CALIFORNIA LABOR RELATIONS
SPECIALIST CERTIFICATION EXAM WITH
ACTUAL QUESTIONS AND VERIFIED
ANSWERS, PLUS EXPLAINED
RATIONALES/EXPERT VERIFIED FOR
GUARANTEED 100% PASS 2026/LATEST
UPDATE/INSTANT DOWNLOAD PDF
1. Under the California Meyers-Milias-Brown Act (MMBA), what is
the primary legal obligation of a public employer after a
recognized employee organization requests negotiations over
mandatory subjects of bargaining?
A. Automatically accept all union proposals
B. Meet and confer in good faith regarding wages, hours, and other
terms and conditions of employment
C. Submit every issue directly to binding arbitration
D. Suspend implementation of all personnel policies indefinitely
Answer: B. Meet and confer in good faith regarding wages, hours,
and other terms and conditions of employment
Rationale: The MMBA requires California local public agencies to meet
and confer in good faith with recognized employee organizations
concerning wages, hours, and other terms and conditions of
employment. Good faith requires sincere participation in negotiations
with an intent to reach agreement, although it does not compel either
party to agree to a proposal.
2. Which of the following is generally considered a mandatory
subject of bargaining under California public-sector labor law?
1
,A. Agency mission statement
B. Employee wages
C. Election of city council members
D. Department logo design
Answer: B. Employee wages
Rationale: Compensation, benefits, hours, leave, discipline procedures,
and other employment conditions are mandatory bargaining subjects.
Political decisions, organizational missions, and legislative policy
decisions generally fall outside mandatory bargaining.
3. Which California agency primarily administers collective
bargaining laws for most California public-sector employees?
A. California Department of Justice
B. Public Employment Relations Board (PERB)
C. California Labor Commissioner's Office
D. California Department of Consumer Affairs
Answer: B. Public Employment Relations Board (PERB)
Rationale: PERB administers numerous California public-sector
collective bargaining statutes, investigates unfair practice charges,
conducts representation elections, and resolves disputes involving public
employers and employee organizations.
4. During collective bargaining, surface bargaining most accurately
refers to:
A. Negotiating only compensation
2
,B. Appearing to negotiate while lacking genuine intent to reach
agreement
C. Limiting negotiations to one bargaining session
D. Refusing mediation
Answer: B. Appearing to negotiate while lacking genuine intent to
reach agreement
Rationale: Surface bargaining constitutes bad-faith bargaining because
a party merely creates the appearance of negotiation without sincerely
attempting to reach an agreement.
5. Which bargaining subject is generally classified as a permissive
rather than mandatory subject?
A. Overtime compensation
B. Vacation scheduling
C. Internal union governance
D. Health insurance premiums
Answer: C. Internal union governance
Rationale: Internal union administration concerns the employee
organization itself rather than employer-employee working conditions
and therefore is not a mandatory bargaining subject.
6. Good-faith bargaining generally requires all of the following
EXCEPT:
A. Timely meetings
B. Exchange of relevant proposals
3
, C. Honest consideration of counteroffers
D. Automatic acceptance of union demands
Answer: D. Automatic acceptance of union demands
Rationale: Good-faith bargaining requires sincere participation but
does not require concessions or acceptance of proposals.
7. An unfair labor practice by a public employer may include:
A. Refusing to provide relevant bargaining information
B. Publishing annual budgets
C. Hiring temporary employees during holidays
D. Updating payroll software
Answer: A. Refusing to provide relevant bargaining information
Rationale: Relevant information necessary for bargaining must
generally be provided unless protected by privilege or confidentiality.
Refusal may constitute an unfair practice.
8. Weingarten rights primarily concern:
A. Retirement eligibility
B. Employee representation during investigatory interviews that may
result in discipline
C. Vacation scheduling
D. Workplace safety inspections
Answer: B. Employee representation during investigatory
interviews that may result in discipline
4
SPECIALIST CERTIFICATION EXAM WITH
ACTUAL QUESTIONS AND VERIFIED
ANSWERS, PLUS EXPLAINED
RATIONALES/EXPERT VERIFIED FOR
GUARANTEED 100% PASS 2026/LATEST
UPDATE/INSTANT DOWNLOAD PDF
1. Under the California Meyers-Milias-Brown Act (MMBA), what is
the primary legal obligation of a public employer after a
recognized employee organization requests negotiations over
mandatory subjects of bargaining?
A. Automatically accept all union proposals
B. Meet and confer in good faith regarding wages, hours, and other
terms and conditions of employment
C. Submit every issue directly to binding arbitration
D. Suspend implementation of all personnel policies indefinitely
Answer: B. Meet and confer in good faith regarding wages, hours,
and other terms and conditions of employment
Rationale: The MMBA requires California local public agencies to meet
and confer in good faith with recognized employee organizations
concerning wages, hours, and other terms and conditions of
employment. Good faith requires sincere participation in negotiations
with an intent to reach agreement, although it does not compel either
party to agree to a proposal.
2. Which of the following is generally considered a mandatory
subject of bargaining under California public-sector labor law?
1
,A. Agency mission statement
B. Employee wages
C. Election of city council members
D. Department logo design
Answer: B. Employee wages
Rationale: Compensation, benefits, hours, leave, discipline procedures,
and other employment conditions are mandatory bargaining subjects.
Political decisions, organizational missions, and legislative policy
decisions generally fall outside mandatory bargaining.
3. Which California agency primarily administers collective
bargaining laws for most California public-sector employees?
A. California Department of Justice
B. Public Employment Relations Board (PERB)
C. California Labor Commissioner's Office
D. California Department of Consumer Affairs
Answer: B. Public Employment Relations Board (PERB)
Rationale: PERB administers numerous California public-sector
collective bargaining statutes, investigates unfair practice charges,
conducts representation elections, and resolves disputes involving public
employers and employee organizations.
4. During collective bargaining, surface bargaining most accurately
refers to:
A. Negotiating only compensation
2
,B. Appearing to negotiate while lacking genuine intent to reach
agreement
C. Limiting negotiations to one bargaining session
D. Refusing mediation
Answer: B. Appearing to negotiate while lacking genuine intent to
reach agreement
Rationale: Surface bargaining constitutes bad-faith bargaining because
a party merely creates the appearance of negotiation without sincerely
attempting to reach an agreement.
5. Which bargaining subject is generally classified as a permissive
rather than mandatory subject?
A. Overtime compensation
B. Vacation scheduling
C. Internal union governance
D. Health insurance premiums
Answer: C. Internal union governance
Rationale: Internal union administration concerns the employee
organization itself rather than employer-employee working conditions
and therefore is not a mandatory bargaining subject.
6. Good-faith bargaining generally requires all of the following
EXCEPT:
A. Timely meetings
B. Exchange of relevant proposals
3
, C. Honest consideration of counteroffers
D. Automatic acceptance of union demands
Answer: D. Automatic acceptance of union demands
Rationale: Good-faith bargaining requires sincere participation but
does not require concessions or acceptance of proposals.
7. An unfair labor practice by a public employer may include:
A. Refusing to provide relevant bargaining information
B. Publishing annual budgets
C. Hiring temporary employees during holidays
D. Updating payroll software
Answer: A. Refusing to provide relevant bargaining information
Rationale: Relevant information necessary for bargaining must
generally be provided unless protected by privilege or confidentiality.
Refusal may constitute an unfair practice.
8. Weingarten rights primarily concern:
A. Retirement eligibility
B. Employee representation during investigatory interviews that may
result in discipline
C. Vacation scheduling
D. Workplace safety inspections
Answer: B. Employee representation during investigatory
interviews that may result in discipline
4
