About this quiz
50 questions covering every section of the note.
This Lok Sewa practice set has 50 multiple-choice questions (Subject: Public Management · For: Kharidar, Nayab Subba, Section Officer · Level: Easy). Take the quiz above first; after that, use the study list below to revise every question with its correct answer and a short explanation.
Study list: all 50 questions with answers and explanations
The process of transferring information and understanding is called:
- A) Coordination
- B) Communication ✔
- C) Delegation
- D) Planning
Why: Communication is the process of passing information and understanding from one person to another, so both share the same meaning.
Converting an idea into words or symbols is called:
- A) Decoding
- B) Encoding ✔
- C) Feedback
- D) Noise
Why: Encoding is when the sender turns an idea into words, symbols or gestures that can be sent.
Anything that disturbs a message is called:
- A) Noise ✔
- B) Feedback
- C) Channel
- D) Decoding
Why: Noise is anything that disturbs or distorts the message, such as loud sound, a poor phone line, unclear words or the receiver's mood.
Communication is complete only with:
- A) Encoding
- B) Feedback ✔
- C) Noise
- D) Channel
Why: Feedback (the receiver's response) shows whether the message was understood, so communication is complete only when feedback returns.
Orders from a superior to a subordinate are:
- A) Upward communication
- B) Downward communication ✔
- C) Horizontal communication
- D) Grapevine
Why: Downward communication flows from higher to lower levels, such as orders, instructions, circulars and policies.
Reports and suggestions from staff to managers are:
- A) Upward communication ✔
- B) Downward communication
- C) Diagonal communication
- D) Lateral only
Why: Upward communication flows from lower to higher levels, such as reports, requests, suggestions and complaints.
Communication between officers at the same level is:
- A) Vertical
- B) Horizontal ✔
- C) Downward
- D) Upward
Why: Horizontal (lateral) communication is between people or sections at the same level, mainly for coordination.
Informal communication in an organisation is called:
- A) Grapevine ✔
- B) Circular
- C) Memo
- D) Tippani
Why: The grapevine is the informal network of talk among staff. It is fast but can spread rumours.
Which communication gives a permanent record?
- A) Oral
- B) Written ✔
- C) Gesture
- D) Grapevine
Why: Written communication, such as letters, minutes and reports, leaves a permanent record that can be checked later.
Use of difficult words and jargon is a:
- A) Semantic barrier ✔
- B) Physical barrier
- C) Psychological barrier
- D) Organisational barrier
Why: Semantic barriers come from language: difficult words, jargon, or words with more than one meaning.
Prejudice and distrust are:
- A) Psychological barriers ✔
- B) Physical barriers
- C) Semantic barriers
- D) Technical barriers
Why: Psychological barriers come from the mind, such as prejudice, distrust, fear or lack of attention.
Too many levels of hierarchy is an example of a(n):
- A) Organisational barrier ✔
- B) Semantic barrier
- C) Personal barrier
- D) Physical barrier
Why: Organisational barriers come from structure: too many levels, rigid rules or unclear authority slow and distort messages.
Linking the work of different units to reach common goals is:
- A) Coordination ✔
- B) Communication
- C) Controlling
- D) Staffing
Why: Coordination (समन्वय) links the work of different people and units so they work together towards common goals.
Which is called the essence of management?
- A) Coordination ✔
- B) Staffing
- C) Budgeting
- D) Reporting
Why: Coordination is called the essence of management, because planning, organising, directing and controlling all aim to make people work together.
Principles of coordination such as direct contact and continuity were given by:
- A) Mary Parker Follett ✔
- B) Henri Fayol
- C) Max Weber
- D) Elton Mayo
Why: Mary Parker Follett gave four principles of coordination: direct contact, early stages, reciprocal relations and continuity.
Coordination between different ministries is:
- A) Internal coordination
- B) External coordination ✔
- C) Vertical only
- D) Personal
Why: Coordination between separate organisations, such as different ministries, is external coordination.
Coordination between top and lower levels is:
- A) Horizontal
- B) Vertical ✔
- C) External
- D) Diagonal
Why: Vertical coordination links higher and lower levels, such as a ministry and its departments.
Which body coordinates local levels within a district in Nepal?
- A) District Coordination Committee ✔
- B) Supreme Court
- C) Election Commission
- D) NRB
Why: The District Coordination Committee (DCC) coordinates and monitors the work of local levels in each district.
Which is a technique of coordination?
- A) Meetings and committees ✔
- B) Ignoring staff
- C) Removing goals
- D) Avoiding communication
Why: Meetings and committees bring different units together to share information and agree on joint action, so they are key coordination techniques.
Communication across levels and departments is:
- A) Diagonal communication ✔
- B) Downward communication
- C) Upward communication
- D) Grapevine only
Why: Diagonal communication crosses both levels and departments, for example an officer in one ministry talking to a senior in another.
Converting received words or symbols back into meaning is:
- A) Decoding ✔
- B) Encoding
- C) Noise
- D) Feedback
Why: Decoding is when the receiver interprets the words or symbols to understand the sender's meaning.
The path through which a message travels is the:
- A) Channel ✔
- B) Noise
- C) Feedback
- D) Sender
Why: The channel (medium) is the path the message travels by, such as a letter, phone, email or meeting.
Circulars from the ministry to departments are:
- A) Downward communication ✔
- B) Upward
- C) Horizontal
- D) Grapevine
Why: Circulars go from a higher body (ministry) to lower ones (departments), so they are downward communication.
Suggestions from staff to managers are:
- A) Upward communication ✔
- B) Downward
- C) Horizontal
- D) External
Why: Staff suggestions travel from bottom to top, so they are upward communication.
Coordination meetings among section chiefs are:
- A) Horizontal communication ✔
- B) Downward
- C) Upward
- D) Diagonal only
Why: Section chiefs are at the same level, so their meetings are horizontal communication.
Gestures and facial expressions are:
- A) Non-verbal communication ✔
- B) Written
- C) Electronic
- D) Formal letters
Why: Gestures, facial expressions and posture are non-verbal communication (body language).
Email and online systems are:
- A) Electronic communication ✔
- B) Non-verbal
- C) Grapevine only
- D) Oral only
Why: Email, e-Patra and online portals are electronic communication: fast, and they keep digital records.
The grapevine is:
- A) Fast but may spread rumours ✔
- B) Always accurate
- C) Slow and formal
- D) Illegal
Why: The grapevine spreads news quickly, but because it is informal it can carry rumours and half-truths.
Oral communication allows:
- A) Immediate feedback ✔
- B) Permanent record
- C) No interaction
- D) Legal proof always
Why: Oral (face-to-face) communication allows immediate feedback: the listener can ask questions straight away.
Poor network or distance is a:
- A) Physical barrier ✔
- B) Semantic barrier
- C) Psychological barrier
- D) Personal barrier
Why: Physical barriers include distance, noise and poor phone or internet networks.
Ego and fear of superiors are:
- A) Personal barriers ✔
- B) Physical barriers
- C) Semantic barriers
- D) Technical barriers
Why: Personal barriers come from individuals, such as ego, fear of superiors, or not wanting to share information.
Rigid rules and unclear authority are:
- A) Organisational barriers ✔
- B) Personal barriers
- C) Semantic barriers
- D) Physical barriers
Why: Rigid rules, too many levels and unclear authority are organisational (structural) barriers.
Active listening helps to:
- A) Overcome communication barriers ✔
- B) Increase noise
- C) Stop feedback
- D) Create rumours
Why: Active listening, with full attention, asking questions and checking understanding, helps overcome barriers.
Reducing unnecessary levels of hierarchy helps:
- A) Faster and clearer communication ✔
- B) More distortion
- C) More delay
- D) More noise
Why: Fewer levels mean fewer people for the message to pass through, so it travels faster and less distorted.
In Nepali, coordination is:
- A) समन्वय ✔
- B) सञ्चार
- C) नियन्त्रण
- D) निर्देशन
Why: Coordination is समन्वय in Nepali.
Coordination makes units work:
- A) In harmony towards common goals ✔
- B) Against each other
- C) Separately without goals
- D) Only for themselves
Why: Coordination makes different units work in harmony towards common goals, avoiding duplication and conflict.
Coordination between units of the same organisation is:
- A) Internal ✔
- B) External
- C) International
- D) Diagonal
Why: Coordination within one organisation, such as between its sections, is internal coordination.
Coordination between units at the same level is:
- A) Horizontal ✔
- B) Vertical
- C) External
- D) Upward
Why: Coordination between units at the same level, such as two sections, is horizontal coordination.
Follett's principle of 'direct contact' means:
- A) People concerned should talk to each other directly ✔
- B) All contact through letters only
- C) No contact
- D) Contact only through the minister
Why: Direct contact means the people concerned should talk to each other directly, not only through long official channels.
Follett's 'early stages' principle means coordination should begin:
- A) At the planning stage ✔
- B) After the work ends
- C) Never
- D) Only after failure
Why: Coordination should begin early, at the planning stage, because it is harder to fix conflicts later.
Follett's 'continuity' principle means coordination is:
- A) A continuous process ✔
- B) A one-time act
- C) Optional
- D) Yearly only
Why: Coordination is a continuous process that must go on throughout the work, not a one-time act.
Follett's 'reciprocal relations' means:
- A) All factors influence each other ✔
- B) Only the boss matters
- C) Units are independent
- D) No relation
Why: Reciprocal relations means all factors and people in a situation influence each other, so they must be coordinated together.
Liaison officers help in:
- A) Coordination between bodies ✔
- B) Collecting customs
- C) Hearing cases
- D) Auditing banks
Why: Liaison officers act as links between bodies, passing information and helping them coordinate.
Joint planning is a technique of:
- A) Coordination ✔
- B) Recruitment
- C) Punishment
- D) Retirement
Why: When units plan together, their goals and activities fit together from the start, so joint planning is a coordination technique.
A sound organisation structure helps coordination by:
- A) Making authority and responsibility clear ✔
- B) Creating confusion
- C) Removing hierarchy
- D) Hiding roles
Why: A clear structure shows who has what authority and responsibility, so work does not overlap or get missed.
The DCC in Nepal coordinates:
- A) Local levels within a district ✔
- B) Provinces
- C) Ministries
- D) Courts
Why: The District Coordination Committee coordinates the local levels in a district and links them with provincial and federal offices.
Without coordination, units may:
- A) Pull in different directions ✔
- B) Always succeed
- C) Save money
- D) Work in harmony
Why: Without coordination, units may duplicate work, compete for resources or pull in different directions.
Without feedback, communication is:
- A) Incomplete ✔
- B) Complete
- C) Perfect
- D) Faster
Why: Without feedback, the sender cannot know if the message was understood, so communication is incomplete.
Noise in communication can be:
- A) Physical, language or psychological disturbance ✔
- B) Only sound
- C) Only music
- D) Only silence
Why: Noise can be physical (loud sound), semantic (unclear language) or psychological (worry, prejudice): any disturbance to the message.
Communication between a section officer of one department and a deputy secretary of another is:
- A) Diagonal ✔
- B) Downward
- C) Upward
- D) Horizontal
Why: They are at different levels and in different departments, so their communication is diagonal.