Roche Assessment Tests

Roche Application Tests: Free Practice Questions (2026) Situational Judgement Test

1. Question 1 of 10

   You are a train conductor. Your service has been delayed ninety minutes by a fault, the train is crowded and you have been answering the same questions for an hour. A passenger who will now miss a connection tells you loudly that you are useless and that the railway has ruined his evening. Passengers nearby are listening. You can check onward connections and the operator has a written delay compensation scheme. Which response below would be most effective, and which would be least effective?

   1. Explain that the delay was caused by a technical fault outside your control and that you have been doing your best for everyone on the train for the past hour.
   2. Tell him that abuse of railway staff is not acceptable and that you will not discuss his connection until he speaks to you civilly.
   3. Acknowledge that he will miss his connection, check what onward services are running for him, and explain how to claim under the delay compensation scheme.
   4. Apologise and tell him the station staff at the destination will be able to help him with his onward journey and any compensation claim when he gets there.
   Show the answer

   Most effective: C. Acknowledge that he will miss his connection, check what onward services are running for him, and explain how to claim under the delay compensation scheme.

   Least effective: B. Tell him that abuse of railway staff is not acceptable and that you will not discuss his connection until he speaks to you civilly.

   A: Personalises the conflict: it defends your own performance in front of a listening carriage rather than dealing with his missed connection, which invites him to argue about you instead.

   B: Escalates the confrontation: it makes his manner the condition of getting help with a missed connection, in front of a full carriage, which turns a service failure into a stand-off and leaves him with no information at all.

   D: Passes responsibility to others: you can check the onward connections from where you are standing, and telling a passenger to sort it out at the end of the journey leaves him with nothing for the next hour.

   The most effective response is to acknowledge that he will miss his connection, check what onward services are running, and explain how to claim under the delay compensation scheme: the useful things are what trains exist and what he is entitled to, and both are within your reach on board. It beats telling him the station staff at the destination can help with his onward journey and any claim, because you can check the connections now, and sending him on leaves him with nothing for the rest of the journey. It beats explaining that the delay was a technical fault outside your control and that you have done your best, because defending your own hour answers his insult rather than his problem, in front of a listening carriage. The least effective response is telling him you will not discuss his connection until he speaks to you civilly: it makes his manner a precondition for information he needs, in public, which escalates a service failure into a confrontation and leaves him with no help at all. That is worse than explaining the fault, which at least explains, and worse than referring him onward, which at least points somewhere. The principle: under personal criticism, give the person the concrete things that still help them, and leave your own defence out of it.

2. Question 2 of 10

   You are a science technician at a secondary school. Preparing for a practical lesson you find a bottle of concentrated acid in the general chemicals cupboard rather than the locked cabinet, with a loose cap. The lesson starts in twenty minutes and thirty pupils will be in the room. The head of science is teaching but the department office is next door and the site manager is available. Which response below would be most effective, and which would be least effective?

   1. Move the bottle to the locked cabinet, tighten the cap, and tell the head of science about it after the lesson when she is free.
   2. Secure the bottle in the locked cabinet now, and interrupt the head of science briefly to tell her before thirty pupils come into the room.
   3. Leave the bottle where it is and mention it to the head of science at break, since the cupboard is at the back of the room and pupils are not allowed to open it.
   4. Cancel the practical and tell the class teacher the lesson cannot go ahead until the chemical storage has been checked properly.
   Show the answer

   Most effective: B. Secure the bottle in the locked cabinet now, and interrupt the head of science briefly to tell her before thirty pupils come into the room.

   Least effective: C. Leave the bottle where it is and mention it to the head of science at break, since the cupboard is at the back of the room and pupils are not allowed to open it.

   A: Delays the decision: securing the bottle is right and it leaves unanswered how concentrated acid came to be in an unlocked cupboard, which the head of science needs to know before the next lesson, not after this one.

   C: Stays silent about a known safety risk: concentrated acid with a loose cap is left in an unlocked cupboard while thirty pupils work in the room, on the assumption that a rule about not opening cupboards will hold. That is a safety failure of a different order from the others.

   D: Escalates beyond the problem: one misplaced bottle can be secured in two minutes, and cancelling a lesson for thirty pupils is a decision for the head of science rather than a technician.

   The most effective response is to secure the bottle in the locked cabinet now and interrupt the head of science briefly before thirty pupils come in: putting it away takes two minutes, and she needs to know before the room fills because a misplaced bottle implies something wrong with how chemicals are being stored. Both fit in twenty minutes. It beats moving the bottle and telling her after the lesson when she is free, because that leaves the storage question unexamined through a lesson with thirty pupils in the room. It beats cancelling the practical until chemical storage has been checked, because that is a bigger decision than the problem needs, and is not a technician’s to take when securing the bottle solves the hazard. The least effective response is leaving the bottle where it is and mentioning it at break: it leaves concentrated acid with a loose cap in an unlocked cupboard during a practical, relying on pupils following a rule. That is worse than securing it and telling her later, which at least secures it, and worse than cancelling, which at least stops the lesson. The principle: remove the hazard immediately, then tell the responsible person before the risk period starts.

3. Question 3 of 10

   You are an assistant at a children’s after-school activity club. A parent has paid for her son to attend a climbing session on Thursday. This morning the instructor tells you he is unwell and Thursday’s climbing will be replaced by indoor games. The parent chose the club specifically for the climbing. She can be reached by phone or email. The club manager is on leave until Friday. Which response below would be most effective, and which would be least effective?

   1. Email all parents on Wednesday evening with the amended timetable, so that everyone is told at the same time and the message is consistent.
   2. Ring the parent to say Thursday's session is changing, and tell her you will confirm what it is being replaced with once the timetable has been sorted out.
   3. Say nothing and let Thursday go ahead as indoor games, since the children enjoy those too and the parent may not mind once her son has had a good afternoon.
   4. Contact the parent today, explain the instructor is unwell and Thursday will be indoor games instead, and tell her what the alternatives are including a refund or a later climbing session.
   Show the answer

   Most effective: D. Contact the parent today, explain the instructor is unwell and Thursday will be indoor games instead, and tell her what the alternatives are including a refund or a later climbing session.

   Least effective: C. Say nothing and let Thursday go ahead as indoor games, since the children enjoy those too and the parent may not mind once her son has had a good afternoon.

   A: Delays the message: a Wednesday evening notice reaches her the night before, when she has already arranged her Thursday around a session that is not happening.

   B: Delays the decision: it reaches her today, which is right, and withholds the two facts she needs, what is happening instead and what her options are, so she still cannot decide anything.

   C: Hides the problem: she paid for climbing specifically and is left to discover the change at collection, with no chance to decide whether she still wanted the session. Assuming she will not mind is not her decision to make.

   The most effective response is to contact the parent today, explain the instructor is unwell and Thursday will be indoor games, and set out the alternatives including a refund or a later climbing session: she chose and paid for climbing specifically, the substitution changes what she bought, and telling her today lets her decide whether her son still attends. It beats ringing to say only that Thursday is changing and you will confirm the replacement later, because that leaves her unable to act when you already know what it changes to. It beats emailing all parents on Wednesday evening with the amended timetable, because a general notice the night before arrives after she has organised her Thursday. The least effective response is saying nothing and letting Thursday go ahead as indoor games: it lets her pay for climbing, send her son to something else, and find out afterwards, on the assumption that she will not mind. That is worse than the other two, which tell her late or partially but do tell her. The principle: when what someone paid for changes, tell them promptly, tell them what it changes to, and give them the choice.

4. Question 4 of 10

   You are a ground handling agent at an airport. Fog has delayed several flights and the desk is surrounded by passengers. You have been on your feet for six hours. A passenger who has missed a connection tells you, in front of the crowd, that you are incompetent and have ruined his trip. He is not going to make the last flight tonight. Your duty supervisor is nearby. Which response below would be most effective, and which would be least effective?

   1. Acknowledge that missing the connection is a serious problem for him, tell him what tonight's and tomorrow's options actually are, and start arranging whichever he chooses.
   2. Tell him there is nothing you can do tonight and ask him to step aside so you can help the other passengers who are waiting.
   3. Tell him the delays are caused by fog rather than by anything the ground staff have done, and ask him not to speak to you like that in front of other passengers.
   4. Apologise and ask your duty supervisor to come and take over the conversation, then move on to the next passenger in the queue.
   Show the answer

   Most effective: A. Acknowledge that missing the connection is a serious problem for him, tell him what tonight's and tomorrow's options actually are, and start arranging whichever he chooses.

   Least effective: B. Tell him there is nothing you can do tonight and ask him to step aside so you can help the other passengers who are waiting.

   B: Ignores the customer's actual need: it is not true that nothing can be done, since tomorrow's flights and overnight arrangements exist, and it dismisses a stranded passenger in order to clear him from the desk.

   C: Personalises the conflict: it is accurate and it answers his insult instead of his missed connection, in front of an audience that will take sides.

   D: Passes responsibility to others: it hands off a passenger you are able to rebook, and takes a supervisor off the floor during a major disruption when you can resolve it yourself.

   The most effective response is to acknowledge that missing the connection is a serious problem for him, tell him what tonight’s and tomorrow’s options actually are, and start arranging whichever he chooses: he is stranded overnight, so what he needs is the real list and someone starting on it, and giving him that answers the complaint without engaging the insult. It beats telling him the delays are caused by fog and asking him not to speak to you like that, because correcting his manner, however fairly, argues with his tone in front of a crowd and leaves him no closer to a flight. It beats asking your duty supervisor to come and take over the conversation, because that confirms you could not help and removes a supervisor from the floor during a disruption. The least effective response is telling him there is nothing you can do tonight and asking him to step aside: it tells a stranded passenger something that is not true, and moves him aside to clear the desk. That is worse than correcting his manner, which at least engages, and worse than fetching the supervisor, which at least routes him to help. The principle: under personal criticism, answer the problem rather than the tone, and give the person the concrete options that still exist.

5. Question 5 of 10

   You are a receptionist at a physiotherapy practice. At 11am the practice’s online booking system goes down; patients are ringing and cannot book. A patient in the waiting room needs her follow-up appointments arranged before she leaves, which takes ten minutes. Your practice manager wants the insurance paperwork for three patients completed today, taking an hour. The IT contractor answers within minutes when called. Which response below would be most effective, and which would be least effective?

   1. Take patients' details by phone and tell them the practice will call back to book when the system returns, without reporting the outage to the IT contractor.
   2. Book the waiting patient's follow-up appointments first since she is in front of you, then ring the IT contractor and start the insurance paperwork.
   3. Ring the IT contractor about the booking system straight away, book the waiting patient's follow-ups while you wait for them, and do the insurance paperwork afterwards.
   4. Start the insurance paperwork since your manager wants it today, and deal with the booking system and the waiting patient as the morning allows.
   Show the answer

   Most effective: C. Ring the IT contractor about the booking system straight away, book the waiting patient's follow-ups while you wait for them, and do the insurance paperwork afterwards.

   Least effective: A. Take patients' details by phone and tell them the practice will call back to book when the system returns, without reporting the outage to the IT contractor.

   A: Fails to escalate a genuine fault: it builds a manual workaround for an outage nobody has been told about, so the system stays down all day and the backlog grows with it.

   B: Delays the decision: the contractor answers in minutes and then works in the background, so calling first costs almost nothing and starts a repair that every ringing patient is waiting on.

   D: Substitutes own judgement for the stakeholder's: an hour of paperwork due at some point today is put ahead of a system outage affecting every patient trying to book and a patient waiting at the desk.

   The most effective response is to ring the IT contractor about the booking system straight away, book the waiting patient’s follow-ups while you wait for them, and do the insurance paperwork afterwards: the contractor answers within minutes and then works in the background, so that call sets the longest-running fix going at almost no cost, and the ten minutes with the patient fits neatly into the wait. The paperwork has the rest of the day. It beats booking her follow-up appointments first because she is in front of you, since the call is the thing that unblocks everyone else and takes moments. It beats starting the insurance paperwork because your manager wants it today, because an hour of paperwork with a whole day available should not precede an outage affecting every patient trying to book. The least effective response is taking details by phone for a callback without reporting the outage at all: it manages the symptoms of a fault nobody has been told about, so it persists all day and the callback list grows. That is worse than the other two, which sequence badly but do not leave the fault unreported. The principle: start the fix with the longest lead time first, then use the waiting time for the people in front of you.

6. Question 6 of 10

   You work in a mobile phone shop. A customer bought a handset six weeks ago and returns saying it switches itself off. Under the shop’s policy, faults after thirty days go to the manufacturer’s repair service, which takes two weeks. He relies on the phone for work and is angry at the prospect of being without it. Loan handsets exist but need a manager’s approval. Your manager is in the stockroom. Which response below would be most effective, and which would be least effective?

   1. Tell him the shop cannot help after thirty days and give him the manufacturer's contact details so he can arrange the repair with them directly.
   2. Explain the thirty-day policy, book the handset in for manufacturer repair, and advise him to arrange a temporary phone himself for the two weeks it will be away.
   3. Apologise, book the repair, and ask your manager now whether a loan handset can be authorised so he is not without a phone for work.
   4. Give him a loan handset straight away so he is not left without a phone, and let your manager know afterwards that you have issued one.
   Show the answer

   Most effective: C. Apologise, book the repair, and ask your manager now whether a loan handset can be authorised so he is not without a phone for work.

   Least effective: A. Tell him the shop cannot help after thirty days and give him the manufacturer's contact details so he can arrange the repair with them directly.

   A: Passes responsibility to others: it sends a customer with a six- week-old faulty phone away to organise his own repair, when the shop books repairs as a matter of course. That is a refusal of service dressed as a policy.

   B: Ignores the customer's actual need: it applies the policy correctly and stops there, when the shop holds loan handsets and the person who can authorise one is a few steps away.

   D: Breaches confidentiality or process: loan handsets need a manager's approval and the manager is in the stockroom. Taking the decision yourself gets a good outcome by removing the control that governs it.

   The most effective response is to apologise, book the repair, and ask your manager now whether a loan handset can be authorised: the repair route is fixed by policy, but the real problem is two weeks without a phone he needs for work, and the shop already has an answer to that which a manager a few steps away can approve. It beats explaining the policy, booking the repair, and telling him to arrange a temporary phone himself, because that applies the policy and stops, ignoring a remedy the shop holds. It beats handing him a loan handset straight away and telling your manager afterwards, because that reaches the right outcome by bypassing the control, and she is available anyway. The least effective response is telling him the shop cannot help after thirty days and giving him the manufacturer’s details: it refuses to book a repair the shop routinely books and sends a customer with a six-week-old fault to deal with the manufacturer himself. That is worse than booking it and stopping, which at least books the repair, and worse than issuing the loan without approval, which at least solves his problem. The principle: apply the policy, then ask what the business can still do about the customer’s actual difficulty, through whoever is authorised to approve it.

7. Question 7 of 10

   You are an instructor at an outdoor activity centre. Checking equipment before a climbing session for a school group you find a harness with a frayed stitch on a load-bearing strap. There are enough harnesses without it. The group arrives in fifteen minutes. Centre procedure requires damaged equipment to be quarantined and logged by the technical manager, who is on site. Which response below would be most effective, and which would be least effective?

   1. Put the harness back at the end of the rack so it is not used today, and tell the technical manager after the session when he has more time.
   2. Set the harness aside and log it in the equipment book yourself, so the record exists and the technical manager can review it at the next equipment check.
   3. Use the harness for the session but give it to one of the lighter pupils, since the stitching is only frayed and there is no sign it is close to failing.
   4. Take the harness out of use, put it aside where it cannot be picked up, and tell the technical manager before the group arrives.
   Show the answer

   Most effective: D. Take the harness out of use, put it aside where it cannot be picked up, and tell the technical manager before the group arrives.

   Least effective: C. Use the harness for the session but give it to one of the lighter pupils, since the stitching is only frayed and there is no sign it is close to failing.

   A: Acts on assumptions without checking: a damaged harness left on the rack can be picked up by anybody, and the placement relies on everyone knowing what you know.

   B: Acts outside own authority: the procedure names the technical manager because he decides whether a fault is repairable or the batch needs checking, and a self-made log entry replaces that judgement with a record.

   C: Uses equipment known to be damaged: a frayed load-bearing strap on a climbing harness is the failure the inspection exists to catch, and putting a child in it on a judgement about weight is a safety decision nobody is qualified to take that way.

   The most effective response is to take the harness out of use, put it aside where it cannot be picked up, and tell the technical manager before the group arrives: a frayed load-bearing strap makes it unusable, spares exist so nothing is lost by removing it, and he is on site and is the person the procedure names. Both steps fit inside fifteen minutes. It beats putting it back at the end of the rack and telling him after the session, because a damaged harness left on the rack can be picked up by anyone who does not know, so its position is not a control. It beats setting it aside and logging it in the equipment book yourself, because that substitutes a record for his judgement about whether other harnesses in the batch need checking. The least effective response is using it for one of the lighter pupils because the stitching is only frayed: it puts a child into a harness with a damaged load-bearing strap on a personal judgement about weight. That is worse than the other two, which handle the procedure imperfectly but take the harness out of use. The principle: remove damaged safety equipment from use immediately, then tell the person the procedure names, before the activity starts.

8. Question 8 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.

9. Question 9 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.

10. Question 10 of 10

    You are a mechanic in the workshop of a bicycle shop. A customer’s bike is booked in for a gear repair, agreed for collection on Saturday morning. She phones to confirm, mentioning she is riding a charity event on Sunday. Your supplier has just confirmed the replacement part cannot be delivered before the middle of next week, and no other stockist holds it. The shop keeps a small fleet of loan bikes for situations like this. Which response below would be most effective, and which would be least effective?

    1. Explain that repairs depend on parts suppliers and there is nothing anyone can do, and point out that bikes for weekend events really need booking in earlier.
    2. Tell her the part cannot arrive before her event, apologise, and offer a loan bike set up for Sunday, with the repair finished next week.
    3. Promise the repair will be ready for Saturday as agreed, phone the supplier every day to push for an earlier delivery, and keep her updated on progress.
    4. Give her the supplier's phone number so she can chase the part herself, since the supplier can tell her first-hand whether an earlier delivery is possible.
    Show the answer

    Most effective: B. Tell her the part cannot arrive before her event, apologise, and offer a loan bike set up for Sunday, with the repair finished next week.

    Least effective: A. Explain that repairs depend on parts suppliers and there is nothing anyone can do, and point out that bikes for weekend events really need booking in earlier.

    A: Blames the customer and dismisses her need: the delay is the supplier's, not hers, and telling her nothing can be done while a loan fleet sits available sends her away without a bike for Sunday, a service failure of attitude rather than just of stock.

    C: Over-promises: the supplier has already confirmed the part cannot arrive before the middle of next week, so promising Saturday commits to an outcome you cannot control and risks her discovering too late that she has no bike for Sunday.

    D: Passes responsibility to others: sending the customer to chase your supplier hands her the shop's problem, and since delivery before next week has already been ruled out, the calls would change nothing about her real need, which is a bike to ride on Sunday.

    The most effective response is to tell her the part cannot arrive before her event, apologise, and offer a loan bike set up for Sunday: the supplier has ruled out an earlier delivery, so the honest answer plus the one thing the shop can actually do meets her real need, riding the charity event, while the repair follows next week. It beats promising the repair for Saturday and chasing the supplier daily, because that promises a completion the supplier has already said is impossible, raising her hopes on an outcome you cannot control and risking her finding out too late to arrange anything else. It beats giving her the supplier’s number to chase the part herself, because the delivery date is already settled and that does nothing about Sunday. The least effective response is explaining that nothing can be done and that she should have booked earlier: unlike the Saturday promise, which at least tries to serve her and keeps her informed, and unlike handing her the supplier’s number, which at least engages with the part problem, it blames her for a delay that is not her fault and turns her away with nothing while a loan fleet sits available. The principle: when you cannot deliver what was agreed, say so honestly and meet the customer’s underlying need with what you can deliver.