NHS Assessment Tests

NHS Situational Judgement Test

1. Question 1 of 10

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

2. Question 2 of 10

   You work on the service desk of a bicycle hire scheme. A customer has been charged a £120 late return fee. The app’s GPS shows his bike was returned two hours late, but he says he docked it on time and the dock was faulty. Docking faults are logged by the system and you can see the maintenance log. Your supervisor can authorise refunds. Which response below would be most effective, and which would be least effective?

   1. Explain that the system shows the bike as returned two hours late and that the charge is applied automatically, and give him the address for written appeals.
   2. Tell him the GPS data is definitive, that the system does not make mistakes of this kind, and that the charge will stand.
   3. Refund the £120 now, since a faulty dock is a plausible explanation and £120 is a lot to charge a customer for a fault that may not be his.
   4. Apologise, check the maintenance log for a fault on that dock at that time, and take the result to your supervisor so the charge can be refunded if the dock failed.
   Show the answer

   Most effective: D. Apologise, check the maintenance log for a fault on that dock at that time, and take the result to your supervisor so the charge can be refunded if the dock failed.

   Least effective: B. Tell him the GPS data is definitive, that the system does not make mistakes of this kind, and that the charge will stand.

   A: Ignores the customer's actual need: the maintenance log that would test his account is available to you now, and he is sent to write a letter about something you could check in a minute.

   B: Acts on assumptions without checking: it asserts the system is infallible while a maintenance log exists precisely because docks fail, and it rules against the customer without opening the one record that would test his account.

   C: Breaches confidentiality or process: refunds need supervisor authorisation, and granting one on plausibility rather than on the log that would settle it removes the control and skips the evidence.

   The most effective response is to apologise, check the maintenance log for a fault on that dock at that time, and take the result to your supervisor so the charge can be refunded if the dock failed: he has made a specific, checkable claim, the log will show whether that dock faulted, and your supervisor can refund on the strength of it. Checking first means the decision rests on evidence rather than on who insists harder. It beats explaining that the charge is automatic and giving him the address for written appeals, because that defers a check you can do immediately. It beats refunding the £120 now because a faulty dock is plausible, since that skips both the evidence and the authorisation, so a genuine dock fault still goes unrecorded and unfixed. The least effective response is telling him the GPS data is definitive and the system does not make such mistakes: it declares the system incapable of the error he describes, when the maintenance log exists because docks do fail, and refuses him without looking. That is worse than the appeals address, which at least leaves a route, and worse than the immediate refund, which at least resolves it in his favour. The principle: when a customer’s account is checkable, check it, then take the evidence to whoever authorises the outcome.

3. Question 3 of 10

   You work on the forecourt of a petrol station. Part of your role is recording the daily fuel dip readings, which are used to detect leaks from the underground tanks. Today’s reading is a hundred litres below what the sales figures predict. Your colleague says the dipstick is unreliable, that this happens most weeks, and that you should write down the expected figure so the paperwork is not queried. The manager is in tomorrow. Which response below would be most effective, and which would be least effective?

   1. Record the actual reading, and ring the manager today to tell her the dip is a hundred litres below the expected figure so she can decide whether the tanks need checking.
   2. Write down the expected figure as your colleague suggests, since the dipstick is known to be unreliable and a queried reading would only create work for the manager tomorrow.
   3. Record the actual reading and take a second dip yourself at the end of your shift to see whether the discrepancy is repeated before mentioning it to anyone.
   4. Record the actual reading and leave a note for the manager to find when she comes in tomorrow, so that the discrepancy is documented and she can look into it then.
   Show the answer

   Most effective: A. Record the actual reading, and ring the manager today to tell her the dip is a hundred litres below the expected figure so she can decide whether the tanks need checking.

   Least effective: B. Write down the expected figure as your colleague suggests, since the dipstick is known to be unreliable and a queried reading would only create work for the manager tomorrow.

   B: Falsifies a safety record: the dip readings exist to detect leaks from underground fuel tanks, so entering the number you expected rather than the one you measured removes the only signal the system has. That is dishonesty with a safety consequence.

   C: Delays the decision: the record is right, which matters, but a hundred-litre gap on a fuel tank is exactly the reading somebody qualified should see today rather than after your own retest.

   D: Fails to escalate a genuine risk: the reading is honest and the urgency is missed. A possible fuel leak waits overnight on a note when a phone call today would have reached the person who can act.

   The most effective response is to record the actual reading and ring the manager today about the hundred-litre shortfall: the reading goes in as measured, and a discrepancy that size on an underground fuel tank is a possible leak, so she hears about it today rather than tomorrow. It beats taking a second dip yourself at the end of your shift, because retesting before telling anyone delays a safety signal in order to satisfy your own curiosity, when the manager is a phone call away. It beats leaving a note for her to find when she comes in tomorrow, because that leaves a possible leak unattended overnight for no gain. The least effective response is writing down the expected figure because the dipstick is known to be unreliable: it puts a number that was never measured into the record that exists specifically to detect leaks, so a real leak would be invisible, and it does so to avoid creating work. That is worse than the other two, which are too slow but keep the record true. The principle: record what you measured, and get a safety discrepancy to somebody who can act on it on the day you find it.

4. Question 4 of 10

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

5. Question 5 of 10

   You are a site administrator for a building contractor. A subcontractor’s labourer tells you quietly that the scaffold on the east elevation was altered yesterday to get a delivery through and has not been re-inspected. Six people are due to work off it this morning. The site manager is in a client meeting for the next hour. The scaffolding contractor’s inspector can attend within two hours. Which response below would be most effective, and which would be least effective?

   1. Ring the scaffolding contractor and book the inspector to attend, then tell the site manager what you have arranged when he comes out of his client meeting.
   2. Stop anyone going onto the east elevation scaffold, interrupt the site manager's meeting to tell him, and have the scaffolding inspector called out.
   3. Go and look at the scaffold yourself, and if it appears sound and properly boarded, let the work go ahead and report the alteration to the site manager later.
   4. Wait until the site manager is out of his meeting in an hour and tell him then, since an altered scaffold may well be perfectly sound and he will not want the client meeting interrupted.
   Show the answer

   Most effective: B. Stop anyone going onto the east elevation scaffold, interrupt the site manager's meeting to tell him, and have the scaffolding inspector called out.

   Least effective: D. Wait until the site manager is out of his meeting in an hour and tell him then, since an altered scaffold may well be perfectly sound and he will not want the client meeting interrupted.

   A: Fails to escalate a genuine risk: booking the inspection is right and it is two hours away. Six people go up an uninspected scaffold in the meantime because nobody has been told to stop.

   C: Substitutes own judgement for the stakeholder's: you are not a scaffold inspector, and a scaffold that looks sound is exactly what an inspection exists to test. Clearing it on your own eye is not a judgement you are qualified to make.

   D: Stays silent about a known safety risk: an hour of six people working off an unchecked scaffold is traded against the awkwardness of interrupting a meeting. Weighing a client's convenience above that is a different order of failure from the other options.

   The most effective response is to stop anyone going onto the east elevation scaffold, interrupt the site manager’s meeting, and have the scaffolding inspector called out: an altered scaffold that has not been re-inspected is unsafe until proven otherwise, six people are about to work off it, and both the stopping and the telling can happen in the next minute. A client meeting is not a reason to leave that hanging. It beats ringing the contractor to book the inspector and telling him afterwards, because arranging the inspection without stopping access leaves people on the scaffold for the two hours until the inspector arrives. It beats going to look at the scaffold yourself and letting work go ahead if it seems sound, because judging a scaffold by eye is precisely what you are not qualified to do, and the inspection exists because looking sound is not the same as being safe. The least effective response is waiting the hour until his meeting ends: it leaves six people working off an unchecked scaffold to avoid an interruption. That is worse than booking the inspector, which at least arranges it, and worse than looking yourself, which at least looks. The principle: make it safe first, then tell whoever needs to know, and interrupt whatever needs interrupting to do it.

6. Question 6 of 10

   You work in a commercial laundry. Your colleague Aled is loading a large hotel order alone against a 2pm van departure, and it is 1pm. The load needs two people to make the deadline. You have finished your own machines and have nothing else assigned. The shift supervisor is dealing with a breakdown at the other end of the building. Aled has not asked for help. Which response below would be most effective, and which would be least effective?

   1. Go over to Aled, tell him your machines are finished and you will take half the load, and work with him until the order is ready for the van.
   2. Carry on tidying your own area, since the hotel order is Aled's job today and he has not asked anybody for help with it.
   3. Ask Aled whether he wants help and get on with something else if he says he is fine, since he knows how the hotel order is sorted and may prefer to keep his own system.
   4. Find the shift supervisor and tell her the hotel order will miss the 2pm van unless someone else is put on it.
   Show the answer

   Most effective: A. Go over to Aled, tell him your machines are finished and you will take half the load, and work with him until the order is ready for the van.

   Least effective: B. Carry on tidying your own area, since the hotel order is Aled's job today and he has not asked anybody for help with it.

   B: Waits to be asked: a two-person load is being done by one person against a van departure, and the reason for not helping is that he has not asked. Waiting to be asked is what causes the order to miss the van.

   C: Substitutes own judgement for the stakeholder's: a colleague an hour from a van departure will usually say he is managing, so the question is polite and predictably leaves him loading alone.

   D: Escalates prematurely: you are the person she would send, she is dealing with a breakdown, and the walk there and back costs minutes the load does not have.

   The most effective response is to go over to Aled, tell him your machines are finished and you will take half the load, and work with him until the order is ready: the load needs two people, there is an hour, and your own machines are done, so joining him is the only response that actually makes the van. Telling him your work is finished removes any need for him to ask. It beats asking whether he wants help and getting on with something else if he says he is fine, because a colleague under time pressure will usually decline a general offer, and the load is no further forward. It beats finding the shift supervisor to say the order will miss the 2pm van, because you are the resource she would send, and fetching her costs minutes while she is handling a breakdown. The least effective response is carrying on tidying your own area because he has not asked anybody: it leaves a two-person load with one person and a van departure that will be missed. That is worse than offering, which at least asks, and worse than telling the supervisor, which at least raises it. The principle: when a colleague plainly cannot finish alone and you are free, take half the work rather than waiting to be asked.

7. Question 7 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.

8. Question 8 of 10

   You are a field support technician for a telecoms company. You are on site installing a new phone system for a small business that closes for the weekend at 5pm today. By 2pm it is clear one part is missing and the system cannot be finished today; it can be completed on Monday. The office manager who booked the work is on site. Your own scheduler, who arranges return visits, is at her desk. Which response below would be most effective, and which would be least effective?

   1. Work on until 5pm, leave once the office has closed, and let your scheduler contact the office manager on Monday morning to arrange the return visit for the missing part.
   2. Ring your scheduler to book Monday's return visit, then carry on until 5pm so the office manager sees the work has progressed as far as it possibly could today.
   3. Tell the office manager that you have hit a snag and are doing everything you can, and give her a full picture on Monday once you know exactly what is needed to finish.
   4. Tell the office manager now that a missing part means the system cannot go live today, confirm what still works over the weekend, and agree a Monday return before you leave site.
   Show the answer

   Most effective: D. Tell the office manager now that a missing part means the system cannot go live today, confirm what still works over the weekend, and agree a Monday return before you leave site.

   Least effective: A. Work on until 5pm, leave once the office has closed, and let your scheduler contact the office manager on Monday morning to arrange the return visit for the missing part.

   A: Hides the problem / silent deadline slip: the business closes believing its phones are live and discovers on Monday that they are not. Leaving site without telling the customer is concealment, and it removes every chance she had to arrange cover.

   B: Tells the wrong audience first: the person standing on site, whose business runs on the phones this weekend, learns last about a problem you have already reported internally.

   C: Delays the message: a snag with no detail leaves her unable to plan her weekend cover, when you already know the specific fact she needs, that the system will not go live before Monday.

   The most effective response is to tell the office manager now that a missing part means the system cannot go live today, confirm what still works, and agree a Monday return before you leave: she is standing there, she runs a business that depends on those phones over the weekend, and she needs those three facts before 5pm. It beats ringing your scheduler to book the return visit first, because that puts internal tidiness ahead of the person whose weekend depends on the answer. It beats telling her you have hit a snag and are doing everything you can, because a vague snag withholds the one hard fact she can plan around, when you already know it. The least effective response is leaving once the office has closed and letting your scheduler arrange it on Monday: it is the only response where she finds out after you have gone, which removes every opportunity she had to arrange cover, and it leaves the news to be broken by someone who was never on site. That is worse than the other two, which communicate imperfectly but in time. The principle: tell the person carrying the consequence first, tell them while they can still act, and tell them what you actually know.

9. Question 9 of 10

   You work in a student accommodation office. Deposits are returned after an inspection, with deductions for damage. A colleague asks you to record a broken door in a room as pre-existing wear, explaining that the student who caused it is a friend of hers and cannot afford the deduction. The inspection report you completed records the door as damaged. Your accommodation manager is in the building. Which response below would be most effective, and which would be least effective?

   1. Refuse and report your colleague to the accommodation manager for asking you to alter an inspection record in favour of a friend.
   2. Leave the report as it is but do not submit it yet, so that your colleague has time to find another way to help the student before the deduction is applied.
   3. Record the door as pre-existing wear as she asks, since the student is struggling financially and one door will not be noticed among the year's inspections.
   4. Tell your colleague you will not change the report, and suggest the student applies through the hardship or appeals route if she cannot afford the deduction.
   Show the answer

   Most effective: D. Tell your colleague you will not change the report, and suggest the student applies through the hardship or appeals route if she cannot afford the deduction.

   Least effective: C. Record the door as pre-existing wear as she asks, since the student is struggling financially and one door will not be noticed among the year's inspections.

   A: Escalates prematurely: the request is wrong and she has not yet been told plainly that you will not do it. Reporting first turns a bad request into a disciplinary matter without the conversation that would probably end it.

   B: Delays the decision: holding back a completed inspection report to create room for a favour is a quieter version of the same request, and it puts the student's deposit process in limbo.

   C: Falsifies an inspection record: the report is the evidence on which another person's money is withheld or returned, and changing it as a favour is dishonesty that every other student pays for through the deposit scheme.

   The most effective response is to tell your colleague you will not change the report, and suggest the student applies through the hardship or appeals route: the report records what you found and will not be altered, and the student’s real problem, affording the deduction, has a legitimate route. Saying both settles the matter and offers a genuine answer. It beats refusing and reporting her to the accommodation manager for asking, because she has not yet been told plainly that you will not do it, and reporting first escalates something one sentence would resolve. It beats holding the finished report back so she has time to find another way to help, because sitting on it to make space for a favour is the same request in slower form. The least effective response is recording the door as pre- existing wear as she asks: it alters the evidence on which a deposit is decided, as a personal favour, and every other student funds the difference. That is worse than the other two, which handle it awkwardly but keep the record true. The principle: refuse to change the record, say so directly to the person who asked, and point at the legitimate route for the underlying problem.

10. Question 10 of 10

    You are a project coordinator for an exhibition stand builder. A client’s stand is due to be built on Wednesday for a trade show opening Thursday. On Monday the printer says the large graphic panels will not be ready until Thursday morning. The stand structure can go up on Wednesday without them. The client’s marketing lead is contactable. Your production manager is available today. Which response below would be most effective, and which would be least effective?

    1. Ring the client's marketing lead today, explain the graphics will not arrive until Thursday morning, and agree with her whether to accept that risk or change the artwork.
    2. Build the stand structure on Wednesday and fit the graphics on Thursday morning before the show opens, telling the client on Thursday once everything is in place.
    3. Say nothing and press the printer for Wednesday, since they may still make it and raising it now would worry the client about something that might not happen.
    4. Email the client's marketing lead to say there is a production delay on the graphics and that you will confirm the position once the printer has given a firm time.
    Show the answer

    Most effective: A. Ring the client's marketing lead today, explain the graphics will not arrive until Thursday morning, and agree with her whether to accept that risk or change the artwork.

    Least effective: C. Say nothing and press the printer for Wednesday, since they may still make it and raising it now would worry the client about something that might not happen.

    B: Substitutes own judgement for the stakeholder's: fitting graphics on the morning a trade show opens carries a real risk the client should be allowed to weigh, and telling her afterwards removes that choice.

    C: Hides the problem / silent deadline slip: her stand may be unbranded when a trade show opens, and the plan is to say nothing while hoping. That removes every option she has, including simpler artwork or a different printer.

    D: Delays the message: you already know the graphics land Thursday morning and that the structure can go up regardless, so withholding both leaves her unable to weigh anything.

    The most effective response is to ring the client’s marketing lead today, explain the graphics will not arrive until Thursday morning, and agree whether to accept that risk or change the artwork: graphics arriving on the morning a show opens is a real risk to her stand, she is the person who has to stand on it, and Monday leaves time to simplify the artwork or find another printer. Giving her the facts and agreeing the approach keeps those options alive. It beats building the structure on Wednesday and fitting the graphics on Thursday morning before telling her, because that takes a decision about her own exhibition presence. It beats emailing to say there is a production delay and that you will confirm once the printer commits, because you already know everything she needs. The least effective response is saying nothing and pressing the printer for Wednesday: it leaves her stand possibly unbranded at a show opening while you hope the printer recovers. That is worse than the other two, which decide or communicate imperfectly but do not conceal. The principle: when a delay puts a client’s own event at risk, tell them at once and decide the response together.