Being a supervisor means more than just bossing people around. The best supervisors understand the basics of good supervision, from organizational dynamics to effectively leading others. If you are a college student and already understand these concepts because of work experience or independent study, you may want to check out the DSST Principles of Supervision exam.
DSST is a prior learning assessment program that helps college students earn semester credit for what they already know, freeing up more time and money for the classes they really need to take. Be sure to check with your college or university to confirm that it accepts a DSST Test as credit. The DSST Principles of Supervision exam qualifies for three semester hours of lower-level credit if your college recognizes the exam.
The DSST Principles of Supervision exam covers these three broad topics:
- Roles and Responsibilities of the Supervisor
- Management Functions
- Organizational Environment.
About 60% of the questions regard Management Functions, covering such topics as planning, organizing and staffing, leading, and controlling.
Although DSST is meant to measure supervision knowledge you already have, studying for the exam is a good idea. You should start by checking out a DSST Principles of Supervision study guide, which will provide a detailed exam outline, sample questions, and helpful study tips.
DSST Principles of Supervision Practice Questions
1. Which of the following roles would a production supervisor most likely NOT assume?
A. Disseminator of information
B. Liaison between staff and upper management
C. Allocator of resources
D. Creator of company mission statement
2. A phone-room supervisor who spends the weekend helping to build a house for Habitat for Humanity is increasing his:
A. Social capital
B. Human capital
C. Expert power
D. Emotional intelligence
3. At the highest level of management, which of the following is true?
A. Technical skills are more important than conceptual skills.
B. Conceptual skills are more important than technical skills.
C. Human skills are less important than technical skills.
D. Human skills are less important than conceptual skills.
4. At a metropolitan newspaper, the copy desk chief responsible for checking the accuracy of headlines written by nonmanagerial copy editors would be considered what level of management?
A. Top level
B. Middle level
C. Frontline
D. None of the above
5. A supervisor who inadvertently omits the word “not” in an email to an employee has committed what kind of communications error?
A. Encoding
B. Decoding
C. Transmission
D. Misinterpretation
6. A manager who is the guest speaker at a Rotary Club luncheon is performing which of the following roles?
A. Liaison
B. Monitor
C. Disseminator
D. Spokesperson
7. Which of the following is NOT included in the Consumer Bill of Rights?
A. The right to seek damages
B. The right to be informed
C. The right to choose
D. The right to safety
8. Management at a coal-fired power plant that sometimes exceeds EPA emissions standards points to its thousands of customers who benefit from reliable, relatively cheap electricity. Whether aware of it or not, plant management is practicing which of the following?
A. Humanistic philosophy
B. Utilitarian philosophy
C. Kaizen
D. A code of ethics
9. Which view of managerial responsibility is generally considered in direct contrast to profit maximization?
A. Corporate social responsibility
B. Ecocentric management
C. Sustainable growth
D. Relativism
10. Which of the following is NOT a provision of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002?
A. Senior executives are to take individual responsibility for corporate financial reports.
B. A company’s CEO must sign the corporate tax return.
C. Standards are set regarding the independence of external auditors.
D. Criminal penalties associated with white-collar crimes and conspiracies are reduced.
DSST Principles of Supervision Practice Questions Answer Key