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APMG Change Practitioner study materials
APMG Change Practitioner study resources

APMG Change Practitioner practice questions

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Question 1Change and the individual

According to William Bridges' transition model, which sequence correctly describes the three stages an individual moves through during change?

  1. Unfreezing, moving, refreezing
  2. Ending, neutral zone, new beginning Correct answer.
  3. Denial, anger, acceptance
  4. Awareness, understanding, commitment

Explanation

Bridges separates the external change event from the internal psychological transition, which moves through ending, neutral zone and new beginning. The ending involves letting go of the old way, the neutral zone is an ambiguous in-between period, and the new beginning is when people commit to the new way.

Question 2Change and the individual

The change curve adapted from Kubler-Ross suggests that after an initial shock, an individual is most likely to express which response?

  1. Acceptance
  2. Denial Correct answer.
  3. Collaboration
  4. Immediate commitment

Explanation

After shock or immobilisation, denial is a common early response in the Kubler-Ross-derived change curve. The person may minimise the significance of the change or behave as if it will not affect them.

Question 3Change and the individual

A practitioner notices that a team is actively challenging the rationale for a new process. Which interpretation best reflects contemporary change management thinking about resistance?

  1. It is a legitimate response that can provide useful information about the change Correct answer.
  2. It should be suppressed quickly to protect momentum
  3. It indicates the team lacks the capability to change
  4. It is a sign that communication has already succeeded

Explanation

Resistance is increasingly viewed as a legitimate reaction that can surface valid concerns, risks or implementation problems. Treating it as information allows the practitioner to refine the change and engage people more effectively.

Question 4Change and the individual

In the conscious competence learning model, which stage is characterised by an individual being able to perform a new skill reliably while still needing deliberate effort to do so?

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

Explanation

Conscious competence is the stage where a person can perform the skill but must concentrate and deliberate to do so. It follows conscious incompetence, where the person knows what to do but cannot yet do it reliably.

Question 5Change and the individual

Which adopter group in Rogers' diffusion of innovations model is typically the largest and most influenced by peers and opinion leaders?

  1. Early majority Correct answer.
  2. Laggards
  3. Innovators
  4. Early adopters

Explanation

The early majority is the largest adopter group and tends to deliberate before adopting, relying heavily on peer experience and opinion leaders. Innovators and early adopters are smaller, more venturesome groups.

Question 6Change and the individual

At which stage of the commitment curve does an individual begin to advocate the change to colleagues?

  1. Understanding
  2. Acceptance
  3. Awareness
  4. Commitment Correct answer.

Explanation

On the commitment curve, commitment is the stage at which people actively support the change and may advocate it to others. Earlier stages such as awareness, understanding and acceptance build the foundation for that advocacy.

Question 7Change and the individual

A team member prefers concrete facts, sequential detail and practical application. Which preference combination best describes this person?

  1. Sensing and judging Correct answer.
  2. Extraversion and intuition
  3. Introversion and sensing
  4. Intuition and perceiving

Explanation

Sensing preferences favour concrete facts and practical detail, while judging preferences favour structure, planning and sequential completion. Together they fit a person who wants practical, orderly information.

Question 8Change and the individual

An employee believes that outcomes are determined by external forces and that their own actions make little difference. Which concept describes this belief?

  1. High self-efficacy
  2. Internal locus of control
  3. Low emotional intelligence
  4. External locus of control Correct answer.

Explanation

External locus of control is the belief that outcomes are controlled by outside forces such as luck, powerful others or circumstances. This belief tends to reduce perceived personal influence over change.

Question 9Change and the individual

According to Bandura, which source provides the strongest foundation for an individual's self-efficacy?

  1. Verbal persuasion
  2. Vicarious experience
  3. Mastery experiences Correct answer.
  4. Physiological arousal

Explanation

Bandura identified mastery experiences as the strongest source of self-efficacy because direct success provides the most convincing evidence of personal capability. Vicarious experience, verbal persuasion and physiological states also contribute but are generally weaker.

Question 10Change and the individual

Which set of capabilities best describes Goleman's model of emotional intelligence?

  1. Sensing, intuition, thinking and feeling
  2. Planning, organising, commanding, coordinating and controlling
  3. Awareness, understanding, acceptance and commitment
  4. Self-awareness, self-regulation, motivation, empathy and social skill Correct answer.

Explanation

Goleman's model of emotional intelligence comprises self-awareness, self-regulation, motivation, empathy and social skill. These capabilities help individuals manage their own reactions and work effectively with others during change.

Question 11Change and the individual

According to Kolb's learning cycle, which stage follows reflective observation?

  1. Divergent thinking
  2. Concrete experience
  3. Abstract conceptualisation Correct answer.
  4. Active experimentation

Explanation

Kolb's cycle moves from concrete experience to reflective observation, then abstract conceptualisation, then active experimentation. Abstract conceptualisation involves forming ideas or theories from the reflection.

Question 12Change and the individual

When faced with an unexpected major change, an individual may experience increased heart rate, tension and a strong urge to escape. Which response does this illustrate?

  1. Fight-or-flight response Correct answer.
  2. Locus of control
  3. Conscious competence
  4. Cognitive dissonance

Explanation

The fight-or-flight response is a physiological reaction to perceived threat, involving increased heart rate, tension and readiness to confront or escape. Major unexpected change can trigger this response even when there is no physical danger.

Question 13Change and the individual

Which action best helps build an individual's readiness for a change?

  1. Focusing only on the benefits to the organisation
  2. Withholding information until the launch date
  3. Explaining the rationale and involving the person in shaping the change Correct answer.
  4. Announcing the change as a completed decision

Explanation

Readiness is supported by a clear rationale, perceived personal relevance and involvement in shaping the change. These reduce uncertainty and increase the person's sense of control and fairness.

Question 14Change and the individual

An employee holds a strong belief that the current system is reliable, yet uses a new system that appears to work better. Which concept best explains the discomfort they feel?

  1. Locus of control
  2. Cognitive dissonance Correct answer.
  3. Self-efficacy
  4. Emotional intelligence

Explanation

Cognitive dissonance is the discomfort experienced when a person holds conflicting cognitions, such as believing the old system is reliable while experiencing the new one as better. People are motivated to reduce that discomfort, often by adjusting beliefs or behaviour.

Question 15Change and the individual

Why do individuals often find the early stage of change uncomfortable?

  1. Because established habits and routines are disrupted Correct answer.
  2. Because change always reduces competence permanently
  3. Because all change is imposed without communication
  4. Because they have no prior experience of any change

Explanation

Change disrupts established routines and requires people to relinquish familiar habits, which creates discomfort and a sense of loss. This is why the ending stage of transition often involves resistance or nostalgia.

Question 16Change and the individual

According to Herzberg's two-factor theory, which factor is most likely to create sustained motivation for a change?

  1. Improved pay
  2. Safe working conditions
  3. Clear company policies
  4. Recognition and opportunities for achievement Correct answer.

Explanation

Herzberg's motivators, such as recognition, achievement, responsibility and growth, create sustained motivation. Hygiene factors such as pay and conditions can prevent dissatisfaction but do not by themselves motivate.

Question 17Change and the individual

In transactional analysis, a manager who responds to a staff member's question with a critical, rule-focused reply is most likely communicating from which ego state?

  1. Adult
  2. Child
  3. Parent Correct answer.
  4. Free spirit

Explanation

Transactional analysis describes the Parent ego state as containing rule-focused, critical or nurturing behaviours learned from authority figures. A critical, rule-based reply is a classic Parent response.

Question 18Change and the individual

A colleague says 'I see what you mean; the picture is becoming clearer.' Which preferred representational system does this language suggest?

  1. Auditory
  2. Kinaesthetic
  3. Digital
  4. Visual Correct answer.

Explanation

Visual representational system is suggested by language referring to seeing, pictures, clarity and images. Practitioners may adapt their communication to match a person's preferred system to build rapport.

Question 19Change and the individual

Which characteristic is most closely associated with individual resilience during change?

  1. The capacity to adapt and recover when faced with adversity Correct answer.
  2. Avoiding all exposure to uncertainty
  3. Waiting for others to resolve problems
  4. Relying on a single coping strategy

Explanation

Resilience is the capacity to adapt, cope and recover in the face of adversity, uncertainty or significant change. It does not mean avoiding difficulty but responding to it constructively.

Question 20Change and the individual

The Yerkes-Dodson curve suggests that performance is highest when pressure is at which level?

  1. Extremely high
  2. Moderate Correct answer.
  3. Absent
  4. Constant and unchanging

Explanation

The Yerkes-Dodson curve shows an inverted-U relationship in which moderate pressure or arousal tends to optimise performance. Too little pressure can lead to complacency, while too much can cause anxiety and impaired performance.

Question 21Change and the individual

The 'J curve' often used to describe performance during transition indicates that performance typically does what?

  1. It improves immediately and steadily
  2. It remains unaffected by change
  3. It dips before recovering and improving Correct answer.
  4. It declines permanently

Explanation

The J curve illustrates a common performance dip during transition before recovery and improvement. The dip reflects disruption, learning and adjustment before the benefits of change are realised.

Question 22Change and the individual

In the seven-stage model of loss and change proposed by Adams, Hayes and Hopson, which stage follows 'letting go'?

  1. Immobilisation
  2. Denial
  3. Internalisation
  4. Testing Correct answer.

Explanation

In the Adams, Hayes and Hopson model, letting go is followed by testing, where the person experiments with new behaviours and ways of working. Testing is part of rebuilding after loss.

Question 23Change and the individual

Which support is most appropriate for an individual who is struggling to develop the specific skills required by a new role?

  1. Broadcasting more emails
  2. Ignoring the issue
  3. Coaching Correct answer.
  4. Disciplinary action

Explanation

Coaching is appropriate when an individual needs to develop specific skills, confidence or behaviours for the new role. It provides tailored support, feedback and practice.

Question 24Change and the individual

A change leader faces resistance from a long-serving employee who values stability and established expertise. Which approach is most likely to be effective?

  1. Present a detailed logical case only
  2. Escalate the issue immediately
  3. Reassign the employee without discussion
  4. Acknowledge the loss of expertise and involve the person in redesigning the process Correct answer.

Explanation

Resistance often reflects valued experience, loss of expertise or concern about stability. Acknowledging that loss and involving the person in redesign can convert resistance into constructive engagement.

Question 25Change and the individual

Why is it important for a change practitioner to recognise individual differences?

  1. To apply identical communication to everyone
  2. To identify employees who should be excluded
  3. To eliminate all variation in response
  4. To tailor support and communication to different preferences and needs Correct answer.

Explanation

Recognising individual differences allows practitioners to tailor communication, support and involvement to different preferences, needs and reactions. A one-size-fits-all approach often fails because people experience change differently.

Question 26Change and the individual

In Bridges' transition model, which phase sits between letting go of the old way and fully embracing the new way?

  1. New beginning
  2. Neutral zone Correct answer.
  3. Consolidation
  4. Ending

Explanation

Bridges describes transition as a three-phase psychological process: ending, neutral zone and new beginning. The neutral zone is the in-between period when old habits have been released but new ways are not yet established. It often feels confusing, yet it is where creativity and experimentation can occur.

Question 27Change and the individual

An employee can now carry out the new procedure correctly but still needs to concentrate hard and check each step. Which stage of the conscious competence model does this describe?

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

Explanation

The conscious competence ladder runs from not knowing that you lack a skill, to knowing you cannot yet do it, to being able to do it with deliberate effort, and finally to fluent performance. Needing deliberate attention and step checking is the defining feature of conscious competence. Fluency comes later with practice.

Question 28Change and the individual

Which example best illustrates intrinsic motivation to adopt a new way of working?

  1. A cash bonus for early adoption
  2. Avoidance of a performance penalty
  3. Genuine interest in mastering the new method Correct answer.
  4. Public praise from the project sponsor

Explanation

Intrinsic motivation comes from internal satisfaction, interest or meaning in the activity itself. Mastering the method because it is interesting or personally worthwhile fits that definition. Bonuses, praise and penalties are external incentives.

Question 29Change and the individual

An employee follows the new process only while supervisors are watching and reverts to the old method when unobserved. What does this best illustrate?

  1. Commitment
  2. Apathy
  3. Compliance Correct answer.
  4. Resistance

Explanation

Compliance is behavioural conformity without internal buy-in, so it lasts only while monitoring or rewards are present. Commitment would produce consistent use because the person believes in the change. Resistance would involve opposing or undermining the change, and apathy is a lack of interest rather than calculated rule-following.

Question 30Change and the individual

In the concerns-based adoption model, an employee who keeps asking how the change will affect their own workload and status is at which stage of concern?

  1. Consequence
  2. Awareness
  3. Personal Correct answer.
  4. Management

Explanation

The personal stage centres on self-oriented questions about the impact on the individual's role, workload and standing. Management concerns focus on tasks, logistics and efficiency, while consequence concerns focus on impact on users or outcomes. Awareness is minimal knowledge of the change.

Question 31Change and the individual

An employee repeatedly asks for exceptions and tries to negotiate a reduced scope so that the old process can partly continue. Which response in the Kubler-Ross change curve does this most resemble?

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

Explanation

Bargaining involves attempting to negotiate or trade to avoid the full impact of loss. The person accepts that change is happening but tries to reduce its effect. Denial is refusing to accept the change, and anger is focused blame or frustration.

Question 32Change and the individual

An employee insists the current system works well even when presented with clear evidence that the new system performs better. Which cognitive bias best explains this?

  1. Anchoring bias
  2. Confirmation bias
  3. Halo effect
  4. Status quo bias Correct answer.

Explanation

Status quo bias is a preference for the existing state of affairs, leading people to undervalue alternatives even when evidence favours them. Confirmation bias would involve seeking only supportive evidence, but the defining feature here is preserving the current system. Anchoring and halo effects concern unrelated judgement errors.

Question 33Change and the individual

Which approach is most likely to help an introverted employee contribute fully during a participative change workshop?

  1. Increase the pace of group discussion to maintain energy
  2. Provide materials in advance and allow written reflection Correct answer.
  3. Require immediate verbal contributions in brainstorming
  4. Ask them to respond first in the large group session

Explanation

Introversion is associated with a preference for processing ideas internally before speaking, so advance materials and written reflection create a fair channel for contribution. Forcing immediate public responses can reduce contribution quality and increase discomfort. The aim is inclusion, not changing the person's preferred style.

Question 34Change and the individual

According to self-determination theory, which set of psychological needs should a change plan support to encourage internalised motivation?

  1. Autonomy, competence and relatedness Correct answer.
  2. Safety, esteem, belonging and recognition
  3. Power, achievement, affiliation and growth
  4. Hygiene, motivation and equity

Explanation

Self-determination theory identifies autonomy, competence and relatedness as the three basic psychological needs underpinning intrinsic and well-internalised motivation. Change design should offer meaningful choice, build capability and maintain connection with others. The other sets mix concepts from different motivation theories.

Question 35Change and the individual

An employee says nothing in meetings but quietly keeps using the old spreadsheet and avoids the new system. Which pattern of response does this describe?

  1. Passive resistance Correct answer.
  2. Active resistance
  3. Compliance
  4. Advocacy

Explanation

Passive resistance is indirect non-acceptance, shown through avoidance, quiet non-use or silence rather than open challenge. Active resistance would involve explicit objection or organised opposition. Compliance would mean using the new system when required, and advocacy would mean promoting it.

Question 36Change and the individual

An employer promises staff that they will be consulted about a restructuring, then announces fixed decisions without consultation. What is the most likely individual-level consequence?

  1. A psychological contract breach Correct answer.
  2. Higher discretionary effort
  3. Stronger commitment to the change
  4. Improved procedural justice

Explanation

The psychological contract is the set of unwritten mutual expectations between employee and employer, including consultation and fair treatment. Breaking such a promise is experienced as a breach, which typically erodes trust, engagement and willingness to support change. It does not create commitment or procedural justice; it undermines them.

Question 37Change and the individual

An organisation has delivered four major changes in eighteen months and staff are showing low energy and reduced willingness to engage. What is the most appropriate response?

  1. Increase pressure until adoption improves
  2. Reduce communication to avoid anxiety
  3. Launch all remaining changes at once to finish sooner
  4. Sequence changes and allow recovery time Correct answer.

Explanation

Change fatigue reflects depleted capacity after repeated change, so the effective response is to pace and sequence initiatives and allow recovery. Adding pressure or more simultaneous change deepens exhaustion. Reducing communication increases uncertainty rather than restoring capacity.

Question 38Change and the individual

An employee sees real benefits in a proposed change but is also worried about losing valued expertise. They keep postponing a decision. What is the most appropriate practitioner response?

  1. Explore both sides and build discrepancy Correct answer.
  2. Force an immediate decision and set a deadline
  3. Escalate the matter to formal disciplinary action
  4. Dismiss the concerns as deliberate resistance

Explanation

This is ambivalence: competing motivations hold the person in indecision. The practitioner should surface and explore both sides, clarify what matters, and help the person recognise the gap between current and desired behaviour. Coercion or dismissal tends to strengthen defensiveness.

Question 39Change and the individual

According to social identity theory, which factor most increases the chance that employees will accept a change message?

  1. The message is delivered by an external consultant
  2. The messenger is seen as a respected in-group member Correct answer.
  3. The message is sent only by email to all staff
  4. The message emphasises that the change is unavoidable

Explanation

Social identity theory holds that people are more influenced by those they perceive as members of their own valued group. An in-group messenger is more likely to be trusted and to have the message accepted as legitimate. External status, inevitability framing and impersonal channels do not create that identity-based credibility.

Question 40Change and the individual

A manager attributes an employee's resistance to the employee's personality while overlooking heavy workload and unclear role expectations. Which bias does this illustrate?

  1. Self-serving attribution bias
  2. Halo effect in performance judgement
  3. Anchoring bias in decision-making
  4. Fundamental attribution error Correct answer.

Explanation

The fundamental attribution error is the tendency to over-attribute others' behaviour to dispositional character and under-attribute it to situational factors. Here the manager explains resistance as a personality trait while ignoring workload and role ambiguity. Self-serving bias concerns protecting one's own ego, and halo and anchoring effects describe different judgement patterns.

Question 41Change and the organisation

In the Cultural Web model of organisational culture, which element sits at the centre, surrounded by the visible cultural artefacts?

  1. The formal structure
  2. The control systems
  3. The paradigm Correct answer.
  4. The power structure

Explanation

The Cultural Web places the paradigm at the centre: the set of taken-for-granted assumptions and beliefs that hold the culture together. The surrounding elements - stories, symbols, rituals and routines, power structures, organisational structures and control systems - both express and reinforce that paradigm, which is why they are used as evidence when diagnosing culture.

Question 42Change and the organisation

Which of Morgan's images of organisation treats an organisation as a set of interlocking parts designed to achieve predetermined goals efficiently, so that change means re-designing the parts?

  1. Machine Correct answer.
  2. Organism
  3. Culture
  4. Brain

Explanation

The machine metaphor views organisations as closed, rational systems of connected components built to a design, so improvement comes from re-engineering structures and processes. The organism metaphor emphasises adaptation to the environment, the brain metaphor emphasises learning and information processing, and the culture metaphor emphasises shared meaning and values.

Question 43Change and the organisation

Which of the following is classified as a 'hard' element in the McKinsey 7S framework?

  1. Style
  2. Staff
  3. Strategy Correct answer.
  4. Shared values

Explanation

The hard elements - strategy, structure and systems - are tangible, documented and comparatively easy to identify and manage. The soft elements - shared values, style, staff and skills - are less tangible, behaviourally rooted and harder to shift, with shared values sitting at the centre of the model because it connects the other six.

Question 44Change and the organisation

In which organisational structure does a person typically report to two managers at once, such as a functional head and a project or product lead?

  1. Matrix structure Correct answer.
  2. Functional structure
  3. Flat structure
  4. Divisional structure

Explanation

A matrix structure deliberately creates dual reporting lines so that functional expertise and delivery focus are both represented. This can speed cross-functional change and share scarce specialists, but it also creates competing priorities and ambiguity that a change initiative must actively manage.

Question 45Change and the organisation

The Burke-Litwin model separates transformational from transactional factors. Which of the following is a transformational factor?

  1. Work unit climate
  2. Management practices
  3. Mission and strategy Correct answer.
  4. Structure

Explanation

Transformational factors - external environment, mission and strategy, leadership, and culture - drive fundamental, organisation-wide change and sit towards the top of the model. Transactional factors such as structure, management practices, systems, work unit climate, task requirements, individual needs and values, motivation and performance govern day-to-day operations and explain short-term, incremental change.

Question 46Change and the organisation

An organisation introduces a new expense-claim form but keeps the same approval steps, thresholds and behaviours as before. This is best described as:

  1. Incremental change Correct answer.
  2. Emergent change
  3. Transformational change
  4. Unplanned change

Explanation

Incremental change fine-tunes existing structures, processes and practices without disturbing the organisation's core assumptions or ways of working, and the form change described leaves the underlying process intact. Transformational change alters strategy, structure or culture in a fundamental way, which is not the case here.

Question 47Change and the organisation

Before launching a major restructuring, a change team assesses whether staff have the skills, resources, leadership support and willingness needed to adopt new ways of working. This assessment is primarily concerned with:

  1. Organisational readiness Correct answer.
  2. Benefits management
  3. Stakeholder analysis
  4. Risk management

Explanation

Readiness assessment examines the organisation's capability and capacity to absorb a change before it starts, covering skills, resources, leadership backing and appetite. It answers whether the organisation can take the change on, as distinct from who is affected and how they should be engaged.

Question 48Change and the organisation

Which role carries the authority to sanction a change, secure resources for it and visibly legitimise it across the organisation?

  1. The change agent network
  2. The change sponsor Correct answer.
  3. The programme management office
  4. The change manager

Explanation

The sponsor is the senior leader with positional authority and influence who authorises the change, releases resources and signals visibly that the change matters. The change manager plans and coordinates the work, the agent network supports adoption locally, and the programme office provides governance and reporting rather than sponsorship.

Question 49Change and the organisation

Which characteristic best distinguishes a learning organisation?

  1. It outsources specialist work to access external expertise.
  2. It captures and shares knowledge to adapt its behaviour. Correct answer.
  3. It centralises decision rights to keep standards consistent.
  4. It funds a large annual programme of classroom training for all staff.

Explanation

A learning organisation continuously acquires, shares and applies knowledge so that it changes what it actually does, closing the loop between experience and behaviour. Training volume, centralisation or outsourcing may all be present without any resulting shift in organisational behaviour.

Question 50Change and the organisation

A respected technical specialist with no formal authority consistently shapes decisions because colleagues trust their judgement. Which source of power does this illustrate?

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

Explanation

Expert power derives from knowledge, skill or experience that others value and defer to, and it operates independently of position in the hierarchy. Legitimate power comes from formal role, reward power from the ability to grant benefits, and coercive power from the ability to impose sanctions.