Mercedes Assessment Tests

Mercedes Situational Judgement Test

1. Question 1 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.

2. Question 2 of 10

   You work in a procurement office. You are collecting quotes for a printing contract. One of the bidders is a company owned by your brother-in-law; he did not know you were involved and submitted through the normal channel. His quote is genuinely the cheapest. The evaluation is due next week and your procurement manager does not know of the connection. Which response below would be most effective, and which would be least effective?

   1. Continue with the evaluation and score strictly on price and quality, since his quote is genuinely the cheapest and the process will produce the right answer anyway.
   2. Tell your procurement manager about the family connection now and ask to be taken off the evaluation of this contract.
   3. Say nothing about the connection and let the evaluation run, since he submitted through the normal channel and had no idea you would be involved in assessing it.
   4. Exclude your brother-in-law's quote from the shortlist so there is no question of favouritism, and evaluate the remaining bids as normal.
   Show the answer

   Most effective: B. Tell your procurement manager about the family connection now and ask to be taken off the evaluation of this contract.

   Least effective: C. Say nothing about the connection and let the evaluation run, since he submitted through the normal channel and had no idea you would be involved in assessing it.

   A: Substitutes own judgement for the stakeholder's: whether you can fairly evaluate a relative's bid is not yours to decide. Even a perfectly scored outcome is unsafe if the connection is only discovered afterwards.

   C: Breaches confidentiality or process: it conceals a conflict of interest from the people running a competitive tender. The innocence of how the bid arrived does not cure the fact that only you know, and you are scoring it.

   D: Removes the cheapest compliant bid: it removes a compliant and cheapest bid on your own authority, which is as much an unauthorised intervention as choosing it would be, and it costs the employer money.

   The most effective response is to tell your procurement manager about the family connection now and ask to be taken off the evaluation: you have a conflict of interest, the remedy is to declare it and step back, and doing so now leaves time before next week for someone else to take it on. It protects the process, the employer and your brother-in-law’s legitimate bid. It beats continuing the evaluation and scoring strictly on price and quality, because a fair score does not fix an undeclared conflict; if the connection emerges later, the whole award is open to challenge however well it was scored. It beats excluding his quote from the shortlist to remove any question of favouritism, because that is an intervention of your own that drops the cheapest compliant bid and costs the employer money. The least effective response is saying nothing about the connection and letting the evaluation run: it hides a conflict from the people running a tender while you continue to score it, the one response that leaves nobody able to protect the process. That is worse than the other two, which act wrongly but at least without concealment. The principle: declare a conflict of interest to the person running the process, and let them decide what you should and should not touch.

3. Question 3 of 10

   You are a maintenance assistant at a holiday park. Walking past the children’s play area you notice that the safety surfacing under the climbing frame has lifted at one corner, leaving a raised edge and bare concrete beneath. It is not on your job list and the play area is not your responsibility. The park is busy with families. Your maintenance supervisor is on site. Which response below would be most effective, and which would be least effective?

   1. Cordon off that corner of the play area now, then tell your maintenance supervisor what you have found so a proper repair can be arranged.
   2. Add it to the maintenance request system so it is scheduled properly with the other outstanding jobs in the play area.
   3. Leave it, since the play area is not your responsibility, the damage is obvious enough for parents to see and someone whose job it is will report it.
   4. Press the lifted surfacing back down and stand on it to bed it in, so the edge is flat again and children can carry on using the frame safely.
   Show the answer

   Most effective: A. Cordon off that corner of the play area now, then tell your maintenance supervisor what you have found so a proper repair can be arranged.

   Least effective: C. Leave it, since the play area is not your responsibility, the damage is obvious enough for parents to see and someone whose job it is will report it.

   B: Delays the decision: the request system schedules work in days, and a raised edge over bare concrete is a trip hazard with children using the frame this afternoon.

   C: Fails to escalate a genuine risk: a trip hazard over bare concrete in a children's play area is left in use on the assumption that parents will spot it and somebody else will report it. Relying on others to notice is the one response that leaves it live.

   D: Acts on assumptions without checking: pressing it down makes it look repaired without fixing why it lifted, and a surface that appears sound but is not is more dangerous than one that is visibly broken.

   The most effective response is to cordon off that corner of the play area now and tell your maintenance supervisor what you have found: a raised edge over bare concrete where children are playing is a hazard now, cordoning takes minutes and is within your reach, and he is on site to arrange the real repair. It removes the risk immediately without pretending to fix it. It beats pressing the lifted surfacing back down and standing on it to bed it in, because that makes it look safe without addressing why it lifted, and a hazard that looks repaired is worse than one visibly cordoned. It beats adding it to the maintenance request system to be scheduled with the other jobs, because that works in days and children are using the frame this afternoon. The least effective response is leaving it because the play area is not your responsibility: it leaves a trip hazard where children play on the assumption that parents will see it and someone else will report it. That is worse than the request system, which at least records it, and worse than pressing it down, which at least tries. The principle: make it safe now by the simplest reversible means, then tell whoever owns the repair.

4. Question 4 of 10

   You work in a pet shop. Your colleague Ryan is cleaning out the small animal enclosures, a job that takes two people to do safely because the animals must be held in a carrier while the enclosure is moved. He has started alone and is struggling to manage both. You have finished restocking the shelves and the shop is quiet. The manager is in the stockroom. Which response below would be most effective, and which would be least effective?

   1. Tell the manager that Ryan is doing the enclosures single-handed so that she can decide whether someone should be helping him.
   2. Ask Ryan whether he wants help, and get on with something else if he says he is managing, since he knows the animals better than you do.
   3. Go over and tell Ryan you have finished the shelves and will hold the carrier, and work through the enclosures with him.
   4. Leave him to it, since he chose to start the job on his own and stepping in might suggest you do not think he can manage the animals.
   Show the answer

   Most effective: C. Go over and tell Ryan you have finished the shelves and will hold the carrier, and work through the enclosures with him.

   Least effective: D. Leave him to it, since he chose to start the job on his own and stepping in might suggest you do not think he can manage the animals.

   A: Escalates prematurely: you are standing free in a quiet shop and the task simply needs a second person. Referring it to the manager adds a step to something you can solve immediately.

   B: Substitutes own judgement for the stakeholder's: someone already committed to a job and coping badly will usually say he is managing, so the question predictably leaves him doing a two-person task alone.

   D: Leaves a two-person job to one person: a two-person job is being done by one person with live animals involved, and the reason for not helping is a worry about how it might look. That leaves both Ryan and the animals at risk.

   The most effective response is to go over and tell Ryan you have finished the shelves and will hold the carrier, then work through the enclosures with him: the enclosures need two people to be done safely, you are free, and the shop is quiet, so joining him is both the obvious and the safest answer. Saying your own work is done removes any need for him to ask. It beats asking him whether he wants help and getting on with something else if he says he is managing, because a colleague mid-task will usually say he is coping, and the animals are still being handled by one person afterwards. It beats telling the manager he is doing the enclosures single-handed, because she would only send you, and asking her first delays the help for no gain. The least effective response is leaving him to it because he chose to start on his own: it leaves a two-person job with live animals being done alone, and the reason given is a concern about how offering might be taken. That is worse than telling the manager, which at least raises it, and worse than asking him, which at least offers. The principle: when a task needs two people and you are free, join in rather than asking or referring it upwards.

5. Question 5 of 10

   You work for an agricultural contractor. Arriving at a farm to spray a crop you see that the field borders a stream and the wind has picked up well beyond the limit stated on the product label for spraying near water. The farmer is keen for it to be done today because he is away for a week from tomorrow. Your operations manager is contactable. Which response below would be most effective, and which would be least effective?

   1. Spray the parts of the field away from the stream and leave the strip beside the water for another day, without contacting anyone.
   2. Spray the field as booked, keeping as far from the stream as the machine allows, since the farmer is away from tomorrow and there is no other chance this week.
   3. Wait a couple of hours to see whether the wind drops, and spray the whole field if it does, since the farmer needs it done before he goes away.
   4. Tell the farmer you cannot spray next to the stream in this wind, ring your operations manager to agree what can be done, and arrange another date or a different approach.
   Show the answer

   Most effective: D. Tell the farmer you cannot spray next to the stream in this wind, ring your operations manager to agree what can be done, and arrange another date or a different approach.

   Least effective: B. Spray the field as booked, keeping as far from the stream as the machine allows, since the farmer is away from tomorrow and there is no other chance this week.

   A: Substitutes own judgement for the stakeholder's: a partial application changes the agronomy and the invoice, and deciding to split the job is the operations manager's call, not one to be taken alone in a field.

   B: Breaches a legal control on a known risk: the label limit near water exists to prevent contamination of a watercourse, and exceeding it to suit a diary is a deliberate breach with an environmental consequence that cannot be undone.

   C: Delays the decision: waiting is reasonable and nobody has been told, so if the wind does not drop the afternoon has gone and the farmer has still made no alternative arrangements.

   The most effective response is to tell the farmer you cannot spray next to the stream in this wind and ring your operations manager to agree what can be done: the label limit near water is not negotiable, he needs to know today because he leaves tomorrow, and your manager can decide whether another date, another operator or a different product is possible. Raising it immediately keeps every option open. It beats waiting a couple of hours to see whether the wind drops, because that spends the day without telling anyone and leaves him no time to arrange an alternative if it does not. It beats spraying the parts away from the stream and leaving the strip beside the water, because splitting the field changes the job and the invoice, which is not a decision to take alone at the gate. The least effective response is spraying as booked, keeping as far from the stream as the machine allows: it goes beyond the label limit beside a watercourse to suit a diary, a deliberate breach with consequences that cannot be reversed. That is worse than the other two, which mishandle the decision but do not contaminate a stream. The principle: when a legal or safety limit blocks the job, say so at once and get the alternatives decided by whoever owns them.

6. Question 6 of 10

   You are an apprentice with an electrical contractor, working alone today finishing sockets in an office refurbishment. Opening a wall box you find an older cable that appears to be connected to a live circuit but is not on the drawings and is not what you were sent to work on. You are not qualified to test it. Your supervisor is on another site. The client’s fit-out team are due to board over this wall tomorrow morning. Which response below would be most effective, and which would be least effective?

   1. Stop work at that box, ring your supervisor now to describe what you have found, and tell the client's fit-out team the wall must not be boarded until it has been checked.
   2. Photograph the cable, finish the sockets you were sent to do, and raise the unidentified cable with your supervisor at the end of the day when you report back on the job.
   3. Isolate the circuit at the board yourself so the cable is dead, then carry on with the sockets and mention it to your supervisor later.
   4. Say nothing and board the wall as planned, since the cable is not on the drawings, is not part of your work, and whoever installed it presumably knew what they were doing.
   Show the answer

   Most effective: A. Stop work at that box, ring your supervisor now to describe what you have found, and tell the client's fit-out team the wall must not be boarded until it has been checked.

   Least effective: D. Say nothing and board the wall as planned, since the cable is not on the drawings, is not part of your work, and whoever installed it presumably knew what they were doing.

   B: Delays the decision: the record is useful and the wall is boarded over tomorrow morning. An end-of-day report may still be in time, but it leaves no margin and nobody has been asked to act.

   C: Acts on assumptions without checking: isolating a circuit you cannot identify may kill something the building needs, and you are not qualified to test what the cable feeds. It makes one thing safe by guessing at another.

   D: Fails to escalate a genuine risk: it seals an unidentified, apparently live cable inside a wall where nobody will find it. The reason given, that someone else must have known, is the assumption the missing drawing already disproves.

   The most effective response is to stop work at that box, ring your supervisor now, and tell the client’s fit-out team the wall must not be boarded until it has been checked: an unidentified live cable is outside your competence, and the wall is boarded tomorrow morning, so it has to be stopped and reported while both are still possible. Warning the fit-out team is the part that prevents the real damage, because a supervisor informed after boarding cannot undo it. It beats photographing the cable, finishing the sockets, and raising it when you report back at the end of the day, because that leaves no margin against a morning boarding and warns nobody actually holding a sheet of plasterboard. It beats isolating the circuit at the board yourself, because cutting a circuit you cannot identify may kill something the building depends on, and still does not tell you what the cable is. The least effective response is saying nothing and boarding the wall as planned: it seals an apparently live, undocumented cable inside a wall on the assumption that whoever installed it knew what they were doing, which the missing drawing already contradicts. That is worse than the other two, which act imperfectly but do not hide it. The principle: when you find something outside your competence that is about to become inaccessible, stop the work, tell the person who can assess it, and warn whoever would seal it.

7. Question 7 of 10

   You are a stock administrator at a supermarket distribution depot. While reconciling deliveries you notice that chilled goods from one supplier have been booked in as ambient for the past three weeks, which means they have not been counted against the chilled storage limit. Nobody has asked you to look at this and it is not your area. The depot manager is on site today. The next chilled delivery arrives tomorrow morning. Which response below would be most effective, and which would be least effective?

   1. Correct the coding on the three weeks of records yourself so the chilled figures are accurate again, and carry on with your reconciliation now that the numbers add up.
   2. Take the figures to the depot manager today, show him the three weeks of miscoded deliveries and that another is due tomorrow, and ask who should correct the records and the booking-in process.
   3. Leave it alone, since booking in is not your area and the chilled team have presumably been managing their storage by eye without relying on the coding being right.
   4. Note the discrepancy in your reconciliation report at the end of the month, where the depot manager and the supplier team will both see it set out with the supporting figures.
   Show the answer

   Most effective: B. Take the figures to the depot manager today, show him the three weeks of miscoded deliveries and that another is due tomorrow, and ask who should correct the records and the booking-in process.

   Least effective: C. Leave it alone, since booking in is not your area and the chilled team have presumably been managing their storage by eye without relying on the coding being right.

   A: Acts on assumptions without checking: it makes the spreadsheet right and the depot no safer. Nobody learns why the miscoding happened, so tomorrow's delivery is booked in the same way and the storage limit is still being exceeded unseen.

   C: Fails to escalate a genuine risk: you are the only person who knows the chilled limit has been unmonitored for three weeks, with another delivery due. Assuming somebody else has it covered, and saying nothing, is the one response that leaves the risk live.

   D: Delays the decision: a month-end note is the right record and the wrong clock. A chilled delivery arrives tomorrow against a storage limit the depot believes it is inside.

   The most effective response is to take the figures to the depot manager today and ask who should correct the records and the booking-in process: you hold information nobody else has, there is a delivery tomorrow, and he is on site today and can decide both. Taking it to him with the figures makes it actionable rather than a rumour. It beats correcting the three weeks of coding yourself, because that fixes the numbers and leaves the cause untouched, so tomorrow’s delivery is miscoded exactly the same way. It beats noting the discrepancy in your month-end reconciliation report, because a month-end report arrives after the delivery it should have prevented. The least effective response is leaving it alone because booking in is not your area: it is the only response that leaves a live storage risk unreported on an assumption that someone else is watching, which is precisely what three weeks of miscoding shows is not happening. That is worse than correcting the records, which at least fixes the data, and worse than the month-end note, which at least records it. The principle: when you find a problem nobody has assigned you, take it to the person who can act on it, on the clock the problem is running to.

8. Question 8 of 10

   You work for a bespoke furniture maker. A customer commissioned a dining table for delivery before a family celebration in three weeks. Today the workshop tells you the timber has moved during drying and the top must be remade, which takes five weeks. A simpler design in a different timber could be made in three. The customer is contactable. Your workshop manager is available today. Which response below would be most effective, and which would be least effective?

   1. Ring the customer today, explain the timber has moved and the original top now takes five weeks, and set out the simpler alternative so she can choose which she wants.
   2. Start the simpler design straight away so that something is ready for the celebration, and tell the customer what has been done once it is under way.
   3. Tell the customer there has been a problem with the timber and that you will come back to her once the workshop has worked out the options.
   4. Say nothing yet and press on with remaking the original top, since the workshop may make up time and telling her now would spoil the celebration she is planning.
   Show the answer

   Most effective: A. Ring the customer today, explain the timber has moved and the original top now takes five weeks, and set out the simpler alternative so she can choose which she wants.

   Least effective: D. Say nothing yet and press on with remaking the original top, since the workshop may make up time and telling her now would spoil the celebration she is planning.

   B: Substitutes own judgement for the stakeholder's: she commissioned a specific table, and choosing a different design and timber for her removes the decision that the commission was about.

   C: Delays the decision: the options are already known, five weeks for the original or three for a simpler design, so withholding them leaves her unable to decide anything and shortens the time she has to.

   D: Hides the problem / silent deadline slip: she is planning a family celebration around a table that will arrive two weeks late, and the plan is to let her find out. Withholding it to protect her mood removes every option she has.

   The most effective response is to ring the customer today, explain the timber has moved and the original top now takes five weeks, and set out the simpler alternative so she can choose: she commissioned this table for a specific date, the original now misses it by two weeks, and there is a genuine alternative. Only she can decide whether the date or the design matters more, and today is when that choice is still open. It beats starting the simpler design straight away and telling her once it is under way, because that decides the substance of her commission without asking. It beats telling her there has been a problem and that you will come back once the workshop has worked out the options, because both options are already known, so withholding them runs her time down for nothing. The least effective response is pressing on with remaking the original top and saying nothing: it leaves her planning a celebration around a table that will not arrive, in order to avoid spoiling her mood, which removes every choice she had. That is worse than the other two, which act or communicate imperfectly but do not conceal. The principle: when a commission cannot be met as agreed, put the real alternatives to the customer at once and let the choice be theirs.

9. Question 9 of 10

   You are front of house staff at a theatre. Tonight’s performance starts in twenty minutes and the audience is arriving. Your colleague Sam, who is on the bar alone, is struggling with a long queue while you have finished checking tickets at your door and the foyer has cleared. The duty manager is dealing with a seating problem in the auditorium. Sam has not asked for help. Which response below would be most effective, and which would be least effective?

   1. Radio the duty manager to say the bar is struggling and ask whether someone can be moved across before the performance starts.
   2. Ask Sam whether he wants a hand, and return to your door if he says he is managing, since he knows the bar stock and may find a second person in the way.
   3. Go over to the bar, tell Sam you are free now your door has cleared, and serve alongside him until the interval bell.
   4. Stay at your door in case any latecomers arrive, since ticket checking is what you were assigned to and the bar is Sam's responsibility tonight.
   Show the answer

   Most effective: C. Go over to the bar, tell Sam you are free now your door has cleared, and serve alongside him until the interval bell.

   Least effective: D. Stay at your door in case any latecomers arrive, since ticket checking is what you were assigned to and the bar is Sam's responsibility tonight.

   A: Escalates prematurely: the duty manager is dealing with seating and you are standing free twenty feet from the bar. Asking her to solve something you can solve yourself adds a step and costs minutes.

   B: Substitutes own judgement for the stakeholder's: a colleague halfway through a queue with twenty minutes to curtain will usually say he is managing, so the question is polite and predictably leaves him alone.

   D: Avoids the difficult conversation with yourself: it treats an assignment as a boundary while a colleague visibly sinks and paying customers give up on the bar. Standing idle beside a known problem is the failure here.

   The most effective response is to go over to the bar, tell Sam you are free now your door has cleared, and serve alongside him until the interval bell: your door has cleared, the bar has not, and there are twenty minutes before curtain in which a second server makes the difference. Saying you are free removes any need for him to ask. It beats asking him whether he wants a hand and returning to your door if he says he is managing, because putting that question to a colleague mid-queue invites the polite refusal, and the queue is still there afterwards. It beats radioing the duty manager to ask whether someone can be moved across, because she is occupied with seating and you are the resource she would send anyway. The least effective response is staying at your door in case latecomers arrive: it leaves a colleague struggling and customers unserved in order to stand at a door that has nobody at it, the one response where the problem is seen and nothing is done. That is worse than radioing the manager, which acts through someone else, and worse than offering, which at least asks. The principle: when your own task is finished and a colleague is visibly swamped, go and help rather than asking whether help is wanted.

10. Question 10 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.