Sample questions

With this type of question, you will be presented with scenarios followed by a number of possible options. Unless the scenario says otherwise, consider yourself a Public Health Specialty Registrar.

Rank each option in order from the most appropriate (1) to the least appropriate (5) given the circumstances described in the scenario. You cannot tie ranks. You will be shown how to make your selection before the test begins.

Example 1

You are four weeks into a placement with the Health Protection Team*. In your previous placement you worked very much independently. In this Health Protection Team, the workload is shared amongst the team, whilst being led by the team consultant. You have observed that the team are very engaged with each another and often swap work between themselves. You are concerned that since starting this placement, you have been completing your work alone and feel that the other team members do not engage with you as much as they do with each other.

Rank in order the following actions in response to this situation.

1= Most appropriate

5= Least appropriate

• a. Share any challenges with the work you are completing with the rest of the team
• b. Ask the team consultant for advice on how to engage more with the team
• c. Inform your team members that you are there to help if needed
• d. Inform the team consultant that the other team members are not engaging with
  you
• e. Continue to complete your work independently

Correct key: BACDE

Rationale

Fitting into a new team can often be challenging for the new team member as they learn to adjust to the team dynamic and their work styles. This adaptation period can often feel isolating. However, learning to work in a team and adapting are important skills to develop and therefore, identifying the appropriate individual, and communicating issues in a polite and constructive way, is crucial.

• B is the most appropriate response because it demonstrates that you have identified the appropriate individual to discuss your issue with, which in this case is the team lead. As this is a new team, it is particularly appropriate to speak to the lead as they know their team best and can help you to appropriately respond to the issue. You have also taken initiative by communicating the problem politely, without placing the blame on your team, and have shown that you intend to act on the problem to resolve it.
• A is an appropriate response as you are making an effort to engage with the team more rather than staying quiet and sticking to old habits and working independently. By sharing challenges, you are directly making them aware of the issues
• C is somewhat of an appropriate response. While you are attempting to engage with the team more which is a positive, you are not directly addressing the issue of feeling excluded from the group. The team may not be aware that you feel that they don’t engage with you as much as they do each other.
• D is not an appropriate response. Although it is directly communicating how you feel, it is likely to look as though you are placing the blame on your team members. It is also not a useful response as there is no clear indication that you would like to resolve the issue.
• E is the least appropriate response as it does not resolve any of the issues and will not improve communication or teamworking within the team.

Example 2

You have just been handed over a project working with Cancer services from a fellow Public Health trainee, Lynne, who is leaving your team to start a new placement. Lynne spent most of her time working on this project and liaised daily with the local providers* of Cancer services, producing lots of reports. You only work three and a half days a week and have been told by your supervisor that your priority is to complete a different project. You are concerned that the stakeholders involved within the Cancer services project may have different expectations than what you can provide.

Rank in order the following actions in response to this situation.

1= Most appropriate

5= Least appropriate

• a. Inform the Cancer services project stakeholders that this project is not your priority
• b. Discuss with your supervisor how you will manage your workload and the stakeholders’ expectations
• c. Explain to the Cancer services project stakeholders how you plan to manage the project
• d. Inform the Cancer services project stakeholders that your working hours differ to that of Lynne’s
• e. Arrange a meeting with the Cancer services project stakeholders to negotiate how you can work together on the project going forward

Correct key: BECDA

Rationale

Taking on a new project can be challenging as the individual gets to grips with the details of the work, while also building a relationship with the stakeholders and managing their expectations. Juggling the demands of a new, unfamiliar project can feel overwhelming so it is important to communicate clearly and honestly with the stakeholders, setting realistic expectations. These are important skills to develop as a public health trainee.

• B is the most appropriate response as it demonstrates an understanding that your supervisor is available to support you with your workload, ensuring that it is appropriately balanced and managed. It also demonstrates an awareness of your position as a Public Health trainee and that you can recognise when it is appropriate to ask for help from a senior.
• E is an appropriate response as you are communicating directly and collaboratively with the stakeholders to set realistic expectations regarding your work on the project. Communicating professionally and clearly with the stakeholders will ensure that they are aware of what they can expect from you and you are aware what is expected of you.
• C is neither appropriate nor inappropriate. Through doing this you are giving information on what can be expected from you, however, this information is indirect, insensitive, and potentially unclear. You are not considering what expectations they might have of you and your role.
• D is an inappropriate response. This is not relevant information for the stakeholders as there is no clear indication of what this means for their project. The action in isolation does not help to resolve the issue. It could also be misinterpreted to mean that the project is not as important to you as it was your colleague.
• A is the least appropriate response. The response is abrupt and does not resolve any of the issues. It may also detriment the relationship that you are building with the stakeholders.

Example 3

You and other members in your team are on the on-call rota*. Each of you have a designated slot on the on-call rota, during which time you must be available outside of regular office hours. Recently you have been experiencing difficulties with arranging childcare for your young children and you are finding it difficult to fulfil your duties on the on-call rota. You feel that the out-of-hours shift is harder for you as you are the only one in your team who has caring responsibilities.

Rank in order the following actions in response to this situation.

1= Most appropriate

5= Least appropriate

• a. Inform your supervisor that you can no longer work the on-call rota shifts
• b. Discuss alternative working arrangements with your supervisor to help you fulfil your on-call rota requirements
• c. Discuss with your supervisor your current personal challenges with meeting the requirements of being on the on-call rota
• d. Call in sick when you are on the on-call rota so that you can attend to your personal issues
• e. Ask your other team members if they are available to support you by swapping some of your on-call rota shifts

Correct key: BECAD

Rationale

Working as a public health trainee often involves working long hours and requires flexibility. Whilst it is your responsibility to complete these shifts, they can be challenging as they may interfere with home life. These situations are unavoidable and therefore, it is important to learn how to professionally manage them, through open and honest communication.

• B is the most appropriate response as it provides a proactive, long-term solution to the problem. It is a great demonstration of professionalism and integrity as you are communicating the issue to the appropriate individual (your supervisor), whose job it is to ensure your workload is manageable, openly and honestly. It also demonstrates that you are aware of your duties as a Public Health trainee, but also of the importance of balancing work
  and home life.
• E is an appropriate response as you are taking responsibility for the issue, demonstrating an understanding of your trainee responsibilities. However, it is not as appropriate as option B as it could lead to further disruption later. Additionally, your supervisor would remain unaware of the issue when they may be able to assist.
• C is neither appropriate nor inappropriate. Whilst you are informing your supervisor of the issue, which is appropriate, this response alone is not helpful in resolving the problem that you are presented with.
• A is not an appropriate response as you are not effectively and honestly communicating the issue and do not demonstrate an openness to resolve it. It also demonstrates a lack of knowledge of your responsibilities as a Public Health trainee.
• D is the least appropriate response. It does not resolve the issue at all and demonstrates poor integrity and dishonesty.

Example 4

You have recently created a presentation which outlines some data analysis that you have been working on for a project about air pollution outside schools. You have just sent the data analysis on to the project lead for review. You receive a phone call from the project lead who informs you that the data analysis does not support the outcome that they were expecting to present for this project. As a result, the project lead asks you to change the data analysis, so that it aligns with the outcome that they were expecting. Based on the findings, you are unsure whether the data analysis can be amended to reflect the outcome that the project lead is asking for.

Rank in order the following actions in response to this situation.

1= Most appropriate

5= Least appropriate

• a: Review the data analysis in more detail to see if you agree with the proposed outcome from the project lead.
• b: Ask the project lead to talk you through the context and purpose of the project.
• c: Ask a senior colleague for advice on how to manage this situation.
• d: Change the data analysis to show what the project lead has asked for.
• e: Inform the project lead that you will not change the data analysis.

Correct key:  ABCED

Rationale:

It is important to be professional whilst being respectful by listening to the perspective of others. It would be unethical to change the data analysis as this would be dishonest and could have repercussions later down the line. However, the project lead had an outcome in mind so it would be beneficial to understand this and review any analysis to ensure you present the analysis accurately.

• Option A is the most appropriate response because it is prudent to double check the analysis for possible errors, if any.
• Option B is an appropriate response so as to understand what exactly the project lead meant versus original project aim and objectives; Is what the project lead is asking an unethical request?
• Option C is somewhat of an appropriate response. It is good to get a second opinion from second colleague on the matter, however you are not directly handling the situation yourself.
• Option E is not an appropriate response as it could lead to a breakdown in the working relationship.
• Option D is the least appropriate response as it would be unethical to change the analysis just to meet the desired outcomes.

Example 5

You are working on a project that aims to reduce obesity in the local area. As part of the project, you are required to educate support staff members to ensure that they feel confident in delivering the correct health messages and can direct members of the public to the appropriate services and resources that are available. In order to do this, you host regular staff information sessions. At one of the meetings, a staff member, Mr Stevens, interrupts your talk and begins to yell that obesity is the fault of obese parents and there is nothing that the support staff can do to change that. 

Rank in order the following actions in response to this situation.

1= Most appropriate

5= Least appropriate

• a: Ask Mr Stevens to leave the session as he is disrupting the session.
• b: Ask Mr Stevens why he has attended if he thinks that there is nothing that can be done to tackle obesity.
• c: Inform Mr Stevens that you will have time to take comments and questions at the end of the session.
• d: Thank Mr Stevens for sharing his opinion with the rest of the group.
• e: Explain to Mr Stevens that the session is about informing people of the services and resources available.

Correct key:  ECDAB

Rationale:

During your career, you will encounter others who have differing opinions from you.  It is important to not become overcome by emotions in these situations, and instead to adapt and act rationally with your response.

• Option E is the most appropriate response as it acknowledges Mr Stevens comments and sets the context for the meeting.
• Option C is an appropriate response as it allows presentation of key information without interruption.
• Option D is neither appropriate nor inappropriate as whilst it shows respect for his opinion, it does not address the comment.
• Option A is an inappropriate response as it creates relationship issues with Mr Stevens and has implications for the rest of the attendees.
• Option B is the least appropriate response as it is a very antagonistic response.

In these questions you will be presented with scenarios followed by a number of possible options. For each scenario select the options which together are the most appropriate response to the situation given the circumstances described.

You will be asked to choose 3 options. You will be shown how to make your selection before the test begins.

Example 1

You have been working on writing a paper with two fellow Public Health trainees, Ravi and Haley.
Each of you spend some time working from home and have different working patterns. When you have tried to contact Ravi or Haley about the paper by email, they have not responded. The last email you sent to both of them was a week ago. The paper has a deadline of two months’ time, and you are worried that they are not interested in helping to write the paper as first agreed.

Choose the 3 most appropriate actions to take in this situation.

• a. Remind Ravi and Haley of the two-month deadline for the paper.
• b. Send Ravi and Haley a list of outstanding actions left to complete on the paper.
• c. Ask Ravi and Haley if they would like to arrange a short call for all of you to discuss the paper together.
• d. Try to complete the paper on your own.
• e. Tell Ravi and Haley that they have not been doing their share of the workload for the paper.
• f. Ask Ravi and Haley if they have any challenges in completing their parts of the paper.
• g. Inform your supervisor of the personal challenge that you are facing with progressing the paper.
• h. Inform Ravi and Haley that you believe that they are not interest in completing the paper.

Correct Key: CFG

Rationale

The stem details the issue of differences in communication and work styles. It is important to consider individual differences whilst also acting professionally to resolve any communication issues. The stem is concerned with responding appropriately to the issue of receiving no response to your email, proactively resolving it while also considering reasons your colleagues have not responded and the potential impact your actions could have on them.

• C is an appropriate action as it demonstrates a proactive, collaborative approach to resolving the issue, with the overall aim of progressing the paper.
• F is an appropriate action as it demonstrates empathy, as you understand that there may be specific reasons that your colleagues have not responded to your email, it also gives you information about whether there has been any progress with the paper. It also gives you the necessary information you need to support them with any of their outstanding tasks.
• G is an appropriate action to take as it demonstrates an awareness of the importance of open communication with your supervisor and that your supervisor may have some useful advice on how to approach the situation sensitively and appropriately and progress the paper to meet the deadline.

Options A and B are inappropriate as they may be considered rude and unnecessarily directive.
Options D and E are inappropriate as they show a lack of communication and teamworking skills and do not provide a solution to the issue. They also assume that the work is not being done by your colleagues which is not known to be true at this stage. Option H is judgemental and presumptuous. 

Example 2

A colleague, Jamie, tells you that whilst he was working on some health protection cases yesterday, he accidentally sent a letter about an individual’s diagnosis to the wrong email address. When you ask Jamie what he did after, he informs you that he is not going to tell anyone else and that he will be more careful in the future. You are unsure if Jamie is aware of how serious this is. You have both completed Information Governance* training, which outlines that this is not in line with the organisation’s privacy policy.

Choose the three most appropriate actions to take in response to this situation.

• a. Explain to Jamie how serious his error is, signposting him to the Information Governance policy*
• b. Encourage Jamie to inform the Information Governance* manager of the error
• c. Tell Jamie to delete the wrongly sent email
• d. Reassure Jamie not to worry as this will not impact anyone directly
• e. Inform your supervisor of Jamie’s error
• f. Check the Information Governance policy for how serious the error is
• g. Explain Jamie’s error to a colleague to get their opinion
• h. Agree with Jamie that he needs to be more careful in the future

Correct key: ABE

Rationale

Professional integrity is a crucial competency for every Public Health specialty registrar to develop. It is very important to adhere to best practice guidelines for patient confidentiality and safety. In this stem your colleague has admitted to you that he has made a mistake and intends not to adhere to the correct procedures. While this was an accident, it still involves a serious patient confidentiality breach. It is important to respond appropriately to this knowledge.

• A is an appropriate action as it demonstrates an understanding of the severity of a confidentiality breach and the importance of patient focus. You are also not assuming that your colleague is aware of the severity of the mistake and are actively educating him so that he can take appropriate action in the future.
• B is an appropriate response as it demonstrates that you have an understanding of Information Governance policies and appropriate action to take following a confidentiality breach. The action is polite and helpful in pushing your colleague to put the patient first and take ownership of his mistake.
• E is an appropriate response. A breach in patient confidentiality is a serious concern and it is very important that appropriate action is taken. As you are now aware of your colleague’s mistake, it is your duty to inform your supervisor so that the error is addressed appropriately. Your supervisor will be able to support in taking the correct next steps to resolve the situation.

Option C is an inappropriate action as it is encouraging poor practice and does not resolve the issue.
Option D is inappropriate as it is untrue. The error is a breach of patient confidentiality and could not only have a negative impact on patient safety but also on their well-being and trust in the system.
Options F, G and H are inappropriate as, on their own, they are passive and not resolving the issue.

Example 3

You are chairing a one-hour meeting and have a lot of agenda items to go through, many of which need decisions in order to progress the item after the meeting. You are facilitating discussions between a variety of stakeholders and one stakeholder in particular, Martine, continues to raise thesame point repeatedly on a certain agenda item and is not giving other stakeholders a chance to speak. There are only 20 minutes of the meeting left and you still have five key agenda items to discuss.

Choose the three most appropriate actions to take in response to this situation.

• a. Inform the group that there are still five agenda items to discuss and only 20 minutes of the meeting left
• b. Thank Martine for sharing her thoughts
• c. Ask the group to collectively prioritise the remaining agenda items for discussion with the remaining time left
• d. Allow Martine to continue talking
• e. Advise Martine that you are running out of time
• f. Ask the group if they would like to contribute their thoughts on the remaining agenda items
• g. Allow the meeting to run over
• h. Offer to schedule another meeting

Correct key: ACF

Rationale

It is likely that you will work with people with strong opinions, sometimes different to your own, during your career. This can sometimes be challenging to manage, particularly if you are also under time pressure. However, the ability to manage difficult conversations and situations effectively and efficiently is a crucial skill to develop as a Public Health trainee.

• A is an appropriate action as it is directly addressing the root of the issue. It is polite and non-confrontational as you are addressing the whole group rather than singling out one individual. It demonstrates an ability to effectively communicate and manage the group.
• C is an appropriate response as you are politely refocusing the discussion to the points that must be made a priority and are involving the whole group rather than singling out one individual. It demonstrates good communication skills and addresses the problem, whilst also effectively coping with time pressure.
• F is an appropriate response. It demonstrates the ability to refocus the discussion effectively, focusing in on the remaining topics that should be made a priority. It directly resolves the issue without singling your colleague out.

Options B, D are inappropriate actions as while they are polite, they may further exacerbate the issue and encourage the current discussion. Therefore, it is not effective in resolving the issue. Option E is inappropriate as it may put a negative focus on the stakeholder and make her feel uncomfortable.
Option G is not a good response as it does not resolve the issue of your colleague repeatedly bringing up the same point and it shows a lack of respect for other people’s time. Option H is not appropriate as although it is providing an opportunity for conversations to continue, it will delay you being able to proceed with actions following the meeting.

Example 4

You are a few weeks into your first placement.  You and your colleague are about to facilitate an online workshop with volunteers from the local area, which is hosted on a video platform.  You are nervous about using the video platform as you have experienced technical difficulties in the past and this is your first online workshop since starting your placement, so you are keen to make a good impression. After the consultation, feedback from volunteers is emailed to you and your colleague.  The majority of the comments provided by the attendees are very negative including "this was a complete waste of my time" and "too many slides".  A few days later, during your supervision meeting your supervisor asks you how the consultation went. 

Choose the three most appropriate actions to take in response to this situation.

• a. Tell your supervisor that the feedback was critical of your performance.
• b. Explain to your supervisor that you need to spend more time reflecting on the content of the feedback that you received.
• c. Discuss the feedback with your supervisor in more detail.
• d. Make a joke about the negative feedback with your supervisor.
• e. Tell your supervisor that you will discuss the feedback with your colleague who you facilitated the consultation with.
• f. Ask your supervisor if you can be excused from facilitating other online sessions for a while.
• g. Inform your supervisor that you will not conduct another online workship in the future.
• h. Explain to your supervisor that you intend to use the feedback to make changes to your future consultations.

Correct key: CEH

Rationale

Receiving negative feedback can be a disheartening experience.  It is important to show how you learn and develop from it in order to move forward.  Feedback is important and it is crucial that you show awareness of your own limitations. 

• Option C is an appropriate action as it is an opportunity to explore areas of learning.
• Option E is an appropriate action as it allows to get the perspective of colleague on what were the issues and areas of improvement.
• Option H is an appropriate action to take as the purpose of feedback is to strive for continuous improvement in performance.

Example 5

You are leading on an audit project with two public health trainee colleagues, Rokas and Lauren.  It is your first time leading an audit project and you are keen to make sure the analysis is thorough.  During a discussion about the data within a project meeting, Lauren realises that she made an error during the data collection stage of the project.  You are unsure if the error will impact results, however, in order to correct the error, the data collection would need to be done again which would not give the team enough time to complete the work before the strict project deadline.  Lauren starts to get upset and is visibly distressed about the impact that her mistake will have on the project.

Choose the three most appropriate actions to take in response to this situation.

• a. Reassure Lauren that mistakes can happen.
• b. Tell Lauren that you no longer want her working on the project.
• c. Suggest that Lauren explores how the mistake occurred so that it does not happen in the future.
• d. Ask Rokas to repeat the initial data collection instead of Lauren.
• e. Tell Lauren that it is unlikely that the mistake will make a difference to the results.
• f. Inform Lauren's Training Programme Director about the error.
• g. Ask Lauren to include the error, with an explanation of the implications of the error, in the results.
• h. Check if Lauren completed the relevant quality assurance checks during her analysis.

Correct key: ACG

Rationale

Whilst this is a challenging situation regarding deadlines, as the project lead it is important to be supportive and empathetic to others in the team.  When issues arise, it is important to demonstrate leadership in order to effectively reach the end goal. 

• Option A is an appropriate action as it provides reassurance that mistakes are bound to occur, what is important is that we learn from them.
• Option C is an appropriate response as it provides opportunity for learning and preventing future mistakes re-occurring.
• Option G is an appropriate response as acknowledging limitation is an acceptable way in reporting the results of work/publications, whilst also recognising the approaching deadline.