Nielsen Assessment Tests

Nielsen Situational Judgement Test

1. Question 1 of 10

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

2. Question 2 of 10

   You work in the billing team of an energy supplier. A customer rings about a bill for £520 covering nine months, caused by the supplier failing to bill her since she moved in. She says that even the standard twelve-month plan would be more than she can manage each month. Company policy allows a repayment plan over twelve months for billing errors of this kind, and a longer plan needs a team leader’s approval. Your team leader is at her desk. Which response below would be most effective, and which would be least effective?

   1. Apologise for the nine months of missed billing, set out the twelve- month plan, and ask your team leader now whether a longer plan can be approved given the supplier's error.
   2. Explain that the energy was used and the bill is correct, and set up the standard twelve-month repayment plan the policy allows.
   3. Tell her the bill stands and must be paid within the usual payment terms, since the energy was genuinely used and the debt is hers regardless of when it was billed.
   4. Reduce the bill by the amount covering the first three months, since the supplier's failure to bill caused the problem and the customer should not pay for the company's error.
   Show the answer

   Most effective: A. Apologise for the nine months of missed billing, set out the twelve- month plan, and ask your team leader now whether a longer plan can be approved given the supplier's error.

   Least effective: C. Tell her the bill stands and must be paid within the usual payment terms, since the energy was genuinely used and the debt is hers regardless of when it was billed.

   B: Treats the policy floor as the ceiling: the twelve-month plan is offered as the only option when a longer one exists and a team leader who can approve it is at her desk, and she has not been asked.

   C: Ignores the customer's actual need: it demands full payment on normal terms for the supplier's own nine-month failure, and withholds a repayment plan the policy explicitly provides. That is a refusal of a remedy she is entitled to.

   D: Breaches confidentiality or process: writing off part of a bill is not a decision the billing team takes, and doing it unilaterally replaces an approval route with a personal judgement about fairness.

   The most effective response is to apologise for the nine months of missed billing, set out the twelve-month plan, and ask your team leader now whether a longer plan can be approved: the supplier caused this by not billing, the policy provides a repayment plan, and a longer one is available through a team leader sitting at her desk. That gives the customer the best the company actually allows. It beats explaining that the energy was used and setting up the standard twelve-month plan, because that treats it as the only option when a longer one exists and can be approved in minutes. It beats reducing the bill by the first three months, because that is not the billing team’s decision, however sympathetic the case. The least effective response is telling her the bill must be paid within the usual payment terms: it insists on normal terms for a debt created by the supplier’s own failure, and withholds a repayment plan the policy provides. That is worse than the standard plan, which at least offers one, and worse than the reduction, which at least tries to help. The principle: when your organisation caused the problem, find the most the policy allows and use the approval route for anything beyond it.

3. Question 3 of 10

   You work in the admissions office of a private college. Applicants must provide original qualification certificates. An agent who recruits students for the college submits a photocopy for one applicant, saying the original is with the embassy, and asks you to record it as verified so the offer can go out this week. The agent brings the college a lot of business. Your admissions manager is available. Which response below would be most effective, and which would be least effective?

   1. Record the certificate as verified so the offer can go out this week, since the photocopy looks genuine and the agent brings the college a great deal of business.
   2. Tell the agent you cannot record a photocopy as verified, and ask your admissions manager what alternative evidence the college accepts when an original is with an embassy.
   3. Reject the application until the original certificate is produced, and tell the agent that the offer cannot proceed this week whatever the reason for the delay.
   4. Send the offer out marked as conditional on the original certificate being produced later, and record the photocopy as received rather than verified.
   Show the answer

   Most effective: B. Tell the agent you cannot record a photocopy as verified, and ask your admissions manager what alternative evidence the college accepts when an original is with an embassy.

   Least effective: A. Record the certificate as verified so the offer can go out this week, since the photocopy looks genuine and the agent brings the college a great deal of business.

   A: Falsifies a verification record: recording a document as verified when you have not seen the original is a false statement in the college's own admissions record, and the reason given is the agent's commercial value. That is dishonesty, not pragmatism.

   C: Applies the rule without using it: the college may well have a route for certificates held by an embassy, and refusing outright forecloses a legitimate application without asking anyone who would know.

   D: Acts outside own authority: making an offer conditional is a decision about admissions terms, not a records entry, and issuing one to work around a verification rule commits the college on your own judgement.

   The most effective response is to tell the agent you cannot record a photocopy as verified, and ask your admissions manager what alternative evidence the college accepts when an original is with an embassy: you cannot record something as verified that you have not verified, but the applicant’s problem is a common one the college may well have a route for. Refusing the false entry and asking the right question does both jobs. It beats rejecting the application until the original is produced, because outright rejection forecloses a legitimate application without asking whether alternative evidence is accepted. It beats sending a conditional offer and recording the photocopy as received, because inventing that condition to work around the rule is an admissions decision you have no authority to take. The least effective response is recording the certificate as verified so the offer can go out this week: it records an unverified document as checked, and the reason offered is how much business the agent brings, which is precisely the pressure the verification rule exists to resist. That is worse than the other two, which act beyond or below their authority but keep the record true. The principle: never record a check you did not perform, and take the underlying problem to whoever can authorise an alternative.

4. Question 4 of 10

   You are a production coordinator at an events company. It is 2pm on the day of a conference. Three things need you: the client’s keynote speaker has arrived and cannot find the green room, the audio-visual crew report a microphone fault in the main hall where the keynote begins at 3pm, and your manager wants tomorrow’s crew rota confirmed by 4pm. You have one runner available to help. Which response below would be most effective, and which would be least effective?

   1. Deal with the speaker and the rota yourself and leave the microphone to the audio-visual crew, since they are the specialists and it is their equipment to fix.
   2. Take the speaker to the green room yourself since the client will judge the company on how she is looked after, then deal with the microphone and the rota afterwards.
   3. Send the runner to collect the speaker, go to the main hall yourself to get the microphone fault resolved before 3pm, and confirm the rota after the keynote starts.
   4. Confirm the rota first since your manager has set a 4pm deadline, then help with the microphone and ask the runner to find the speaker.
   Show the answer

   Most effective: C. Send the runner to collect the speaker, go to the main hall yourself to get the microphone fault resolved before 3pm, and confirm the rota after the keynote starts.

   Least effective: A. Deal with the speaker and the rota yourself and leave the microphone to the audio-visual crew, since they are the specialists and it is their equipment to fix.

   A: Fails to escalate a genuine risk: the crew have reported the fault rather than fixed it, which is the signal that they need a decision or a replacement. Treating a reported problem as somebody else's job means the keynote starts without a working microphone.

   B: Substitutes own judgement for the stakeholder's: escorting a guest is the one task on the list that anyone can do, and doing it personally spends the coordinator on the job the runner exists for while a keynote microphone stays broken.

   D: Delays the decision: the rota has two hours and no audience, while the microphone has one hour and a keynote behind it. Doing the administrative task first spends the only hour that matters.

   The most effective response is to send the runner to collect the speaker, go to the main hall yourself to get the microphone fault resolved before 3pm, and confirm the rota after the keynote starts: the microphone is the only item with a hard deadline and a public failure attached, the speaker needs collecting rather than coordinating, and the rota has until 4pm. That puts each person on the job matching what they can do. It beats taking the speaker to the green room yourself, because escorting a guest is exactly what the runner is there for, and doing it personally leaves the microphone unattended. It beats confirming the rota first to meet your manager’s 4pm deadline, because the rota has two hours and no audience while the keynote has one. The least effective response is leaving the microphone to the audio-visual crew as the specialists: they have reported a fault rather than resolved it, so a decision or a replacement is needed, and treating it as theirs alone risks a keynote starting without sound in front of the client. That is worse than the other two, which misallocate the time but keep the fault in view. The principle: delegate what anyone can do, take personally the thing with the closing window and the visible consequence.

5. Question 5 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.

6. Question 6 of 10

   You are a visitor services assistant at a museum. A family arrives having booked online for a dinosaur exhibition that closed permanently last week; the website page was taken down but their booking email still shows today’s date. They have travelled two hours and the children are visibly disappointed. Your supervisor is at lunch for another thirty minutes. Refunds require a supervisor. The museum’s other galleries are open. Which response below would be most effective, and which would be least effective?

   1. Explain that the exhibition closed last week and that refunds have to be authorised by a supervisor, and ask them to come back to the desk in half an hour when she is off her lunch break.
   2. Apologise and process a refund from the till yourself, since the museum is plainly at fault and making the family wait for a supervisor would add insult to a wasted journey.
   3. Apologise, take their details and tell them the museum will investigate how the booking was allowed to go through and will write to them once the cause has been established.
   4. Apologise for the booking error, explain what is open today, offer to show them straight through to the other galleries, and take their details so the refund is processed when your supervisor returns.
   Show the answer

   Most effective: D. Apologise for the booking error, explain what is open today, offer to show them straight through to the other galleries, and take their details so the refund is processed when your supervisor returns.

   Least effective: A. Explain that the exhibition closed last week and that refunds have to be authorised by a supervisor, and ask them to come back to the desk in half an hour when she is off her lunch break.

   A: Ignores the customer's actual need: a family two hours from home with disappointed children is given a rule and a wait. It offers them nothing they can do in the next half hour, which is the one thing the situation calls for.

   B: Breaches confidentiality or process: refunds need a supervisor for good reason, and the strength of the family's case is not authority to take money out of the till. The right outcome by the wrong route.

   C: Delays the decision: an investigation into the website answers a question nobody in front of you is asking. The family are standing in the foyer now with a day to rescue.

   The most effective response is to apologise, explain what is open today, show them straight through to the other galleries, and take their details for the refund: it fixes what can be fixed today, a day out that still happens, and sets the refund running through the proper route without making the family wait in the foyer for it. It beats processing a refund from the till yourself, because a supervisor’s authorisation is the control on money leaving the till, and however deserving the case, that is not yours to override. It beats promising to investigate how the booking went through and write to them, because that is the museum’s problem, not the family’s, and it gives four people standing in front of you nothing to do with their afternoon. The least effective response is asking them to come back in half an hour when the supervisor is off her lunch break: it is the only response that offers the family nothing at all in the meantime, after a two-hour journey, when the museum is at fault and other galleries are open. That is worse than refunding from the till, which errs by helping too freely, and worse than the investigation, which at least takes their details. The principle: rescue what can be rescued now, and route the part you cannot authorise through the person who can.

7. Question 7 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.

8. Question 8 of 10

   You are a funeral arranger. You have had an emotionally difficult week and today have taken three arrangement meetings back to back. A family arrives for the fourth, an hour early, and the son tells you at the door that the arrangements you sent contain the wrong name for his mother. You are tired and know you are close to your limit. Your funeral director is in the office. Which response below would be most effective, and which would be least effective?

   1. Apologise for the mistake and start the meeting straight away without mentioning the error to anyone else, since raising it would only draw attention to a failing in your own work.
   2. Apologise, correct the paperwork immediately and start the meeting an hour early, since the family are here and have already been let down once.
   3. Apologise for the error, settle the family with a short wait, and tell your funeral director now so the paperwork is corrected and she can take the meeting if that is better.
   4. Apologise, correct the name, and ask the family to wait until the original appointment time so that you have a short break before the meeting begins.
   Show the answer

   Most effective: C. Apologise for the error, settle the family with a short wait, and tell your funeral director now so the paperwork is corrected and she can take the meeting if that is better.

   Least effective: A. Apologise for the mistake and start the meeting straight away without mentioning the error to anyone else, since raising it would only draw attention to a failing in your own work.

   A: Hides an error to protect yourself: a family's mother's name was wrong on their arrangements, and the reason for not telling the funeral director is how it reflects on you. That leaves the error unexamined and the family with a tired arranger.

   B: Abandons own limits at the family's expense: starting an hour early when you know you are close to your limit takes the most demanding meeting of the week at the worst moment, and this family need you at your best.

   D: Hides the strain until failure: it buys a few minutes without telling anyone how the week has gone, so the funeral director cannot judge whether you should be taking this meeting at all.

   The most effective response is to apologise for the error, settle the family with a short wait, and tell your funeral director now so the paperwork is corrected and she can take the meeting if that is better: the family need the error put right and they need an arranger who is not at the end of a very hard week, and she can do both. Settling them first means the apology is not delayed by the internal question. It beats correcting the name and asking them to wait until the original time so you get a short break, because a break nobody knows about leaves her unable to judge whether you should be taking the meeting. It beats correcting the paperwork and starting an hour early, because beginning while you know you are close to your limit gives this family the least of you at the point they need the most. The least effective response is starting the meeting straight away without mentioning the error to anyone: it hides a mistake on a family’s arrangements to stop it reflecting badly on you. That is worse than the other two, which handle the pressure badly but put the error right openly. The principle: fix what the person in front of you needs, and tell whoever can rebalance the work the truth about your own capacity.

9. Question 9 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.

10. Question 10 of 10

    You work at the ticket desk of a cinema. A family arrives with tickets for a film that started twenty minutes ago; they misread the start time on their booking. The screening is nearly full and there is another showing of the same film in ninety minutes with plenty of seats. Cinema policy allows the desk to transfer tickets to a later showing at your discretion. The duty manager is in the foyer. Which response below would be most effective, and which would be least effective?

    1. Explain that the film started twenty minutes ago and let them into the screen now so they see as much of it as possible.
    2. Explain that the tickets were for a showing that has begun, that the mistake was theirs, and that new tickets would have to be bought for the later screening.
    3. Explain that the tickets cannot be used now and refer them to the duty manager in the foyer, who can decide whether anything can be done.
    4. Apologise for the mix-up, explain the film has already started, and offer to transfer their tickets to the showing in ninety minutes.
    Show the answer

    Most effective: D. Apologise for the mix-up, explain the film has already started, and offer to transfer their tickets to the showing in ninety minutes.

    Least effective: B. Explain that the tickets were for a showing that has begun, that the mistake was theirs, and that new tickets would have to be bought for the later screening.

    A: Seats them into a spoiled showing: it seats a family twenty minutes into a film in a nearly full screen, which gives them a poor showing and disturbs everyone already watching, when a full one is available later.

    B: Ignores the customer's actual need: it charges a family twice for a misread start time when policy allows you to transfer the tickets at no cost. Applying the strictest reading available is a service failure, not a rule.

    C: Passes responsibility to others: transferring tickets is explicitly within your discretion, so sending them to find a manager adds a step to something you are authorised to settle.

    The most effective response is to apologise for the mix-up, explain the film has already started, and offer to transfer their tickets to the showing in ninety minutes: a later screening has plenty of seats and the policy explicitly lets you transfer. That costs the cinema a seat it would have had empty anyway and saves the family’s evening. It beats letting them into the screen now so they see as much as possible, because seating them twenty minutes late in a nearly full auditorium gives them a poor experience and disturbs the audience, when a complete showing is available. It beats referring them to the duty manager in the foyer, because the transfer is within your discretion, so referring only delays what you can do now. The least effective response is telling them the mistake was theirs and that new tickets must be bought: it makes the family pay twice for a misread time when a free transfer was available to you. That is worse than seating them late, which at least lets them see something, and worse than the referral, which at least keeps a route open. The principle: when you hold the discretion to fix a customer’s problem at no real cost, use it rather than referring it or applying the harshest reading.