Chapter 15 how an individual can develop (f1 acca)

Chapter 15 – How an Individual Can

Develop: Practice Exam Questions and

Answers with Explanations

August 11, 2025

1 Questions

1 In the SMARTER approach to personnel development plans, what does the

’A’ stand for?

A Age-related

B Assumptions

C Actual

D Agreed

E Anodyne

2 Which of the following is often described as ’non-directional’?

A Counselling

B Training

C Mentoring

D Coaching

3 Which of the following is a form of training?

A Mentoring

B Coaching

C Counselling

4 The management tool which describes the values, skills, and abilities that are required to perform given roles, and which provides a clear focus to

support the development of staff in order to deliver the best possible per-formance is known as:

A A person specification

B A Blake and Mouton grid

C A competency framework

D A job description

5 In time management, the urgency and importance of a task are the same

A False

B True

6 Your mentor should be your line manager

A True

B False

7 The SMARTER approach ensures that goals are:

A Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound, Engaging, Rewarding

B Specific, Measurable, Agreed, Realistic, Time-bound, Evaluated, Re-viewed

C Simple, Manageable, Achievable, Relevant, Timely, Efficient, Recorded

D Specific, Meaningful, Attainable, Relevant, Timely, Effective, Resourced

8 Coaching typically focuses on:

A Long-term personal development

B Immediate performance improvement

C Emotional support

D Career planning

9 A competency framework is primarily used to:

A Define job tasks

B Assess and develop employee skills

C Set organizational goals

D Monitor employee attendance

10 Mentoring typically involves:

A Short-term skill training

B Long-term guidance and support

C Task-specific instructions

D Crisis intervention

11 Time management techniques, such as the Eisenhower Matrix, prioritize tasks based on:

A Complexity and duration

B Urgency and importance

C Cost and resources

D Employee preferences

12 Counselling in the workplace is primarily aimed at:

A Improving job skills

B Addressing personal or emotional issues

C Setting performance targets

D Developing long-term career plans

13 The SMARTER approach includes regular evaluation to ensure progress

A True

B False

14 A person specification outlines the qualifications and skills needed for a role

A True

B False

15 Coaching is typically a directive process where the coach provides specific instructions

A True

B False

16 A mentor provides guidance based on their experience and expertise

A True

B False

17 A job description focuses on the competencies required for a role

A True

B False

18 Time management helps individuals prioritize tasks to increase efficiency

A True

B False

19 Mentoring is typically a formal process with structured objectives

A True

B False

20 The SMARTER approach ensures that goals are realistic and achievable

A True

B False

21 Counselling is primarily focused on improving job performance

A True

B False

22 A competency framework is used to align employee development with or-ganizational goals

A True

B False

23 Effective time management can reduce workplace stress

A True

B False

24 A mentor should always be someone external to the organization

A True

B False

25 The SMARTER approach requires goals to be time-bound

A True

B False

26 Coaching is often used to develop leadership skills

A True

B False

27 A person specification is the same as a job description

A True

B False

28 Time management involves delegating tasks to others when appropriate

A True

B False

29 Mentoring focuses on immediate task performance

A True

B False

30 Which of the following best describes the purpose of a competency frame-work?

A To outline daily tasks

B To guide recruitment and development

C To monitor employee attendance

D To set financial targets

2 Answers and Explanations

1 Answer: D (Agreed)

Explanation: In the SMARTER approach to goal-setting, the ’A’ stands for

Agreed, meaning goals should be mutually agreed upon by relevant parties

to ensure commitment Other options like Age-related or Anodyne are not part of the SMARTER framework

2 Answer: A (Counselling)

Explanation: Counselling is often described as non-directional, as it

fo-cuses on listening and helping individuals explore their own solutions, rather than providing specific guidance or instructions, unlike training, mentor-ing, or coaching

3 Answer: B (Coaching)

Explanation: Coaching is a form of training, focused on improving

spe-cific skills or performance, often through structured guidance Mentoring

is broader and long-term, while counselling addresses personal or emo-tional issues

4 Answer: C (A competency framework)

Explanation: A competency framework defines the values, skills, and

abil-ities required for roles, supporting staff development and performance A person specification outlines candidate requirements, a job description de-tails tasks, and the Blake and Mouton grid relates to leadership styles

5 Answer: A (False)

Explanation: In time management, urgency (how soon a task needs

com-pletion) and importance (its impact on goals) are distinct The Eisenhower Matrix, for example, prioritizes tasks based on these separate criteria

6 Answer: B (False)

Explanation: A mentor should not necessarily be a line manager, as

men-toring benefits from an independent perspective to provide objective guid-ance, often from someone outside the direct reporting line

7 Answer: B (Specific, Measurable, Agreed, Realistic, Time-bound,

Eval-uated, Reviewed)

Explanation: The SMARTER approach stands for Specific, Measurable, Agreed,

Realistic, Time-bound, Evaluated, and Reviewed, ensuring goals are clear, achievable, and regularly assessed

8 Answer: B (Immediate performance improvement)

Explanation: Coaching focuses on immediate performance improvement

through targeted skill development, unlike mentoring (long-term guidance)

or counselling (emotional support)

9 Answer: B (Assess and develop employee skills)

Explanation: A competency framework is used to assess and develop

em-ployee skills to align with organizational needs, not to define tasks or mon-itor attendance

10 Answer: B (Long-term guidance and support)

Explanation: Mentoring involves long-term guidance and support, often

based on the mentor’s experience, unlike coaching (task-specific) or coun-selling (emotional focus)

11 Answer: B (Urgency and importance)

Explanation: The Eisenhower Matrix prioritizes tasks based on urgency

(time sensitivity) and importance (relevance to goals), not complexity, cost,

or preferences

12 Answer: B (Addressing personal or emotional issues)

Explanation: Workplace counselling focuses on addressing personal or

emotional issues affecting performance, not improving skills or setting tar-gets

13 Answer: A (True)

Explanation: The SMARTER approach includes Evaluated and Reviewed,

ensuring regular assessment of progress toward goals

14 Answer: A (True)

Explanation: A person specification outlines the qualifications, skills, and

attributes needed for a role, used in recruitment and development

15 Answer: B (False)

Explanation: Coaching is typically non-directive, guiding individuals to

find solutions through questioning and support, not providing specific in-structions

16 Answer: A (True)

Explanation: Mentors provide guidance based on their experience and

expertise, supporting mentees in long-term development

17 Answer: B (False)

Explanation: A job description outlines tasks and responsibilities, while

a competency framework focuses on the skills and behaviors needed for a role

18 Answer: A (True)

Explanation: Time management helps prioritize tasks, allocate resources

efficiently, and reduce procrastination, increasing overall efficiency

19 Answer: B (False)

Explanation: Mentoring is often informal, with flexible guidance rather

than structured objectives, unlike training or coaching

20 Answer: A (True)

Explanation: The SMARTER approach ensures goals are realistic and

achiev-able to promote success and motivation

21 Answer: B (False)

Explanation: Counselling focuses on personal or emotional issues, not

di-rectly on improving job performance, which is the focus of coaching or training

22 Answer: A (True)

Explanation: A competency framework aligns employee development with

organizational goals, ensuring skills meet strategic needs

23 Answer: A (True)

Explanation: Effective time management reduces stress by helping

indi-viduals prioritize tasks and manage workloads efficiently

24 Answer: B (False)

Explanation: A mentor can be internal or external to the organization; the

key is their ability to provide objective guidance, not their position

25 Answer: A (True)

Explanation: The SMARTER approach requires goals to be time-bound,

with clear deadlines to ensure focus and accountability

26 Answer: A (True)

Explanation: Coaching is often used to develop leadership skills,

enhanc-ing performance in managerial or strategic roles

27 Answer: B (False)

Explanation: A person specification details the skills and qualifications

needed for a role, while a job description outlines the tasks and responsi-bilities

28 Answer: A (True)

Explanation: Time management includes delegating tasks to others when

appropriate to optimize efficiency and focus on high-priority tasks

29 Answer: B (False)

Explanation: Mentoring focuses on long-term development and guidance,

not immediate task performance, which is the focus of coaching

30 Answer: B (To guide recruitment and development)

Explanation: A competency framework guides recruitment by defining

re-quired skills and supports development by identifying areas for growth, not daily tasks or financial targets