E.ON Assessment Tests

E.ON Situational Judgement Test

1. Question 1 of 10

   You are an events coordinator at a conference centre. A client’s two-day conference starts on Thursday. On Tuesday you learn the main auditorium’s air-conditioning has failed and cannot be repaired before Friday. A smaller room could hold the delegates but only seated theatre- style, losing the exhibition space the client has sold to sponsors. The client’s events manager is contactable. Your operations director is on leave until Thursday. Which response below would be most effective, and which would be least effective?

   1. Ring the client's events manager today, explain the failure, set out the smaller room and what it would cost her in exhibition space, and agree the plan with her before anything is moved.
   2. Move the conference to the smaller room and email the client to confirm the change, explaining that the auditorium is unusable and this was the only workable alternative.
   3. Wait until Thursday when your operations director is back, so that the client is given a decision with the authority of the centre behind it rather than an incomplete picture.
   4. Leave the conference in the auditorium and say nothing, since the room may be tolerable in October and telling the client now would cause alarm about something that might not be a problem.
   Show the answer

   Most effective: A. Ring the client's events manager today, explain the failure, set out the smaller room and what it would cost her in exhibition space, and agree the plan with her before anything is moved.

   Least effective: D. Leave the conference in the auditorium and say nothing, since the room may be tolerable in October and telling the client now would cause alarm about something that might not be a problem.

   B: Substitutes own judgement for the stakeholder's: the client sold exhibition space to sponsors, so the trade between a cooler room and the sponsors' stands is hers to make, not yours to make and announce.

   C: Delays the decision: the conference starts on Thursday. Waiting for the director removes the client's last two days to tell sponsors, rearrange stands or find another venue.

   D: Hides the problem / silent deadline slip: it gambles a client's two- day conference and her sponsors on the weather, with the one person who could plan around it deliberately left uninformed. That is concealment, not judgement.

   The most effective response is to ring the client’s events manager today, explain the failure, and set out the smaller room and what it would cost her in exhibition space: she sold that space to sponsors, so only she can weigh a working room against losing it, and on Tuesday she still has two days to tell them or make other arrangements. Giving her the failure, the option and the cost lets her decide while deciding is still possible. It beats moving the conference to the smaller room and emailing to confirm the change, because that takes a commercial decision about her sponsors out of her hands. It beats waiting until Thursday when your operations director is back, because that consumes the client’s entire remaining planning time for the sake of internal authority. The least effective response is leaving the conference in the auditorium and saying nothing: it leaves a two-day conference in a room with no air-conditioning, tells nobody, and relies on the weather. That is worse than moving the room, which at least secures a usable one, and worse than waiting for the director, which at least intends to tell her. The principle: when a failure forces a trade-off that belongs to the client, give them the facts and the options while they still have time to choose.

2. Question 2 of 10

   You work in a jewellers. A customer collects a ring left for resizing before an anniversary tomorrow. Checking it in front of her you see the setting has been marked during the work. The workshop jeweller is in and could repolish it in about forty minutes. The customer has not noticed. Your shop manager is on the floor and can authorise a goodwill gesture. Which response below would be most effective, and which would be least effective?

   1. Hand the ring over as it is, since the mark is small, she has not noticed and the anniversary is tomorrow so there is no time to do anything about it.
   2. Hand the ring over and mention that if she notices any marking on the setting she should bring it back and the workshop will put it right free of charge.
   3. Point out the mark to her yourself, apologise, and offer to have the jeweller repolish it in about forty minutes while she waits or comes back.
   4. Take the ring back into the workshop without explaining why, have it repolished, and hand it over when it is finished.
   Show the answer

   Most effective: C. Point out the mark to her yourself, apologise, and offer to have the jeweller repolish it in about forty minutes while she waits or comes back.

   Least effective: A. Hand the ring over as it is, since the mark is small, she has not noticed and the anniversary is tomorrow so there is no time to do anything about it.

   A: Hides a known defect: it passes damage caused by the shop to a customer who has not seen it, and claims there is no time when the jeweller could repolish it in forty minutes. Relying on her not noticing is concealment.

   B: Passes responsibility to the customer: you have already seen the mark, so leaving her to find it puts the burden of noticing on her and risks her wearing it for the anniversary as it is.

   D: Hides the problem: the outcome is right and she is never told that the workshop marked her ring, so she cannot judge the shop's work or decide whether she wants a goodwill gesture.

   The most effective response is to point out the mark to her yourself, apologise, and offer to have the jeweller repolish it in about forty minutes: the shop marked the ring, you have seen it, and it can be put right before an anniversary tomorrow. Telling her yourself and offering the repolish is both honest and practical. It beats taking the ring back into the workshop without explaining why, because that gets it right and leaves her unaware that the shop damaged and repaired it. It beats handing it over with a suggestion to bring it back if she notices any marking, because you already know about the mark, so leaving her to find it makes her responsible for spotting the shop’s own error. The least effective response is handing the ring over as it is because the mark is small and she has not noticed: it passes on damaged work and claims there is no time when there is. That is worse than the other two, which end with the ring put right. The principle: when you have caused a defect and can still fix it, say so first and fix it.

3. Question 3 of 10

   You are a kitchen assistant in a school canteen. Lunch service starts at 12.15 and it is 11.30. The head cook has asked you to prepare a tray of allergen-free meals for four pupils, which takes twenty minutes, and to restock the salad bar, which takes fifteen. You cannot do both before service and the head cook is in the delivery bay for the next ten minutes. Which response below would be most effective, and which would be least effective?

   1. Restock the salad bar first because it is the quicker job, then start the allergen-free meals and finish them as soon after 12.15 as you can.
   2. Restock the salad bar and serve the four pupils from the standard menu, choosing dishes that look unlikely to contain the allergens they need to avoid.
   3. Prepare the allergen-free meals first so the four pupils can eat at 12.15, and tell the head cook when she returns that the salad bar still needs restocking.
   4. Start both, alternating between the allergen-free tray and the salad bar so that each is as far along as possible when service begins.
   Show the answer

   Most effective: C. Prepare the allergen-free meals first so the four pupils can eat at 12.15, and tell the head cook when she returns that the salad bar still needs restocking.

   Least effective: B. Restock the salad bar and serve the four pupils from the standard menu, choosing dishes that look unlikely to contain the allergens they need to avoid.

   A: Delays the decision: it does the shorter task first and leaves four pupils who cannot eat anything else waiting after service has already started.

   B: Acts recklessly with a known risk: judging by eye whether a dish contains an allergen puts four pupils at risk of a reaction. That is a safety failure, not a scheduling choice.

   D: Splits effort so nothing finishes: allergen-free meals prepared alongside general restocking risks both being incomplete at 12.15, and moving between tasks in a kitchen is exactly how cross- contamination happens.

   The most effective response is to prepare the allergen-free meals first so the four pupils can eat at 12.15, then tell the head cook the salad bar still needs restocking: those four cannot eat anything else, so the meals have to exist by service, and a salad bar restocked slightly late affects nobody’s ability to eat. Telling her means she can put someone on it. It beats doing the quicker job first, because that leaves the four pupils with nothing at the start of service. It beats alternating between the allergen-free tray and the general restocking, because that risks both being unfinished and creates a real contamination risk. The least effective response is serving the four from the standard menu, choosing dishes that look unlikely to contain the allergens they need to avoid: it substitutes a guess about ingredients for the allergen-free meals themselves, which risks a reaction in four children. That is worse than the other two, which order the work badly but keep the pupils safe. The principle: do the task that someone depends on absolutely, and never replace a safety control with a judgement by eye.

4. Question 4 of 10

   You pick online grocery orders at a supermarket. A customer’s order includes a specific nut-free chocolate spread, which is out of stock. The system suggests a standard chocolate spread as a substitute. The order notes say it is for a child with a severe nut allergy. Another nut-free spread is available in a different size at a higher price. Your shift manager can authorise price matching. Which response below would be most effective, and which would be least effective?

   1. Reject the substitution and leave the item out of the order, so that nothing unsuitable is sent and the customer can buy her own elsewhere.
   2. Substitute the alternative nut-free spread and ask your shift manager to price match it, so the order arrives with something the child can safely eat.
   3. Substitute the alternative nut-free spread at its higher price, since it is the only safe option and the customer would rather pay more than go without.
   4. Accept the system's suggested standard spread, since it is the recommended substitute and the customer can always refuse it at the door if it does not suit her.
   Show the answer

   Most effective: B. Substitute the alternative nut-free spread and ask your shift manager to price match it, so the order arrives with something the child can safely eat.

   Least effective: D. Accept the system's suggested standard spread, since it is the recommended substitute and the customer can always refuse it at the door if it does not suit her.

   A: Ignores the customer's actual need: a suitable nut-free spread is on the shelf, so leaving the line unfilled sends her nothing when a workable substitute exists.

   C: Acts on assumptions without checking: the substitution is right and the price increase is assumed to be acceptable, when a shift manager who could price match it is available and has not been asked.

   D: Ignores a stated allergy with a health consequence: the notes say the spread is for a child with a severe nut allergy, so accepting the system's suggestion sends the one product that could actually harm him. Following the system over a stated allergy is the worst of the four.

   The most effective response is to substitute the alternative nut-free spread and ask your shift manager to price match it: the order notes state an allergy, a safe alternative is on the shelf, and the only obstacle is a price difference a manager can authorise away. That gets the child something safe at the price the customer expected. It beats substituting the alternative at its higher price, because that makes the same correct swap while assuming she will accept paying more, when the manager could remove that. It beats rejecting the substitution and leaving the item out of the order, because that sends her nothing when a suitable product exists. The least effective response is accepting the system’s suggested standard spread because she can refuse it at the door: it substitutes an ordinary spread for one flagged for a child with a nut allergy, which is the single product in the aisle that could harm him. That is worse than the other two, which cost her money or an item but send nothing unsafe. The principle: when a customer has stated an allergy, meet it with a safe product and use the authority above you to deal with the price.

5. Question 5 of 10

   You are a call handler for a housing repairs line. A storm overnight has produced four times the usual call volume and you have taken complaints for three hours. A tenant tells you that you sound like you do not care and that she has been let down repeatedly. She has a genuinely urgent repair, a leaking roof over her child’s bedroom. Your team leader is available. Which response below would be most effective, and which would be least effective?

   1. Explain that the team is dealing with four times the normal call volume because of the storm and that everyone is being helped as quickly as possible.
   2. Acknowledge that she has been let down, confirm the leak over the child's bedroom as an urgent repair, and tell her exactly what happens next and when.
   3. Tell her that comments about whether you care are not helping and ask her to let you take the details so the repair can be logged.
   4. Apologise and offer to pass her to your team leader, since she is unhappy with how the call is going and may get further with someone more senior.
   Show the answer

   Most effective: B. Acknowledge that she has been let down, confirm the leak over the child's bedroom as an urgent repair, and tell her exactly what happens next and when.

   Least effective: C. Tell her that comments about whether you care are not helping and ask her to let you take the details so the repair can be logged.

   A: Answers the accusation and not the leak: it answers her accusation with the team's workload, which is true and irrelevant to a leak over a child's bed, and invites her to argue about whose day is harder.

   C: Personalises the conflict: it corrects a distressed tenant's manner before addressing a leak over her child's bed, which puts your own treatment ahead of her emergency.

   D: Passes responsibility to others: it hands over a repair you can raise yourself and makes a tenant with a leaking roof wait through another handover.

   The most effective response is to acknowledge that she has been let down, confirm the leak over the child’s bedroom as an urgent repair, and tell her exactly what happens next and when: with water coming in over a child’s bed, the fastest route through the call is to accept the part that is true and move straight to classifying the repair and saying what follows. It beats explaining that the team is dealing with four times the normal call volume, because that answers her accusation rather than her leak, and invites a comparison of whose day is worse. It beats offering to pass her to your team leader, because that delays a repair you can raise now and makes her start again. The least effective response is telling her that comments about whether you care are not helping: it corrects her manner before dealing with the water, which puts your own treatment ahead of her emergency. That is worse than explaining the volumes, which at least explains, and worse than passing her on, which at least routes her onward. The principle: when someone is angry and their problem is urgent, acknowledge the grievance briefly and spend the call on the emergency.

6. Question 6 of 10

   You are a quality inspector at a textile manufacturer. Checking a finished batch you notice the same small weaving fault on several rolls from one loom, and looking back at last week’s records you see it on that loom’s output too. Nobody has asked you to review previous batches. Last week’s output has already gone to a customer. Your quality manager is on site. The loom is running now. Which response below would be most effective, and which would be least effective?

   1. Reject the current batch and say nothing about last week's records, since that output has already been accepted by the customer and reopening it would cause unnecessary trouble.
   2. Reject the current batch and have the loom stopped for maintenance, then report it once the immediate production problem has been dealt with.
   3. Reject the current batch as faulty and record it in the quality log, since the fault is caught before dispatch and the log is where recurring issues are reviewed.
   4. Take the current batch and last week's records to your quality manager now, show her the fault is recurring on one loom, and let her decide about the loom and the customer.
   Show the answer

   Most effective: D. Take the current batch and last week's records to your quality manager now, show her the fault is recurring on one loom, and let her decide about the loom and the customer.

   Least effective: A. Reject the current batch and say nothing about last week's records, since that output has already been accepted by the customer and reopening it would cause unnecessary trouble.

   A: Hides the problem: it knowingly withholds that a customer has already received cloth with the same fault, in order to avoid trouble. Choosing silence about goods already delivered is concealment, not discretion.

   B: Acts outside own authority on the wider issue: stopping the loom is reasonable and it leaves the shipped batch, which is the part with a customer at the other end, unaddressed and unreported.

   C: Delays the decision: rejecting this batch protects this shipment and the log is reviewed later, so a loom producing faulty cloth keeps running and last week's delivery stays with the customer unmentioned.

   The most effective response is to take the current batch and last week’s records to your quality manager now, show her the fault is recurring on one loom, and let her decide about the loom and the customer: the machine is running now and last week’s faulty output is already delivered, and only she can decide about both. Bringing the batch and the records together makes the pattern visible. It beats rejecting the batch and recording it in the quality log, because that leaves the loom running and the delivered goods unmentioned. It beats rejecting the batch and having the loom stopped for maintenance, because that addresses production while the customer who already has faulty cloth is still not considered. The least effective response is rejecting the batch and saying nothing about last week’s records: it deliberately withholds that faulty goods have already been delivered, to avoid trouble. That is worse than the other two, which act partially but do not conceal. The principle: when a fault turns out to have a history, take the history as well as the sample to whoever can act on both.

7. Question 7 of 10

   You work in a florist’s shop. It is 9am. A funeral tribute must be delivered to a church by 11am and still needs an hour’s work. A wedding order for Saturday needs its flowers conditioning today, which takes forty minutes and can be done any time before closing. A customer has just walked in wanting a hand-tied bouquet, which takes fifteen minutes. You are alone until noon. Which response below would be most effective, and which would be least effective?

   1. Make a simpler version of the funeral tribute so it takes half the time, then serve the customer and condition the wedding flowers comfortably before noon.
   2. Make the customer's bouquet first since she is waiting in the shop, then the funeral tribute, then condition the wedding flowers.
   3. Tell the customer the bouquet will be about an hour, start the funeral tribute so it is ready for 11am, then make the bouquet and condition the wedding flowers.
   4. Condition the wedding flowers first while they are fresh from the delivery, then make the funeral tribute and the bouquet before noon.
   Show the answer

   Most effective: C. Tell the customer the bouquet will be about an hour, start the funeral tribute so it is ready for 11am, then make the bouquet and condition the wedding flowers.

   Least effective: A. Make a simpler version of the funeral tribute so it takes half the time, then serve the customer and condition the wedding flowers comfortably before noon.

   A: Reduces the work rather than the schedule: it quietly downgrades a funeral tribute the family ordered and paid for, to buy time for jobs with no deadline, and the family find out at the church.

   B: Delays the decision: fifteen minutes for the bouquet leaves only forty-five for an hour's work on a tribute that must reach a church by 11am, so the fixed deadline is put at risk by the flexible one.

   D: Substitutes own judgement for the stakeholder's: it puts forty minutes of work that can be done any time before closing ahead of a tribute with a church service at 11am.

   The most effective response is to tell the customer the bouquet will be about an hour, start the funeral tribute so it is ready for 11am, then make the bouquet and condition the wedding flowers: the tribute needs an hour and a church service fixes the deadline absolutely, so it has to start now. The other two both fit afterwards, and telling her the wait means she can choose whether to stay. It beats making her bouquet first because she is waiting in the shop, since fifteen minutes spent first leaves forty-five for an hour’s work, which loses the one deadline that cannot move. It beats conditioning the wedding flowers first while they are fresh from the delivery, because conditioning can be done any time before closing and the tribute cannot. The least effective response is making a simpler version of the funeral tribute so it takes half the time: it delivers something smaller than the family ordered in order to create time for tasks with no deadline, and they discover it at the service. That is worse than the other two, which sequence badly but deliver the work that was ordered. The principle: start the job whose deadline cannot move and whose duration you know, and tell the person waiting how long they will wait.

8. Question 8 of 10

   You are an account coordinator at a translation company. A client needs a contract translated for a signing on Thursday. On Tuesday your specialist legal translator falls ill. A generalist could produce a draft by Thursday but it would not carry the legal certification the client asked for. A certified version is possible by Monday. The client’s counsel is contactable. Your operations director is available. Which response below would be most effective, and which would be least effective?

   1. Have the generalist produce the draft for Thursday, and tell the client's counsel it is uncertified when you deliver it.
   2. Tell the client's counsel that the translation will now be ready on Monday, since a certified document is what was ordered and an uncertified one would not meet the requirement.
   3. Ring the client's counsel today, explain the certified version cannot be ready before Monday and an uncertified draft could meet Thursday, and let them decide.
   4. Deliver the generalist's draft on Thursday presented as the completed translation, since it will read correctly and the certification is a formality that can follow afterwards.
   Show the answer

   Most effective: C. Ring the client's counsel today, explain the certified version cannot be ready before Monday and an uncertified draft could meet Thursday, and let them decide.

   Least effective: D. Deliver the generalist's draft on Thursday presented as the completed translation, since it will read correctly and the certification is a formality that can follow afterwards.

   A: Substitutes own judgement for the stakeholder's: whether an uncertified translation is usable at a signing is counsel's judgement, and telling them on delivery leaves no time to decide otherwise.

   B: Delays the decision: it offers only the option that misses the signing, and withholds the existence of a Thursday draft that counsel might well find useful.

   D: Misrepresents the work: presenting an uncertified translation as the completed certified document is a false statement about a legal deliverable, and a signing may proceed on a document that does not carry what it appears to.

   The most effective response is to ring the client’s counsel today, explain the certified version cannot be ready before Monday and an uncertified draft could meet Thursday, and let them decide: certification is exactly what was ordered, only counsel can judge whether an uncertified draft is usable at a signing or whether the signing should move, and Tuesday leaves time for either. Giving both facts is what makes the choice real. It beats telling them the translation will now be ready on Monday, because offering only that hides a Thursday option counsel might prefer. It beats having the generalist produce the draft and disclosing that it is uncertified on delivery, because that presents the decision as already made. The least effective response is delivering the generalist’s draft as the completed translation: it passes off an uncertified document as the certified one, so a contract may be signed on a paper that does not carry what it appears to. That is worse than the other two, which choose badly but describe the work honestly. The principle: when you cannot deliver what was specified, put the real alternatives to the client at once and never let a substitute be mistaken for the original.

9. Question 9 of 10

   You are a night manager at a hotel, alone on reception from 11pm. A burst pipe has flooded two rooms, the guests from them need moving, the hotel is nearly full and a coach party is arriving at midnight. You have been on shift since 3pm and are struggling to keep track. The duty manager is on call at home and the maintenance contractor has a 24-hour line. Which response below would be most effective, and which would be least effective?

   1. Put the two guests in the residents' lounge for the night and say nothing to the duty manager, since waking her at midnight over a plumbing problem would not reflect well on your handling of the shift.
   2. Move the two guests into the last available rooms and deal with the coach party when it arrives, calling the duty manager in the morning once the night has settled down.
   3. Ring the maintenance contractor to stop the leak and get the rooms usable again, and manage the guest moves and the coach arrival yourself as best you can.
   4. Ring the duty manager now to say two rooms are flooded with a coach party due at midnight, call the contractor about the pipe, and move the two guests while you wait.
   Show the answer

   Most effective: D. Ring the duty manager now to say two rooms are flooded with a coach party due at midnight, call the contractor about the pipe, and move the two guests while you wait.

   Least effective: A. Put the two guests in the residents' lounge for the night and say nothing to the duty manager, since waking her at midnight over a plumbing problem would not reflect well on your handling of the shift.

   A: Hides the strain until failure: two paying guests spend the night in a lounge and the person on call, whose role exists for exactly this, is not called because of how it might look. That is concealment at the guests' expense.

   B: Spends the last rooms without checking: it uses the last rooms before the coach party arrives without checking what they are booked for, and the person who could authorise alternatives is asleep and not asked.

   C: Passes the wrong problem first: the pipe matters and the contractor cannot create rooms before midnight. The room shortage against a coach party is the decision that needs the duty manager, and it is the one not raised.

   The most effective response is to ring the duty manager now to say two rooms are flooded with a coach party due at midnight, call the contractor about the pipe, and move the two guests while you wait: there are three separate problems and only she can authorise what happens if there are not enough rooms. She is on call for this, the contractor handles the pipe, and moving the guests is what you can do meanwhile. It beats ringing the maintenance contractor and managing the guest moves and the arrival yourself, because he cannot produce rooms before midnight, so calling only him leaves the actual decision unmade. It beats moving the guests into the last available rooms and calling her in the morning, because using those rooms without checking the coach party’s booking may create a worse shortage an hour later, with her still unaware. The least effective response is putting the two guests in the residents’ lounge for the night and saying nothing: it leaves paying guests in a lounge rather than call the person whose job is to be called, because of how the call might look. That is worse than the other two, which act partially but keep the guests in rooms. The principle: when several things fail at once, call the person who is on call for it, start what you can do yourself, and never let appearances decide whether to ask for help.

10. Question 10 of 10

    You work in a bank’s complaints team. You have spent the morning on difficult calls about a systems failure that left customers without access to their accounts. Your team leader tells you that a complaint you handled last week has been escalated to the ombudsman and asks for your full file notes by the end of the day. Your call queue is still at record length. You believe you handled the case correctly. Which response below would be most effective, and which would be least effective?

    1. Come off the queue and write the ombudsman file notes now while the case is fresh, since a regulatory deadline outranks the call queue.
    2. Get on with both as best you can and say nothing, since the whole team is under pressure from the systems failure and raising it would look like complaining.
    3. Tell your team leader the queue is at record length, ask whether the file notes can be done tomorrow or the queue covered, and keep taking calls while she decides.
    4. Work the queue all day and write up the ombudsman notes this evening after your shift, so that neither the customers nor the deadline is let down.
    Show the answer

    Most effective: C. Tell your team leader the queue is at record length, ask whether the file notes can be done tomorrow or the queue covered, and keep taking calls while she decides.

    Least effective: B. Get on with both as best you can and say nothing, since the whole team is under pressure from the systems failure and raising it would look like complaining.

    A: Substitutes own judgement for the stakeholder's: it assumes the file notes outrank the queue because they sound more serious, when your team leader set both without weighing them and can rebalance in a minute.

    B: Avoids the difficult conversation: it stays silent about a workload that cannot be delivered, for fear of how it looks, so both the file notes and the calls are done badly and the one person who could rebalance it is not told.

    D: Hides the strain until failure: it meets both demands by absorbing the overload privately, so your team leader never learns the day was undeliverable and plans the next one identically.

    The most effective response is to tell your team leader the queue is at record length and ask whether the file notes can be done tomorrow or the queue covered, while you keep taking calls: she set that deadline without knowing the queue had reached record length, that is the missing fact, and she is the only person who can decide between them or find cover. Continuing to take calls while she decides means nothing stops. It beats coming off the queue to write the ombudsman file notes now, because that settles the ranking yourself on the basis that a regulator sounds more important, when the person who owns both has not been asked. It beats working the queue all day and writing the notes this evening after your shift, because doing them unpaid conceals that the day was undeliverable and guarantees the same demand next week. The least effective response is getting on with both as best you can and saying nothing: it neither raises the conflict nor resolves it, so both pieces of work suffer, and the reason is how raising it would look. That is worse than the other two, which pick badly but do complete the work. The principle: when two demands cannot both be met, give the person who set them the fact they are missing and let them choose, while you keep working.