Decision Making & Problem Solving # MCQs Practice set

Q.1 You are a district collector and receive complaints that government benefits are not reaching marginalized families. What should be your first step?

Order immediate suspension of staff
Conduct a thorough field inquiry
Ignore as minor complaints
Ask beneficiaries to directly approach you daily
Explanation - Decision making requires evidence-based steps. A field inquiry ensures the authenticity of complaints and identifies gaps before taking strict measures.
Correct answer is: Conduct a thorough field inquiry

Q.2 As a police officer, you see your subordinate taking a bribe. What should you do?

Report and initiate disciplinary action
Ignore to maintain harmony
Join in for personal gain
Warn him privately without documentation
Explanation - Integrity and accountability are core to public service. Formal action discourages corruption and sets an example.
Correct answer is: Report and initiate disciplinary action

Q.3 During a flood, relief materials are limited. How should they be distributed?

First come, first served
Equal distribution to all villages
Prioritize most vulnerable groups
Give to those with influence
Explanation - Decision-making during crises requires prioritizing those most affected, such as children, elderly, and disabled.
Correct answer is: Prioritize most vulnerable groups

Q.4 As a teacher, you find that some students are cheating in exams. What is the most ethical decision?

Cancel the entire exam
Ignore it to avoid conflict
Warn and counsel students caught
Punish all students equally
Explanation - Addressing misconduct fairly and constructively helps correct behavior without punishing the innocent.
Correct answer is: Warn and counsel students caught

Q.5 You are managing a project with a strict deadline, but your team reports exhaustion. What should you do?

Push them harder to finish on time
Reassess priorities and redistribute workload
Ignore complaints
Extend working hours indefinitely
Explanation - Effective decision making balances deadlines with sustainable productivity and team morale.
Correct answer is: Reassess priorities and redistribute workload

Q.6 A subordinate admits a mistake that cost the office money. What should be your response?

Immediately fire them
Understand circumstances and guide corrective action
Ignore and move on
Publicly humiliate the person
Explanation - Constructive leadership involves analyzing mistakes, guiding improvement, and ensuring accountability without undue punishment.
Correct answer is: Understand circumstances and guide corrective action

Q.7 In a village meeting, two groups are fighting over water distribution. What is the best way forward?

Favor the larger group
Consult stakeholders and design a fair sharing system
Call police to disperse them
Ignore as their internal matter
Explanation - Conflict resolution through consultation and fairness ensures long-term peace and acceptance.
Correct answer is: Consult stakeholders and design a fair sharing system

Q.8 As a civil servant, you are offered a gift by a contractor. What is the right course?

Accept to maintain good relations
Politely refuse and record the attempt
Share with colleagues
Accept privately
Explanation - Ethical decision-making requires refusal of gifts to avoid conflict of interest, with proper documentation.
Correct answer is: Politely refuse and record the attempt

Q.9 You are asked to favor a relative in a recruitment process. What should you do?

Give preference to the relative
Follow merit-based selection process
Delay the recruitment
Seek bribe for selection
Explanation - Impartiality and meritocracy are key to fairness in public service decisions.
Correct answer is: Follow merit-based selection process

Q.10 Your office receives a petition signed by thousands demanding a new public facility. What is your best action?

Sanction funds immediately
Examine feasibility and resource allocation first
Reject as too costly
Forward without review
Explanation - Decisions must be evidence-based, considering feasibility, resources, and long-term benefits.
Correct answer is: Examine feasibility and resource allocation first

Q.11 You are an exam invigilator and your friend is caught cheating. What should you do?

Let them continue
Confiscate and report fairly
Help them hide it
Ignore since it's your friend
Explanation - Impartiality is crucial; personal relations should not compromise fairness.
Correct answer is: Confiscate and report fairly

Q.12 A new government scheme is misunderstood by people, causing protests. What should you do as a district officer?

Deploy police immediately
Conduct awareness campaigns and clarify doubts
Ignore the protests
Cancel the scheme locally
Explanation - Transparent communication resolves misunderstandings and builds trust in governance.
Correct answer is: Conduct awareness campaigns and clarify doubts

Q.13 You discover a colleague submitting false reports. What should you do?

Report through official channels
Confront privately and ignore if repeated
Join in to avoid being sidelined
Stay silent to avoid trouble
Explanation - Integrity requires formal action to uphold accountability and prevent misuse.
Correct answer is: Report through official channels

Q.14 Your village has funds for one facility: a school or a hospital. What should be prioritized?

Hospital, due to immediate health needs
School, for long-term benefits
Divide funds thinly
Do nothing until more funds come
Explanation - In decision-making, urgent survival and health needs take priority over long-term goals when resources are scarce.
Correct answer is: Hospital, due to immediate health needs

Q.15 You are tasked with implementing a digital system, but employees lack training. What should you do?

Ignore and proceed
Organize training sessions first
Blame employees for inefficiency
Delay indefinitely
Explanation - Capacity-building ensures successful adoption of new systems and prevents resistance.
Correct answer is: Organize training sessions first

Q.16 During a conflict, one party offers you a bribe to favor them. What should you do?

Accept quietly
Refuse and maintain impartiality
Take it and still remain fair
Delay decision indefinitely
Explanation - Decision making in governance requires absolute impartiality and zero tolerance for corruption.
Correct answer is: Refuse and maintain impartiality

Q.17 As a team leader, two members disagree strongly. What should you do?

Ignore the conflict
Facilitate dialogue and find common ground
Choose the senior member’s side
Remove both members
Explanation - Problem solving involves conflict resolution through communication and compromise.
Correct answer is: Facilitate dialogue and find common ground

Q.18 You receive a complaint that a government clerk is rude to the public. What is the best action?

Transfer immediately
Investigate complaints and counsel the clerk
Ignore it
Punish without inquiry
Explanation - Fair decision-making involves verification and corrective guidance before strict action.
Correct answer is: Investigate complaints and counsel the clerk

Q.19 In a disaster, the media pressures you for quick statements before you have full facts. What should you do?

Speculate to calm them
Provide only verified information
Refuse to speak at all
Blame another department
Explanation - Responsible communication requires accuracy, especially during crises, to avoid misinformation.
Correct answer is: Provide only verified information

Q.20 As a young officer, your seniors ask you to approve an irregular expenditure. What should you do?

Approve to please them
Decline and follow rules
Ignore the matter
Approve but keep evidence
Explanation - Integrity and rule of law must override pressure from seniors in decision-making.
Correct answer is: Decline and follow rules

Q.21 You are chairing a meeting and one participant dominates the discussion. What should you do?

Let them continue
Encourage equal participation from others
Stop the meeting
End discussion quickly
Explanation - Good decision-making values diverse perspectives, ensuring inclusivity and fairness.
Correct answer is: Encourage equal participation from others

Q.22 If you notice misuse of government vehicles for private work, what is the right step?

Use it yourself as well
Report and restrict usage to official duty
Ignore the misuse
Warn but take no action
Explanation - Public resources must be safeguarded; decisive action ensures accountability.
Correct answer is: Report and restrict usage to official duty

Q.23 Your team proposes two equally viable solutions to a problem. What should you do?

Choose randomly
Analyze long-term impacts before deciding
Reject both
Postpone decision
Explanation - Evaluating sustainability and future effects leads to stronger decisions.
Correct answer is: Analyze long-term impacts before deciding

Q.24 A villager complains about bias in welfare distribution. What should you do?

Investigate and ensure fairness
Ignore it
Favor the powerful
Delay action
Explanation - Decision-making must be evidence-based, ensuring equal and just distribution of resources.
Correct answer is: Investigate and ensure fairness

Q.25 You are asked to sign a report without reading it due to urgency. What should you do?

Sign immediately
Refuse until you verify contents
Delegate signing
Ignore request
Explanation - Responsible officers must verify before approving, as accountability rests with them.
Correct answer is: Refuse until you verify contents