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APMG Change Management Foundation study materials
APMG Change Management Foundation study resources

APMG Change Management Foundation practice questions

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Question 1Change and the individual

In the Kübler-Ross change curve as applied to organisational change, which stage typically follows the initial stage of denial?

  1. Acceptance
  2. Bargaining
  3. Anger Correct answer.
  4. Depression

Explanation

In the Kübler-Ross sequence the individual moves from refusing to accept the news (denial) to expressing frustration at it (anger). Bargaining and depression come later, and acceptance is the end point of the curve.

Question 2Change and the individual

In the conscious competence model, a person who has practised a new skill until it is performed accurately and automatically is at which stage?

  1. Conscious incompetence
  2. Unconscious competence Correct answer.
  3. Conscious competence
  4. Unconscious incompetence

Explanation

Unconscious competence is the final stage of the model, where the skill has become second nature and no longer requires deliberate thought. The stage before it, conscious competence, is where the skill can be performed but only with close attention.

Question 3Change and the individual

The extraversion–introversion dimension of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator describes which aspect of personality?

  1. How a person prefers to make decisions
  2. How a person prefers to organise their outer life
  3. How a person prefers to take in information
  4. Where a person prefers to direct energy and gain it Correct answer.

Explanation

The extraversion–introversion dimension describes the orientation of energy: extraverts direct energy outward towards people and activity, introverts inward towards ideas and reflection. The other dimensions cover information gathering, decision making and lifestyle orientation.

Question 4Change and the individual

At the base of Maslow's hierarchy of needs sit which needs?

  1. Physiological needs Correct answer.
  2. Safety and security needs
  3. Esteem and status needs
  4. Belonging and social needs

Explanation

Maslow placed physiological needs such as food, water and shelter at the base of the hierarchy. They must be reasonably satisfied before the higher needs for safety, belonging, esteem and self-actualisation become motivating.

Question 5Change and the individual

Which Honey and Mumford learning style describes someone who prefers short, here-and-now activities and throws themselves fully into new experiences?

  1. Pragmatist
  2. Theorist
  3. Reflector
  4. Activist Correct answer.

Explanation

Activists learn by doing; they enjoy immediate, immersive experience and short activities rather than lengthy analysis. The other styles favour observation, logical modelling or practical proof of benefit respectively.

Question 6Change and the individual

The change curve is best described as which of the following?

  1. A record of how the organisation performs during the change
  2. A model of the emotional stages people pass through Correct answer.
  3. A method for calculating the cost of a change programme
  4. A timeline of project milestones used to plan the delivery

Explanation

The change curve models the typical emotional reactions individuals experience when faced with change, such as denial, anger, depression and acceptance. It is concerned with human response, not with planning, performance measurement or cost.

Question 7Change and the individual

In the Beckhard and Harris change equation (D × V × F > R), which term does the letter R represent?

  1. The rewards offered for compliance
  2. The resistance to be overcome Correct answer.
  3. The resources available to the team
  4. The readiness of the workforce

Explanation

The equation balances dissatisfaction with the status quo (D), a clear vision (V) and credible first steps (F) against the resistance (R) that must be overcome for change to happen. Readiness, resources and rewards are not terms in the model.

Question 8Change and the individual

A person's belief in their own ability to succeed at a specific task is known as which of the following?

  1. The overall value a person places on themselves
  2. The extent to which a person believes outcomes are controlled by their own actions
  3. The capacity to recover quickly from setbacks
  4. A person's belief in their ability to succeed at a specific task Correct answer.

Explanation

Self-efficacy, a concept associated with Bandura, is task-specific confidence in one's own capability, and it predicts whether someone will attempt a new behaviour and persist with it. It is distinct from general self-worth, beliefs about control of outcomes, and resilience.

Question 9Change and the individual

A team member responds to the announcement of a merger by insisting the two organisations can never combine, and repeatedly asks colleagues to confirm that the news is only a rumour. Which stage of the change curve does this illustrate?

  1. Bargaining
  2. Anger
  3. Denial Correct answer.
  4. Acceptance

Explanation

Refusing to accept the information and seeking evidence that it is untrue is characteristic of denial, the first reaction on the curve. Anger would involve blaming or complaining, bargaining would involve negotiating, and acceptance would involve acknowledging the new reality.

Question 10Change and the individual

A finance analyst has been trained on a new system. She understands what it does and can complete transactions, but she reads the on-screen prompts carefully and checks the manual for each unfamiliar task. Which stage of the conscious competence model is she in?

  1. Unconscious competence
  2. Conscious incompetence
  3. Conscious competence Correct answer.
  4. Unconscious incompetence

Explanation

She can perform the task but only with deliberate concentration, which is the defining feature of conscious competence. Automatic, effortless performance would indicate unconscious competence, while being unable to complete the task at all would indicate conscious incompetence.

Question 11Change and the individual

A project manager prefers documented facts, proven methods and a detailed step-by-step plan, and is sceptical of broad statements about the future. Which Myers-Briggs preference does this most likely reflect?

  1. Perceiving
  2. Sensing Correct answer.
  3. Extraversion
  4. Intuition

Explanation

Sensing preferences favour concrete, factual information and practical detail, which fits this manager's demand for documented facts and step-by-step plans. Intuition prefers patterns and possibilities, extraversion concerns the source of energy, and perceiving concerns flexibility rather than structure.

Question 12Change and the individual

A team member asks for the workshop materials in advance and prefers to watch a demonstration and think it over before trying the new process herself. Which Honey and Mumford learning style does this suggest?

  1. Pragmatist
  2. Activist
  3. Theorist
  4. Reflector Correct answer.

Explanation

Reflectors prefer to gather information, observe and consider before acting, which matches the request for advance materials and time to think. Activists want to try things immediately, theorists want the underlying logic, and pragmatists focus on practical benefit.

Question 13Change and the individual

Why can openly expressed resistance be useful to a change manager?

  1. It reveals concerns early so they can be addressed Correct answer.
  2. It shows that communication has been rushed
  3. It removes the need for stakeholder analysis
  4. It confirms that the change has been well designed

Explanation

Resistance carries information: it surfaces concerns, misunderstandings and interests at stake while there is still time to respond to them. Silence is more dangerous because the same concerns remain hidden and unaddressed.

Question 14Change and the individual

In Bridges' model of transition, an employee has stopped defending the old way of working but has not yet settled into the new one. Productivity and morale are low and the person feels lost. Which phase is this?

  1. New beginnings
  2. Refreezing
  3. Ending, losing and letting go
  4. The neutral zone Correct answer.

Explanation

Bridges describes three phases: ending, losing and letting go; the neutral zone; and new beginnings. The neutral zone is the in-between state where the old identity has been released but the new one is not yet established, and it is typically marked by confusion and reduced output.

Question 15Change and the individual

An employee says: 'Whether this restructure works for me depends on what I do about it.' Which of the following does this statement best illustrate?

  1. An external locus of control over events
  2. Unconscious incompetence
  3. Low self-efficacy
  4. An internal locus of control Correct answer.

Explanation

An internal locus of control is the belief that outcomes are shaped by one's own actions, which is exactly what the employee is expressing. External locus of control attributes outcomes to outside forces, while self-efficacy concerns confidence in capability.

Question 16Change and the individual

A change team has shown staff that current performance is unacceptable and has painted a clear picture of the future, but has issued no credible plan for the first steps. According to the Beckhard and Harris change equation, what is the likely consequence?

  1. Resistance will fall, because staff have been kept informed
  2. It will be slower, but will still succeed broadly on schedule
  3. It will proceed, because dissatisfaction and vision are already high
  4. The product is zero, so resistance will not be overcome Correct answer.

Explanation

The equation multiplies D, V and F, so if any one of them is absent the product is zero regardless of how strong the others are. Without credible first steps, resistance cannot be outweighed and the change will stall.

Question 17Change and the individual

Which action is most likely to increase a team member's self-efficacy for a new process?

  1. Reminding the person that compliance is mandatory
  2. A small task the person can complete successfully Correct answer.
  3. Explaining again, in more detail, why the change is necessary
  4. Publishing a detailed timeline of the milestones

Explanation

Self-efficacy grows mainly through mastery experience, so arranging an achievable task that the person completes successfully builds confidence in their own capability. Rationale, mandates and schedules address understanding or pressure rather than belief in one's ability.

Question 18Change and the individual

During a restructuring, staff are preoccupied with whether their jobs are secure and what redundancy terms would apply. Which level of Maslow's hierarchy is dominating?

  1. Self-actualisation
  2. Physiological needs
  3. Safety needs Correct answer.
  4. Esteem needs

Explanation

Safety needs cover security, stability and freedom from threat, which is precisely what concerns about job security and redundancy terms reflect. Until that level feels secure, higher needs such as esteem and fulfilment are unlikely to motivate.

Question 19Change and the individual

Which behaviour provides the clearest evidence that an employee is committed to a change rather than merely complying with it?

  1. Keeping to the new process when it is hard and urging others to do so Correct answer.
  2. Attending all the briefings and signing the attendance sheet
  3. Complaining about the change privately but complying in public
  4. Following the new process carefully whenever a supervisor is watching

Explanation

Commitment is internalised: the behaviour persists when it is difficult and when no one is supervising, and it spreads to others. Compliance is driven by external requirement and typically lasts only while the pressure is visible.

Question 20Change and the individual

A long-serving employee criticises a new process in a team meeting. What is the most effective first response from the change manager?

  1. Acknowledge the concern and ask what specifically is wrong Correct answer.
  2. Remind the team that the decision has already been made
  3. End the discussion and follow up the point in writing afterwards
  4. Ignore the comment so that it does not gain credibility with the team

Explanation

Acknowledging the concern and drawing out the specific issues treats the objection as information and opens a route to resolving it. Closing the discussion down, deferring it or ignoring it tends to harden resistance and signals that concerns do not matter.

Question 21Change and the individual

A team's performance falls immediately after training on a new system, before recovering later. What is the best explanation from the conscious competence model?

  1. Old habits are lost, so each step needs conscious attention Correct answer.
  2. The training was poorly designed and needs to be repeated for the team
  3. The team has reached unconscious competence too quickly
  4. People are in denial about the need for the new system

Explanation

When people move from automatic old habits to a new way of working they pass through conscious competence, where every step demands deliberate attention and output temporarily drops. Performance recovers as the new skill becomes automatic again.

Question 22Change and the individual

Why should a change manager design a training session with a mix of activities: presentation, discussion, demonstration and hands-on practice?

  1. Because practical exercises reduce the number of trainers required
  2. Because people only learn effectively when they are physically active
  3. Because the theorist style is the most common among most employees
  4. Because people have different learning preferences to be engaged Correct answer.

Explanation

Learning-style preferences vary across a group, so a session that mixes explanation, reflection, theory and practice gives each preference something to work with. Relying on a single approach engages only part of the audience.

Question 23Change and the individual

Which statement is a recognised limitation of applying the Kübler-Ross curve to organisational change?

  1. It applies only to large-scale organisational change
  2. It provides no description of emotional reactions to change
  3. People do not always move through the stages in order Correct answer.
  4. It was developed for use in commercial organisations

Explanation

The curve is descriptive rather than prescriptive: individuals may skip stages, revisit them or move at very different speeds, so it should not be used to predict where a particular person should be. It was developed from work on grief in a clinical setting, not for commercial use or large-scale change specifically.

Question 24Change and the individual

An employee understands that the old system will be replaced and accepts that the organisation must change, but is reluctant to learn the new system. In Schein's terms, what does this illustrate?

  1. The employee is in unconscious incompetence
  2. The employee has a strongly external locus of control
  3. Learning anxiety is greater than survival anxiety Correct answer.
  4. The employee has reached the neutral zone

Explanation

Schein argues that people engage with new learning when the anxiety of not changing (survival anxiety) exceeds the anxiety of being unable to learn (learning anxiety). Because the employee already accepts the need for change, the practical route is to reduce learning anxiety rather than raise the pressure.

Question 25Change and the individual

A colleague has a strong judging preference on the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator. Which aspect of a change programme is likely to cause them the most discomfort?

  1. Having to work with people who take a different approach
  2. Open-ended phases with no clear deadlines or decisions Correct answer.
  3. Being asked to present to senior managers
  4. Working in a team rather than alone

Explanation

The judging–perceiving dimension describes orientation to the outer world: judging preferences favour plans, closure and settled decisions, so prolonged ambiguity without deadlines is particularly uncomfortable. The other options relate to different dimensions or to the change content itself.

Question 26Change and the individual

In Kolb's experiential learning cycle, which stage comes immediately after reflective observation?

  1. Concrete experience of a new situation
  2. Active experimentation with the new idea
  3. Abstract conceptualisation Correct answer.
  4. Unconscious incompetence in the task

Explanation

Kolb's cycle runs from concrete experience through reflective observation to abstract conceptualisation and then active experimentation. Abstract conceptualisation is the stage in which the learner forms concepts and generalisations from the reflection.

Question 27Change and the individual

A learner enjoys short, hands-on activities, gets involved quickly and loses interest during long implementation phases. Which Honey and Mumford learning style does this describe?

  1. Pragmatist
  2. Activist Correct answer.
  3. Theorist
  4. Reflector

Explanation

Honey and Mumford describe activists as people who prefer immediate, concrete experience and short bursts of activity. They tend to become impatient with prolonged reflection or implementation.

Question 28Change and the individual

In Herzberg's two-factor theory, which of the following is a hygiene factor rather than a motivator?

  1. Achievement of challenging goals
  2. A competitive salary and benefits Correct answer.
  3. Responsibility for a team
  4. Recognition from senior managers

Explanation

Herzberg classified pay, working conditions and company policy as hygiene factors. Their absence causes dissatisfaction, but their presence does not by itself create positive motivation.

Question 29Change and the individual

An employee keeps using the new process as instructed but privately complains to colleagues and offers no suggestions for improvement. Which term best describes this behaviour?

  1. Genuine commitment
  2. Active resistance
  3. Passive resistance Correct answer.
  4. Constructive feedback

Explanation

Passive resistance is shown through non-cooperation, private complaint or withholding of discretionary effort while still appearing to comply. It differs from active resistance, which is openly expressed.

Question 30Change and the individual

Staff resistance to a new rostering system stems mainly from a misunderstanding of how shifts will change. Using Kotter and Schlesinger's approaches, which response is most appropriate?

  1. Manipulation and co-optation
  2. Education and communication Correct answer.
  3. Facilitation and support
  4. Negotiation and agreement

Explanation

When resistance is caused by inaccurate information, education and communication are the appropriate response. The aim is to help people understand the change and correct the misunderstanding before other tactics are considered.

Question 31Change and the individual

A change manager uses Lewin's force field analysis. Which action is most consistent with that technique?

  1. Reduce or remove restraining forces Correct answer.
  2. Freeze the current state indefinitely
  3. Increase the driving forces only
  4. Ignore restraining forces and press ahead

Explanation

Force field analysis examines the balance of driving and restraining forces around a change. Lewin argued that reducing restraining forces is often more effective than simply increasing pressure to change.

Question 32Change and the individual

A new performance dashboard is introduced and staff feel that an unspoken promise of professional autonomy has been broken. Which concept does this best illustrate?

  1. Cognitive dissonance about the change
  2. Psychological contract breach Correct answer.
  3. A breakdown in team groupthink
  4. General resistance to any change

Explanation

The psychological contract is the set of unwritten expectations between an employee and the organisation. When a change appears to break those expectations, staff experience a psychological contract breach, which can trigger resistance.

Question 33Change and the individual

Experienced staff resist a technically sound change because they believe it will reduce the quality of their work. Which of Kotter and Schlesinger's reasons for resistance best explains this?

  1. Misunderstanding of the change and a lack of trust
  2. Parochial self-interest in protecting personal status
  3. A low personal tolerance for any form of change
  4. A different assessment of the situation Correct answer.

Explanation

A different assessment occurs when people judge that the change will produce worse outcomes than the change team expects. The resistance is based on a genuine, though different, evaluation of the situation rather than on self-interest or misinformation.

Question 34Change and the individual

Two employees receive identical information about a change. One experiments with the new approach while the other resists it. Which explanation is most consistent with the individual perspective on change?

  1. Poor communication is always the main cause of any resistance
  2. Everyone moves through the same stages at the same pace regardless
  3. The change is objectively threatening to every single employee
  4. Individual differences shape how the change is interpreted Correct answer.

Explanation

The individual perspective recognises that personality, previous experience and tolerance of ambiguity affect how the same change is perceived and handled. Identical information therefore does not produce identical responses.

Question 35Change and the organisation

A change team treats the organisation as a machine: they design a step-by-step plan and expect each department to implement its allotted part exactly as specified. Which metaphor of organisation does this reflect?

  1. Political system, because departments negotiate how the plan applies to them
  2. Brain, because the organisation is expected to learn as the plan unfolds
  3. Machine, because the parts can be designed and tuned to fit together Correct answer.
  4. Organism, because the team expects continuous adaptation to the market

Explanation

The machine metaphor treats organisations as closed, rationally designed systems whose parts can be engineered into a planned configuration. Change is therefore conceived as a designed sequence of steps that managers set and employees implement. The emphasis falls on order, control and predictable implementation.

Question 36Change and the organisation

A hospital groups its staff into medicine, nursing, finance and estates departments, each led by a specialist manager who reports to the chief executive. Which organisational structure is described?

  1. Functional Correct answer.
  2. Matrix
  3. Divisional by product
  4. Network

Explanation

A functional structure groups people at the top level by common professional specialism or activity, with each function headed by its own specialist manager. Coordination across functions is then achieved through the senior management layer.

Question 37Change and the organisation

A retailer creates separate units for food, clothing and homeware, each with its own management team, budget and profit target. What structure is this?

  1. Matrix, with dual reporting lines
  2. Divisional, grouped by product Correct answer.
  3. Network, built on outsourced partnerships
  4. Functional, grouped by specialism

Explanation

Divisional structures group activities by output rather than by input specialism, typically by product, customer or geography. Each division carries its own resources and is accountable for its own performance.

Question 38Change and the organisation

A change team reviews new employment legislation, interest-rate trends and shifting consumer demographics before planning a restructuring. Which framework are they applying?

  1. The cultural web
  2. PESTLE Correct answer.
  3. Force field analysis
  4. McKinsey 7S

Explanation

PESTLE scans the external environment through political, economic, social, technological, legal and environmental factors. Legislation, interest rates and demographics map directly onto its legal, economic and social categories.

Question 39Change and the organisation

In force field analysis, what does the current level of performance represent?

  1. The strongest force that the change team is able to apply
  2. The total driving forces minus the total restraining forces
  3. The point where driving and restraining forces balance Correct answer.
  4. The target state that is reached once the change is complete

Explanation

Force field analysis holds that current performance rests at an equilibrium between forces pushing for change and forces resisting it. Change happens when that balance is shifted, either by strengthening drivers or by weakening restrainers.

Question 40Change and the organisation

Which sequence reflects Lewin's model of planned change?

  1. Unfreeze, change, refreeze Correct answer.
  2. Refreeze, change, unfreeze
  3. Unfreeze, refreeze, change
  4. Change, unfreeze, refreeze

Explanation

Lewin's model begins by unfreezing the existing equilibrium, then moves the organisation to a new state, then refreezes so that the new ways of working become established and stable.

Question 41Change and the organisation

What does centralisation of decision-making mean in an organisation?

  1. Decisions are taken close to where the work is carried out
  2. Decision-making authority is concentrated at senior levels Correct answer.
  3. Decisions are shared equally between all staff grades
  4. Decision-making is delegated to autonomous business units

Explanation

Centralisation describes where authority sits: decision rights are held at the top of the hierarchy and passed down as instruction. Decentralisation is the opposite pattern, moving decision rights outwards and downwards.

Question 42Change and the organisation

An organisation takes in raw materials and skills from its environment, converts them into products, and adjusts as customer feedback arrives. This organisation is best described as:

  1. a closed system
  2. a mechanistic structure
  3. a role culture
  4. an open system Correct answer.

Explanation

An open system exchanges resources with its environment: it takes inputs, transforms them and returns outputs, and it uses feedback to adjust. This contrasts with a closed system, which is treated as self-contained.

Question 43Change and the organisation

What does the organism metaphor emphasise about organisations?

  1. They are designed like machines to deliver predetermined outputs
  2. They are open systems that must adapt to their environment Correct answer.
  3. They are mainly systems of competing internal interest groups
  4. They are shaped by unconscious psychological forces

Explanation

The organism metaphor treats organisations as living systems that depend on their environment and survive by adapting to it. Different environments are seen to favour different organisational forms, just as habitats favour different species.

Question 44Change and the organisation

According to Schein, which level of culture is the deepest and hardest to change?

  1. Espoused values
  2. Formal codes of conduct
  3. Visible artefacts
  4. Basic underlying assumptions Correct answer.

Explanation

Schein describes artefacts as the visible surface layer, espoused values as the stated beliefs of the organisation, and basic underlying assumptions as the taken-for-granted beliefs that actually drive behaviour. Because assumptions are deeply embedded and largely unconscious, they are the most resistant to change.

Question 45Change and the organisation

In Handy's power culture, authority typically resides with:

  1. Project teams formed around specific tasks
  2. A central figure or small group, based on trust Correct answer.
  3. The individual professional, whom the organisation serves
  4. The procedures and job descriptions that define each role

Explanation

A power culture is centred on a dominant individual or small group whose influence rests on trust, respect and personal authority rather than on formal procedure. Control radiates from that centre, and decision-making tends to be quick but dependent on the centre.

Question 46Change and the organisation

Which of Handy's culture types exists primarily to serve the needs and development of its individual members?

  1. Power culture
  2. Person culture Correct answer.
  3. Role culture
  4. Task culture

Explanation

In a person culture the organisation is subordinate to the individuals within it, existing to help them do their work and develop. It is common among professional partnerships and specialist advisory firms.

Question 47Change and the organisation

What distinguishes a matrix structure from other structures?

  1. Staff work mainly through outsourced partner organisations
  2. Staff report to two managers at the same time Correct answer.
  3. Staff are grouped into self-contained units by product or region
  4. Staff are grouped by professional specialism at the top level

Explanation

A matrix overlays a second reporting dimension, so people are accountable both to a functional or business head and to a project, product or regional lead. This supports flexibility and resource sharing but creates competing priorities and potential role conflict.

Question 48Change and the organisation

In the McKinsey 7S framework, which are the three 'hard' elements?

  1. Strategy, structure and systems Correct answer.
  2. Systems, style and skills
  3. Staff, skills and style
  4. Shared values, strategy and staff

Explanation

The hard elements of the 7S model are strategy, structure and systems, because they can be defined, documented and changed relatively directly. The soft elements are shared values, style, staff and skills, which are behavioural and harder to shift.

Question 49Change and the organisation

A team accepts a manager's direction because they respect and identify with her, not because of her formal position. Which basis of power is this?

  1. Reward power
  2. Coercive power
  3. Referent power Correct answer.
  4. Legitimate power

Explanation

Referent power stems from personal attraction and identification, so people comply because they admire or identify with the person holding influence. It does not depend on the authority of a hierarchical position.

Question 50Change and the organisation

Who typically authorises a change, releases resources for it and provides visible senior support?

  1. The change recipient
  2. The change agent
  3. The change sponsor Correct answer.
  4. The project manager

Explanation

The sponsor is the senior figure who legitimises the change, secures funding and signals organisational commitment. Delivery roles such as project manager and change agent operate within that mandate rather than creating it.