Honeywell Assessment Tests

Honeywell Situational Judgement Test

1. Question 1 of 10

   You are an assistant coach at a swimming club. Swimmers must record their qualifying times at officially timed sessions to enter a regional gala. A swimmer misses the qualifying time by half a second at the last session. Her parent asks you to write down the faster time she achieved in training last week, saying she is plainly capable of it and one entry form will not matter. The head coach is at the poolside. Which response below would be most effective, and which would be least effective?

   1. Tell the parent that the time cannot be changed and that she should raise it with the head coach if she wants to challenge how qualifying works.
   2. Tell the parent you can only record officially timed results, and ask the head coach whether there is another qualifying session before the gala entry closes.
   3. Record the official time but add a note to the entry that she swam faster in training, so the organisers can take that into account when they consider the entry.
   4. Write the training time on the entry form, since the swimmer has genuinely swum it and the qualifying session was only half a second out.
   Show the answer

   Most effective: B. Tell the parent you can only record officially timed results, and ask the head coach whether there is another qualifying session before the gala entry closes.

   Least effective: D. Write the training time on the entry form, since the swimmer has genuinely swum it and the qualifying session was only half a second out.

   A: Passes responsibility to others: the refusal is right and it leaves the swimmer's real question, whether another qualifying session exists, unasked, when the head coach is standing at the poolside.

   C: Acts on assumptions without checking: the entry rules ask for an officially timed result, and appending an unofficial one invites the organisers to weigh something the rules exclude, which is the same request in a politer form.

   D: Falsifies a competition record: an official qualifying time is a statement that a swim happened under timed conditions, and entering a training time is a false declaration that displaces another club's swimmer. That is dishonesty, not a technicality.

   The most effective response is to tell the parent you can only record officially timed results, and ask the head coach whether there is another qualifying session before entries close: only official results can go on the form, and the swimmer’s actual problem may still be solvable if another session falls in time. Refusing clearly and asking addresses both. It beats telling her the time cannot be changed and that she should raise it with the head coach herself, because that gives the same refusal and then leaves her to pursue the useful question alone, when the person who can answer it is at the poolside. It beats recording the official time with a note that she swam faster in training, because attaching that invites the organisers to consider something the rules exclude, which is the original request with a note on it. The least effective response is writing the training time on the entry form: it puts a time on an official entry that was never officially swum, which is a false declaration and takes a place from another swimmer. That is worse than the other two, which keep the entry honest. The principle: refuse to record what did not officially happen, and put the swimmer’s real problem to whoever can solve it.

2. Question 2 of 10

   You are an events assistant at a wedding venue. A couple’s wedding is on Saturday. On Thursday the marquee supplier tells you the marquee ordered is no longer available and only a smaller one can be delivered, which will not seat the full guest list of a hundred and twenty. The couple are contactable. Your venue manager is off until Saturday morning. The couple have already sent seating plans. Which response below would be most effective, and which would be least effective?

   1. Ring the couple today, explain the marquee is unavailable and what the smaller one would mean for their guest list, and go through the options with them before anything is confirmed.
   2. Work out a revised seating arrangement that fits the smaller marquee, then send it to the couple so they can see the problem and the solution together.
   3. Accept the smaller marquee and tell the couple on Saturday morning when the venue manager is back, since there is nothing they can usefully do about it beforehand.
   4. Spend Thursday and Friday ringing round other marquee suppliers, and contact the couple only if you cannot find one that fits the full guest list.
   Show the answer

   Most effective: A. Ring the couple today, explain the marquee is unavailable and what the smaller one would mean for their guest list, and go through the options with them before anything is confirmed.

   Least effective: C. Accept the smaller marquee and tell the couple on Saturday morning when the venue manager is back, since there is nothing they can usefully do about it beforehand.

   B: Substitutes own judgement for the stakeholder's: how a hundred and twenty guests are seated at their own wedding is the couple's decision, and presenting a finished plan removes it from them.

   C: Hides the problem / silent deadline slip: it is untrue that nothing can be done on Thursday and Friday, and telling them on the morning of the wedding removes every remaining option. That is concealment at the worst possible moment.

   D: Delays the message: the search is worth doing and it is being done instead of telling them. If it fails, the couple learn on Friday night with no time left at all.

   The most effective response is to ring the couple today, explain the marquee is unavailable and what the smaller one would mean for their guest list, and go through the options before anything is confirmed: it is their wedding and their guest list, they have two days in which real alternatives exist, and only they can weigh a smaller marquee against the rest. Telling them first keeps the decision theirs. It beats working out a revised seating arrangement and sending it so they see the problem and the solution together, because that decides for them how their guests are arranged, which is not a logistics question. It beats spending Thursday and Friday ringing round other suppliers, because that search, however sensible, uses up both remaining days before they are told anything. The least effective response is accepting the smaller marquee and telling them on Saturday morning: it leaves them to discover on the morning of their wedding that a hundred and twenty guests will not fit, when two days of alternatives were available. That is worse than the other two, which act on their behalf but at least act. The principle: when a failure affects someone’s own event, tell them at once and let them choose, rather than solving it for them or waiting until you have solved it.

3. Question 3 of 10

   You are an assistant at a photography studio. A couple booked a portrait session for their parents’ anniversary and the prints were promised for Friday. On Wednesday the printer jams and damages the whole set; a reprint takes until Monday. The anniversary is on Saturday. The couple can be reached by phone. Your studio manager is away until Friday. Which response below would be most effective, and which would be least effective?

   1. Reprint the set for Monday and say nothing until Friday, since the studio manager is back then and may be able to find a faster option than you can.
   2. Email the couple to say there has been a production problem with the prints and that you will update them as soon as you know more about the new timescale.
   3. Ring the couple and promise that the studio will find a way to have the prints ready by Friday, then look into express printing options once you have reassured them.
   4. Ring the couple today, explain the prints are damaged and cannot be ready before Monday, and go through what could still be done in time for Saturday.
   Show the answer

   Most effective: D. Ring the couple today, explain the prints are damaged and cannot be ready before Monday, and go through what could still be done in time for Saturday.

   Least effective: A. Reprint the set for Monday and say nothing until Friday, since the studio manager is back then and may be able to find a faster option than you can.

   A: Hides the problem / silent deadline slip: the couple expect prints on Friday for an anniversary on Saturday and are told nothing until the day itself. Waiting for the manager removes every alternative they might have arranged.

   B: Delays the message: it reaches them in time and withholds the fact they need, that the prints will not exist before the anniversary, so they cannot arrange anything else.

   C: Over-promises: it commits to a Friday delivery before checking that any express option exists, which risks breaking the same promise a second time on the day of the anniversary.

   The most effective response is to ring the couple today, explain the prints are damaged and cannot be ready before Monday, and go through what could still be done for Saturday: the prints were for a specific event, they will not exist until Monday, and on Wednesday the couple still have two days to arrange something else. Telling them today with the options is what makes those two days usable. It beats emailing that there has been a production problem and you will update them, because that withholds the one fact that matters, that nothing will be ready before the anniversary. It beats promising the studio will find a way to have them ready by Friday, because committing to that before knowing whether express printing is possible risks a second broken promise at the worst moment. The least effective response is reprinting for Monday and saying nothing until Friday: it leaves them believing prints are coming for a Saturday anniversary and tells them only when nothing can be arranged. That is worse than the other two, which communicate imperfectly but in time. The principle: when a promise tied to a date is going to break, tell the people affected while the date is still far enough away to do something about it.

4. Question 4 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.

5. Question 5 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.

6. Question 6 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.

7. Question 7 of 10

   You work on reception at a caravan park. A family has booked a pitch with electric hook-up for the weekend, arriving tomorrow. This afternoon the electrician reports that the hook-up point on their pitch has failed and cannot be repaired until Monday. A pitch with a working hook-up is free but is further from the facilities. The family are contactable. The park manager is on site. Which response below would be most effective, and which would be least effective?

   1. Ring the family today, explain the hook-up has failed, and offer either the pitch further from the facilities or their original pitch without electricity.
   2. Move the booking to the pitch with the working hook-up and email the family the new pitch number so they know where to go on arrival.
   3. Ring the family to say there is a problem with their pitch and that you will confirm the arrangements once the park manager has decided what to offer.
   4. Leave the booking as it is and explain the problem when they arrive tomorrow, since they may not use much electricity over a single weekend.
   Show the answer

   Most effective: A. Ring the family today, explain the hook-up has failed, and offer either the pitch further from the facilities or their original pitch without electricity.

   Least effective: D. Leave the booking as it is and explain the problem when they arrive tomorrow, since they may not use much electricity over a single weekend.

   B: Substitutes own judgement for the stakeholder's: they may have chosen that pitch for its distance from the facilities, so the trade between a working hook-up and the walk is theirs to make.

   C: Delays the decision: you already know the hook-up is broken until Monday and that an alternative pitch is free, so withholding both leaves them unable to plan and shortens the notice they have.

   D: Hides the problem: they booked and paid for a hook-up, and being told on arrival removes any chance to bring different equipment, change dates or go elsewhere. Deciding for them that they will not miss it is not yours to decide.

   The most effective response is to ring the family today, explain the hook- up has failed, and offer either the pitch further from the facilities or their original pitch without electricity: they booked a pitch with power, the failure changes what they paid for, and only they can weigh a working hook-up against a longer walk. Ringing today leaves them a day to decide or re-pack. It beats moving the booking to the pitch with the working hook-up and emailing the new number, because that assumes the electricity matters more than the location, which may not be true for this family. It beats ringing to say there is a problem and that you will confirm once the park manager has decided, because you already hold everything they need to choose. The least effective response is leaving the booking and explaining when they arrive tomorrow: it lets them discover on arrival that the hook- up they booked does not work, with no time to adapt. That is worse than the other two, which decide for them or tell them partially, but do tell them in time. The principle: when a booked feature fails, tell the customer at once and give them the real choices.

8. Question 8 of 10

   You are a camera assistant on an outside broadcast crew. A colleague, Nia, is rigging a camera position on her own and is behind; the rehearsal starts in forty minutes and her position is needed for it. You have finished your own rig and there is nothing else assigned to you. The crew chief is in the truck dealing with a signal problem. Nia has not asked for help. Which response below would be most effective, and which would be least effective?

   1. Interrupt the crew chief in the truck to say that Nia's position will not be ready for rehearsal unless someone is moved onto it.
   2. Go to Nia's position, tell her your rig is finished and ask what she wants you to take, and work on it with her until rehearsal.
   3. Ask Nia whether she needs a hand and go back to your own position if she says she has it under control, since she knows how she wants the position rigged.
   4. Stay at your own position in case anything needs adjusting, since Nia's rig is her responsibility and the crew chief will reallocate people if he thinks it is necessary.
   Show the answer

   Most effective: B. Go to Nia's position, tell her your rig is finished and ask what she wants you to take, and work on it with her until rehearsal.

   Least effective: D. Stay at your own position in case anything needs adjusting, since Nia's rig is her responsibility and the crew chief will reallocate people if he thinks it is necessary.

   A: Escalates prematurely: you are the person who would be moved, the chief is dealing with a signal fault, and reporting the problem takes longer than starting on it.

   C: Substitutes own judgement for the stakeholder's: someone behind on a rig forty minutes before rehearsal will usually say she has it, so the offer is polite and predictably leaves the position unfinished.

   D: Treats the assignment as a boundary: a needed camera position will miss rehearsal while you stand at a finished rig waiting to be asked. Treating your assignment as a boundary is what causes the failure.

   The most effective response is to go to Nia’s position, tell her your rig is finished and ask what she wants you to take: your own work is done, hers is needed for a rehearsal in forty minutes, and asking what to take respects that it is her position while getting a second pair of hands onto it immediately. It beats asking whether she needs a hand and going back to your own position if she says she has it under control, because a colleague under time pressure will usually decline a general offer, and the position is no further forward. It beats interrupting the crew chief in the truck to say her position will not be ready, because you are the resource he would send, and he is dealing with a signal fault, so the report costs time and adds nothing. The least effective response is staying at your own position in case anything needs adjusting: it leaves a needed camera position to miss rehearsal while you wait at a finished rig to be reallocated. That is worse than telling the chief, which at least raises it, and worse than offering, which at least asks. The principle: when your own work is done and a colleague’s is needed soon, go and take a piece of it rather than offering in the abstract.

9. Question 9 of 10

   You are a duty assistant at a gym. A member tells you the emergency stop cord on one of the treadmills does not seem to work. You test it and the belt does not stop. The gym is busy, six other treadmills are working, and the maintenance contractor is not on site. Your duty manager is in the building and reachable on the radio. There is no out-of-order signage kept on the gym floor. Which response below would be most effective, and which would be least effective?

   1. Note the fault in the maintenance logbook so it is picked up at the contractor's next scheduled visit, and mention it to your duty manager at the end of your shift.
   2. Ring the maintenance contractor yourself to ask how soon someone can attend and what should be done with the treadmill until then.
   3. Take the treadmill out of use immediately, make it obvious it must not be used, and radio your duty manager straight away so she can arrange the repair and proper signage.
   4. Leave the treadmill in use, since the belt can still be stopped with the console button and six other treadmills are available if a member would rather not use that one.
   Show the answer

   Most effective: C. Take the treadmill out of use immediately, make it obvious it must not be used, and radio your duty manager straight away so she can arrange the repair and proper signage.

   Least effective: D. Leave the treadmill in use, since the belt can still be stopped with the console button and six other treadmills are available if a member would rather not use that one.

   A: Delays the decision: the logbook is the right record and the wrong speed. It leaves a treadmill with no working emergency stop available to members for the rest of the day.

   B: Acts on assumptions without checking: the contractor's answer is useful and the decision about whether members may use a machine with no emergency stop belongs to your duty manager, who is in the building now.

   D: Stays silent about a known safety risk: you have confirmed the emergency stop does not work and leave the machine open to members anyway, with nobody told. That is a safety failure, not a judgement about priorities.

   The most effective response is to take the treadmill out of use immediately and radio your duty manager: an emergency stop that does not work on a moving belt is a safety fault, so the machine comes out of use first, and she is in the building and is the person who can arrange both signage and the contractor. It beats noting the fault in the maintenance logbook for the contractor’s next scheduled visit, because that records it for a future visit while members carry on using the machine today. It beats ringing the maintenance contractor yourself, because they can say when they will come but cannot decide whether the gym may keep a machine with no emergency stop in service; that is the duty manager’s call and she is thirty seconds away on the radio. The least effective response is leaving the treadmill in use because the belt can still be stopped with the console button: it is the only response that leaves a confirmed safety fault in service and tells nobody, on the reasoning that members have alternatives. That is worse than the other two, which are too slow but do report it. The principle: make a safety fault safe first, then tell the person on site who can decide what happens next.

10. Question 10 of 10

    You work in an airline contact centre. Storms have cancelled dozens of flights and you have handled distressed calls for three hours. A passenger tells you that you sound like you are reading from a script and that you clearly do not care that his family are stranded abroad. Rebooking options are limited but some exist. Your team leader is available. Which response below would be most effective, and which would be least effective?

    1. Explain that the cancellations are weather-related, that you have been helping stranded passengers all morning and that you are doing your best for everyone.
    2. Acknowledge that his family being stranded is what matters, tell him the rebooking options that do exist, and start on whichever one he chooses.
    3. Tell him the options are extremely limited because of the weather and that there is very little the airline can do until the backlog clears.
    4. Apologise and offer to pass him to your team leader, since he is unhappy with how the call is going and may prefer to deal with someone senior.
    Show the answer

    Most effective: B. Acknowledge that his family being stranded is what matters, tell him the rebooking options that do exist, and start on whichever one he chooses.

    Least effective: C. Tell him the options are extremely limited because of the weather and that there is very little the airline can do until the backlog clears.

    A: Personalises the conflict: it answers his criticism of you rather than the problem of his family being stranded, which invites him to argue about your manner instead of his booking.

    C: Ignores the customer's actual need: it presents the situation as hopeless when rebooking options do exist, so a passenger with a stranded family is given despair instead of the seats that are actually available.

    D: Passes responsibility to others: it hands off a rebooking you can do and makes a passenger with a stranded family queue again for a supervisor during the busiest hours.

    The most effective response is to acknowledge that his family being stranded is what matters, tell him the rebooking options that do exist, and start on whichever he chooses: some options exist, and moving straight to them answers the substance without engaging the criticism of your manner. It beats explaining that the cancellations are weather-related and that you have been helping stranded passengers all morning, because defending yourself spends the call on your performance rather than on his family. It beats offering to pass him to your team leader, because that makes him wait again for something you can do now. The least effective response is telling him the options are extremely limited and there is very little the airline can do: it says nothing can be done when options do exist, so a passenger who could have been rebooked is left believing he is stuck. That is worse than explaining the weather, which at least explains, and worse than passing him on, which at least routes him to someone. The principle: when someone criticises you under pressure, put the available options in front of them and let the criticism go unanswered.