Critical, Emotional & Social Intelligence Quiz: Problem Solving

Spoilers! These are the Starter quiz’s answers. Easy, Medium, Hard and Mixed rounds show their own answers when you finish.

1. You notice an error in a report your colleague must submit to the manager in an hour. What is the best action?

   • Tell the manager that the colleague is careless
   • Point it out to the colleague privately so it can be fixed before submission
   • Ignore it because it is not your report
   • Correct it yourself without telling anyone

   Answer: Point it out to the colleague privately so it can be fixed before submission. Telling the colleague directly fixes the problem in time and respects their ownership of the work. Silent edits or complaints to the manager do neither.

2. A customer is angry and shouting about a delayed service. What should you do first?

   • Raise your voice so that he calms down
   • Ask him to leave the office
   • Blame another department for the delay
   • Listen calmly, acknowledge the problem and explain the next step

   Answer: Listen calmly, acknowledge the problem and explain the next step. Calm listening and acknowledgement lower the tension, and a clear next step shows the problem is being handled.

3. Which of these best shows emotional intelligence?

   • Recognising your own anger and pausing before you respond
   • Never showing any emotion at work
   • Always agreeing with others to avoid conflict
   • Winning every argument in a meeting

   Answer: Recognising your own anger and pausing before you respond. Emotional intelligence includes self-awareness and self-regulation: noticing a feeling and managing the response, not suppressing all emotion.

4. A new member of your team eats lunch alone and seems isolated. What is the best response?

   • Wait for them to make the first move
   • Ask the manager to transfer them to another team
   • Invite them to join your group and introduce them to others
   • Discuss with others why the new member is so quiet

   Answer: Invite them to join your group and introduce them to others. A friendly invitation and introductions help a newcomer settle in; waiting, gossiping or escalating does not.

5. A forwarded message on social media claims that a common fruit cures cancer. What is the most sensible response?

   • Forward it quickly so more people benefit
   • Check it against reliable medical sources before believing or sharing it
   • Believe it because many people have shared it
   • Stop eating that fruit just in case

   Answer: Check it against reliable medical sources before believing or sharing it. A claim is not true because it is popular. Checking a trustworthy source before acting or sharing is the core of critical thinking.

6. You find a wallet with cash and an ID card on a bus seat. What is the best action?

   • Hand it to the conductor or police, or contact the owner using the ID
   • Keep the cash and throw the wallet away
   • Leave it on the seat for someone else to deal with
   • Keep it at home until someone advertises for it

   Answer: Hand it to the conductor or police, or contact the owner using the ID. Returning it through an official channel or directly to the owner is honest and gives the owner the best chance of getting it back.

7. A doctor gives you 3 tablets and tells you to take one every half hour. How long will the tablets last?

   • 1.5 hours
   • 2 hours
   • 30 minutes
   • 1 hour

   Answer: 1 hour. Take the first at once, the second after 30 minutes and the third after 60 minutes. Three tablets need only two intervals.

8. Bacteria in a jar double in number every day, and the jar is full on day 20. On which day was it half full?

   • Day 10
   • Day 18
   • Day 19
   • Day 15

   Answer: Day 19. Since the amount doubles each day, the jar was half full one day before it was full.

9. A shop's sales in four consecutive months were 120, 150, 180 and 210 units. If the trend continues, what will be the sales in the sixth month?

   • 240
   • 270
   • 300
   • 260

   Answer: 270. Sales rise by 30 each month: month 5 = 240 and month 6 = 270.

10. A log is cut into 4 pieces. Each cut takes 5 minutes. How long does the whole job take?

    • 15 minutes
    • 20 minutes
    • 25 minutes
    • 10 minutes

    Answer: 15 minutes. Four pieces need only 3 cuts, so the time is 3 × 5 = 15 minutes.