorrow.
   2. Go to the desk, tell Priya you are free and will take the next student, and work through the queue with her until it clears before going back to the shelving.
   3. Carry on shelving, since the desk is Priya's responsibility during the lunch hour and stepping in uninvited might suggest to her that you think she cannot cope on her own.
   4. Ask Priya whether she would like a hand and go back to shelving if she says she is fine, since she knows the desk better than you do and may prefer to work through it her own way.
   Show the answer

   Most effective: B. Go to the desk, tell Priya you are free and will take the next student, and work through the queue with her until it clears before going back to the shelving.

   Least effective: C. Carry on shelving, since the desk is Priya's responsibility during the lunch hour and stepping in uninvited might suggest to her that you think she cannot cope on her own.

   A: Delays the decision: the rota may well need looking at, but that fixes next week. It leaves the six students in front of you queuing now, when you are free and trained to serve them.

   C: Prioritises harmony over honesty: it dresses up doing nothing as respect for a colleague, while students give up and leave. Standing by a visible problem to avoid an awkward moment is avoidance, not tact.

   D: Substitutes own judgement for the stakeholder's: a flustered colleague in front of a queue will usually say she is coping, so the offer as phrased gives her the harder answer to give and the queue stays.

   The most effective response is to go to the desk, tell Priya you are free, and work the queue with her until it clears: the queue is visible, you are on a task with no deadline, and the fastest fix is a second person serving. Saying you are free and taking the next student removes the need for her to admit she is struggling. It beats reporting the understaffing to the duty manager, because a rota review helps tomorrow’s queue, not this one, while you are standing free beside it. It beats asking her whether she would like a hand, because putting that question to a flustered colleague in front of students invites the polite refusal, so it is well meant but predictably leaves the queue where it is. The least effective response is carrying on shelving because the desk is her responsibility: it is the only response where nobody helps and students continue to leave, and it justifies that by a concern about how she might feel rather than anything she has said. That is worse than telling the duty manager, which at least acts on the problem, and worse than offering, which at least opens the conversation. The principle: when a colleague is visibly swamped and your own task can wait, step in and start helping rather than asking whether help is wanted.

7. Question 7 of 10

   You are an administrator at a day nursery. A child has had a minor fall in the garden this morning, was checked by the room leader and is fine, and an accident form has been completed. The room leader is busy with the children and asks you to let the parent know. The parent collects at 5pm. It is 11am and you have the parent’s phone number. Which response below would be most effective, and which would be least effective?

   1. Ring the parent now, tell her what happened, that her child was checked and is fine, and that the accident form will be ready to sign at collection.
   2. Leave it to the room leader to mention at collection if she gets the chance, since the child is fine and the accident form is on file if the parent asks to see it.
   3. Wait until 5pm and tell the parent at collection, handing over the accident form then so she can hear what happened and see her child at the same time.
   4. Send the parent a short text saying there has been a minor accident and that staff will explain everything when she collects her child at 5pm.
   Show the answer

   Most effective: A. Ring the parent now, tell her what happened, that her child was checked and is fine, and that the accident form will be ready to sign at collection.

   Least effective: B. Leave it to the room leader to mention at collection if she gets the chance, since the child is fine and the accident form is on file if the parent asks to see it.

   B: Hides the problem: it makes telling the parent optional and depends on a busy colleague remembering. A parent who later learns of a fall nobody mentioned has been kept in the dark by default.

   C: Delays the message: it is defensible and it means the parent spends six hours not knowing. A child's fall is something most parents would rather hear about at once, and the call costs a minute.

   D: Alarms without reassuring: it sends the frightening half of the message and holds back the half that settles it, so a parent spends six hours worrying about something already resolved.

   The most effective response is to ring the parent now, tell her what happened, that her child was checked and is fine, and that the form will be ready to sign at collection: she wants to know, the news is reassuring once she has all of it, and a call carries the fall and the reassurance together. It beats sending a short text saying there has been a minor accident, because announcing an accident without the reassurance is the worst possible half of the message, and leaves her anxious all afternoon for no reason. It beats waiting until 5pm and telling her at collection, because six hours of not knowing is avoidable at the cost of a one-minute call. The least effective response is leaving it to the room leader to mention at collection if she gets the chance: it leaves telling the parent to chance and to a colleague busy with children, so a fall may never be mentioned at all. That is worse than the other two, which tell her late or partially but do tell her. The principle: when something has happened to someone’s child, tell them promptly and tell them the whole of it, including the part that reassures.

8. Question 8 of 10

   You are a property manager for a block of flats. A leaseholder has been chasing you for three weeks about a leak into her flat from the roof. Today the contractor confirms the roof needs a full repair costing more than the reserve fund holds, which means a consultation with all leaseholders and no repair for at least two months. She has already reported damage to her ceiling. Your director is available. Which response below would be most effective, and which would be least effective?

   1. Ring the leaseholder today, explain the roof needs full repair, that consultation means at least two months, and what will be done about her ceiling and the leak meanwhile.
   2. Wait until the consultation is under way before contacting her, so that you can give her firm dates rather than an open-ended answer she will only chase you about again.
   3. Write to all leaseholders with the consultation notice, so that everyone including her receives the same information about the roof at the same time.
   4. Tell her the roof repair has been approved in principle and that you will confirm timescales once the consultation process has been worked through.
   Show the answer

   Most effective: A. Ring the leaseholder today, explain the roof needs full repair, that consultation means at least two months, and what will be done about her ceiling and the leak meanwhile.

   Least effective: B. Wait until the consultation is under way before contacting her, so that you can give her firm dates rather than an open-ended answer she will only chase you about again.

   B: Hides the problem: she has water entering her flat and has chased for three weeks. Waiting for tidier information leaves her with no information at all, and the silence is chosen to avoid being chased rather than to help her.

   C: Tells the wrong audience first: she has been chasing for three weeks and has water coming into her flat, so receiving a standard notice with everyone else answers none of her particular questions.

   D: Over-promises: describing it as approved in principle implies more certainty than a consultation that has not started, and it withholds the two-month timescale she needs to plan around.

   The most effective response is to ring the leaseholder today, explain the roof needs full repair, that consultation means at least two months, and what will be done about her ceiling and the leak meanwhile: she has been chasing for three weeks, has an active leak and ceiling damage, and the news is bad in a specific way she needs to plan around. That treats her as someone with a live problem rather than one of a list. It beats writing to all leaseholders with the consultation notice, because a general notice answers the block’s question and not hers. It beats telling her the repair is approved in principle with timescales to follow, because that overstates where things stand and still leaves out the timescale. The least effective response is waiting until the consultation is under way so you can give her firm dates: it delays telling her anything until the information is neater, while water continues to come into her flat, and the reason is to avoid being chased. That is worse than the other two, which communicate partially but do communicate. The principle: tell the person carrying the consequence directly, give them the timescale even when it is bad, and say what happens in the meantime.

9. Question 9 of 10

   You are a duty operations assistant at a ferry terminal. At 7am three things need you. A vehicle has broken down on the loading ramp and the 8am sailing cannot load past it. A passenger with a wheelchair booking has arrived and needs assistance arranged. And head office wants yesterday’s loading figures by 9am. Recovery for the ramp takes about thirty minutes to arrange and attend. The assistance booking takes five minutes to arrange. Which response below would be most effective, and which would be least effective?

   1. Arrange the recovery for the ramp first since the whole sailing depends on it, then sort out the passenger assistance and send the figures.
   2. Deal with the passenger's assistance and the loading figures first, since both are quick, then arrange the recovery for the blocked ramp.
   3. Arrange the recovery and the figures, and tell the passenger that assistance cannot be guaranteed this morning because of the disruption on the ramp.
   4. Call the recovery for the ramp and arrange the passenger's assistance in the five minutes while it is on its way, then do the figures before 9am.
   Show the answer

   Most effective: D. Call the recovery for the ramp and arrange the passenger's assistance in the five minutes while it is on its way, then do the figures before 9am.

   Least effective: C. Arrange the recovery and the figures, and tell the passenger that assistance cannot be guaranteed this morning because of the disruption on the ramp.

   A: Delays the decision on the smallest task: the recovery does need starting first, but the assistance booking takes five minutes and the passenger is standing waiting for a sailing she may otherwise miss. Sequencing by size of problem leaves her unattended.

   B: Substitutes own judgement for the stakeholder's: the figures are due at 9am and affect nobody's morning, while a blocked ramp stops an 8am sailing. Doing the quick jobs first spends the recovery's lead time.

   C: Ignores the passenger's actual need: booked assistance is what allows her to travel at all, and it takes five minutes. Withdrawing it because the terminal is busy leaves her unable to board a sailing she has booked.

   The most effective response is to call the recovery for the ramp and arrange the passenger’s assistance in the five minutes while it is on its way, then do the figures before 9am: recovery has the longest lead time so the call goes first, and the waiting time is exactly enough to arrange the assistance she has booked. The figures can follow. It beats arranging the recovery first and then sorting the assistance, because recovery is a phone call followed by waiting, and she should not stand unattended through it. It beats dealing with the assistance and the loading figures first as the quick jobs, because that delays the one task whose lead time blocks an entire sailing. The least effective response is telling the passenger assistance cannot be guaranteed this morning because of the disruption: it withdraws booked assistance from someone who depends on it, so she may be unable to travel at all, to manage a problem that takes five minutes to accommodate. That is worse than the other two, which sequence imperfectly but serve everybody. The principle: start the longest lead time first, then use the waiting time for the short tasks rather than leaving people unattended.

10. Question 10 of 10

    You are an administrator at an apprenticeship training provider. Funding requires evidence that each apprentice has completed a minimum number of training hours. Reviewing records before an audit you find one apprentice is short by several hours. Your colleague suggests recording two workplace sessions that were discussed but never delivered, saying the apprentice learned the content anyway. Your centre manager is available. Which response below would be most effective, and which would be least effective?

    1. Record only the hours actually delivered, and ask the centre manager whether the missing sessions can be delivered before the audit so the apprentice is not disadvantaged.
    2. Correct the record to show the true hours and submit it, leaving the shortfall visible so that the audit picks it up.
    3. Leave the record as it stands and let your colleague enter the sessions herself if she believes they should be there, since it is not your entry to make.
    4. Record the two undelivered sessions as your colleague suggests, since the apprentice has covered the content in practice and the funding would otherwise be lost.
    Show the answer

    Most effective: A. Record only the hours actually delivered, and ask the centre manager whether the missing sessions can be delivered before the audit so the apprentice is not disadvantaged.

    Least effective: D. Record the two undelivered sessions as your colleague suggests, since the apprentice has covered the content in practice and the funding would otherwise be lost.

    B: Delays the decision: an accurate record is right and simply letting the audit find it wastes the time available to deliver the missing sessions before the deadline, which would solve it properly.

    C: Passes responsibility to others: it steps back from a false entry you know is about to be made, which leaves the falsification to happen with your knowledge and without your name on it.

    D: Falsifies a funding record: it certifies training that never took place in order to claim public money, and the apprentice is left without hours they are entitled to. That is fraud, not a technical correction.

    The most effective response is to record only the hours actually delivered and ask the centre manager whether the missing sessions can be delivered before the audit: the record must show what happened, and the apprentice’s real problem, missing hours they are entitled to, may still be solvable. The centre manager is the person who can arrange that. It beats correcting the record and submitting it with the shortfall visible for the audit to find, because that gives up on the hours the apprentice should actually receive. It beats leaving the record alone and letting your colleague enter the sessions herself, because stepping aside lets the falsification happen anyway. The least effective response is recording the two undelivered sessions as she suggests: it certifies training that never happened in order to claim funding, which is fraud and leaves the apprentice without the hours as well. That is worse than the other two, which keep the record honest. The principle: record only what happened, and use the time you have to deliver what is missing rather than to claim it.