About this quiz
Time management, time wasters and techniques.
This Lok Sewa practice set has 50 multiple-choice questions (Subject: Public Management · For: Nayab Subba, Section Officer, Kharidar · Level: Medium). 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
Time management means:
- A) Working longer hours without plan
- B) Planning and controlling how time is used so important work is done on time ✔
- C) Avoiding all work
- D) Only coming to office on time
Why: It is about planned, controlled use of time.
Why is time management important in a public office?
- A) To delay services
- B) To deliver services on time as promised in the Citizen Charter ✔
- C) To increase paperwork
- D) To avoid citizens
Why: Timely service is a promise to citizens.
Postponing difficult tasks again and again is called:
- A) Delegation
- B) Procrastination ✔
- C) Prioritisation
- D) Scheduling
Why: Procrastination is a major time waster.
Which is a time waster?
- A) Clear agenda
- B) Long meetings without agenda or decisions ✔
- C) To-do list
- D) Delegation
Why: Long meetings without an agenda or decisions waste time. A clear agenda, to-do lists and delegation all save time.
In the Eisenhower matrix, an important and urgent task should be:
- A) Done now ✔
- B) Eliminated
- C) Delegated
- D) Ignored
Why: Important and urgent = do immediately.
An important but not urgent task (like training) should be:
- A) Eliminated
- B) Planned and scheduled ✔
- C) Delegated
- D) Forgotten
Why: Schedule it so it does not become a crisis.
A task that is neither urgent nor important should be:
- A) Done first
- B) Eliminated ✔
- C) Given top priority
- D) Done at night
Why: In the Eisenhower matrix, tasks that are neither urgent nor important should be eliminated, because they only waste time.
The Pareto principle says:
- A) 50% of results come from 50% of work
- B) About 80% of results come from about 20% of activities ✔
- C) All work is equally important
- D) Work only 20% of the time
Why: Focus on the vital few activities.
In ABC analysis, 'A' tasks are:
- A) Least important
- B) Most important ✔
- C) Optional
- D) Personal
Why: In ABC analysis, A tasks are the most important and are done first. B tasks are less important and C tasks least important.
Giving routine work to subordinates with authority is:
- A) Delegation ✔
- B) Procrastination
- C) Interruption
- D) Transfer
Why: Delegation frees the manager's time.
Which tool shows activities and their timelines as bars?
- A) Gantt chart ✔
- B) Pie chart
- C) Organisation chart
- D) Balance sheet
Why: A Gantt chart shows tasks over time.
In PERT/CPM, the critical path shows:
- A) Tasks that cannot be delayed without delaying the project ✔
- B) Optional tasks
- C) Holidays
- D) Budget heads
Why: Delay on the critical path delays the whole project.
Which practice makes meetings time-effective?
- A) No agenda
- B) Clear agenda, starting and ending on time, recording decisions ✔
- C) Inviting everyone always
- D) No minutes
Why: A clear agenda, starting and ending on time and recording decisions keep a meeting short and productive.
Which helps reduce interruptions?
- A) Fixed time blocks for focused work ✔
- B) Answering every call immediately
- C) Open-door all day for everything
- D) Checking social media often
Why: Time blocking protects focused work.
Which law-based tool sets time limits for public services?
- A) Citizen Charter ✔
- B) Gantt chart
- C) Group norm
- D) Status symbol
Why: The Citizen Charter states time, fee and process for services.
The Nepali term for time management is:
- A) कार्य विभाजन
- B) समय व्यवस्थापन ✔
- C) अधिकार प्रत्यायोजन
- D) सेवा प्रवाह
Why: Time management is called समय व्यवस्थापन in Nepali.
Why is time called one of the scarcest resources of a manager?
- A) It is very expensive to buy
- B) It is controlled only by senior officers
- C) It cannot be stored or bought back ✔
- D) It changes every fiscal year
Why: Time cannot be stored or recovered once it is lost, so it is very scarce.
Which document promises citizens that services will be given within a stated time?
- A) Citizen Charter ✔
- B) Gantt chart
- C) Job description
- D) Work-flow chart
Why: The Citizen Charter states services, fees and time limits promised to citizens.
Good time management in an office helps to reduce:
- A) Number of citizens served
- B) Complaints and corruption caused by delay ✔
- C) Use of technology
- D) Delegation of authority
Why: Timely work builds trust and reduces complaints and corruption caused by delay.
Which is NOT a benefit of time management in a public office?
- A) Projects completed within the fiscal year
- B) Less stress and better quality work
- C) More files kept pending for a long time ✔
- D) Better image of the office
Why: Time management reduces pending files; it does not increase them.
Having no daily or weekly plan and working only on what comes first is an example of:
- A) Batching
- B) Delegation
- C) Poor planning ✔
- D) Pareto principle
Why: Working without a plan is the time waster called poor planning.
Long meetings without an agenda or decisions are a time waster called:
- A) Procrastination
- B) Unnecessary meetings ✔
- C) Poor delegation
- D) Unclear goals
Why: Meetings without agenda or decisions waste time and are listed as unnecessary meetings.
Unplanned visitors, phone calls and social media during work are examples of:
- A) Interruptions ✔
- B) Scheduling
- C) Batching
- D) Delegation
Why: These break concentration and are called interruptions.
An officer accepts every request from everyone and cannot finish his own work. This time waster is:
- A) Poor planning
- B) Procrastination
- C) Interruptions
- D) Inability to say no ✔
Why: Accepting every request is the time waster called inability to say no.
A senior officer spends time doing work that his juniors could easily do. This is:
- A) Effective delegation
- B) Poor delegation ✔
- C) Batching
- D) Prioritising
Why: Doing work that juniors can do is the time waster of poor delegation.
Files moving through too many desks before a decision is an example of:
- A) Paper and procedure delays ✔
- B) Effective scheduling
- C) Pareto principle
- D) Critical path
Why: Too many desks and steps cause paper and procedure delays.
Not knowing who does what in an office leads to the time waster called:
- A) Inability to say no
- B) Interruptions
- C) Unclear goals and roles ✔
- D) Batching
Why: When roles are unclear, work is repeated or missed, wasting time.
Which is the FIRST basic technique of time management mentioned in the note?
- A) Buying new computers
- B) Holding more meetings
- C) Setting goals and planning ✔
- D) Working overtime daily
Why: Time management starts with setting goals and making daily, weekly and monthly plans.
A daily to-do list mainly helps an employee to:
- A) Avoid all meetings
- B) Plan and track the day's tasks ✔
- C) Delegate all work
- D) Increase paperwork
Why: A to-do list lists tasks for the day so they can be planned and completed.
The Eisenhower matrix classifies tasks on the basis of:
- A) Cost and benefit
- B) Urgency and importance ✔
- C) Seniority and rank
- D) Size and weight
Why: The Eisenhower matrix uses two criteria: urgent and important.
A crisis or an immediate deadline falls in which box of the Eisenhower matrix?
- A) Important and urgent ✔
- B) Important but not urgent
- C) Urgent but not important
- D) Neither urgent nor important
Why: Crises and deadlines are both important and urgent, so they are done now.
According to the Eisenhower matrix, some phone calls and routine requests (urgent but not important) should be:
- A) Done personally first
- B) Eliminated always
- C) Delegated ✔
- D) Postponed for a year
Why: Urgent but not important tasks should be delegated.
According to the Pareto principle, a manager should focus on:
- A) All activities equally
- B) The vital few activities that give most results ✔
- C) The least important tasks first
- D) Only the tasks given by citizens
Why: Since about 80% of results come from about 20% of activities, focus on the vital few.
The Pareto principle is also known as the:
- A) 50/50 rule
- B) 70/30 rule
- C) 90/10 rule
- D) 80/20 rule ✔
Why: The Pareto principle is called the 80/20 principle.
In ABC analysis, 'C' tasks are:
- A) Most important
- B) Important
- C) Least important ✔
- D) Urgent only
Why: In ABC analysis, A is most important, B is important and C is least important.
Fixing time blocks for focused work and using calendars and reminders is called:
- A) Scheduling ✔
- B) Procrastination
- C) Delegation
- D) Interruption
Why: Scheduling means fixing time for work using calendars and reminders.
Which is NOT a feature of an effective meeting?
- A) Clear agenda
- B) Starting and ending on time
- C) Recording decisions
- D) No agenda and open-ended discussion ✔
Why: Meetings without agenda waste time; effective meetings have a clear agenda and decisions.
Using e-mail, electronic darta–chalani and online services as a time management technique is called:
- A) Batching
- B) Using technology ✔
- C) ABC analysis
- D) Delegation
Why: Using e-mail, MIS and online services saves time and is the technique of using technology.
Which helps to avoid procrastination?
- A) Waiting for the perfect mood
- B) Breaking big tasks into small steps ✔
- C) Accepting every request
- D) Holding long meetings
Why: Breaking big tasks into small steps and starting with the hardest one reduces procrastination.
An officer signs all files at 11 am and replies to all letters at 3 pm. This technique is:
- A) Pareto principle
- B) Delegation
- C) Batching similar tasks ✔
- D) PERT
Why: Doing similar tasks together at fixed times is called batching.
Which tool is most suitable for planning a large project with many linked activities?
- A) Diary
- B) PERT/CPM ✔
- C) To-do list
- D) Visitor register
Why: PERT/CPM is used for large projects to find the critical path.
Tasks on the critical path in CPM:
- A) Can be delayed without effect
- B) Are always the cheapest tasks
- C) Cannot be delayed without delaying the project ✔
- D) Are done by citizens
Why: The critical path shows the tasks that cannot be delayed.
Which of the following is NOT a time management tool listed in the note?
- A) Planner and calendar
- B) Gantt chart
- C) Work-flow chart
- D) Organisation's logo ✔
Why: To-do lists, calendars, Gantt charts, PERT/CPM and work-flow charts are tools; a logo is not.
A Gantt chart shows:
- A) Activities and their timelines as bars ✔
- B) Salaries of employees
- C) Office budget heads
- D) Names of citizens served
Why: A Gantt chart displays activities against time as horizontal bars.
For an assistant-level employee, which practice reflects good time management?
- A) Reaching the office late but staying late
- B) Finishing today's darta–chalani the same day where possible ✔
- C) Keeping old files pending and doing new ones first
- D) Serving known people first
Why: Clearing the day's darta–chalani the same day prevents backlog.
A Kharidar keeps a list of पेन्डिङ फाइल. Which should he clear first?
- A) The newest files
- B) The old pending files ✔
- C) Files of known people
- D) Only easy files
Why: The note advises clearing old pending files first.
Serving citizens in order without favouritism is part of time management because it:
- A) Makes queues longer
- B) Ensures fair and orderly service ✔
- C) Removes the need for planning
- D) Increases interruptions
Why: Handling citizens in order is fair and keeps service flowing smoothly.
Which law requires decisions to be made within set periods, as mentioned in the note?
- A) Good Governance Act ✔
- B) Local Administration Act
- C) Disaster Management Act
- D) Money Laundering Prevention Act
Why: The note cites the Good Governance Act, which requires decisions within set periods.
Which statement about time management is TRUE?
- A) It means working longer hours every day
- B) It means planning and controlling use of time so important work is done on time ✔
- C) It applies only to private companies
- D) It means doing every task as soon as it arrives
Why: Time management is planning and controlling time so that important work is done on time.
A section officer has: (1) a report due today, (2) staff training plan for next month, (3) a routine request, (4) chatting on social media. Which should be eliminated?
- A) Report due today
- B) Staff training plan
- C) Routine request
- D) Chatting on social media ✔
Why: Social media chatting is neither urgent nor important, so it should be eliminated.