CPP CERTIFIED PAYROLL PROFESSIONAL
APA COMPREHENSIVE EXAM QUESTIONS
AND CORRECT ANSWERS STUDY GUIDE
●● Responsiveness
Answer: willingness to help the employees promptly
●● Assurance
Answer: the knowledge & courtesy you show to employees and your
ability to convey trust, competence, & confidence
●● Empathy
Answer: the degree of caring & individual attention shown to employees
●● Tangibles
Answer: professionalism of the physical facilities & equipment in the
payroll department
●● Barriers to effective listening
Answer: distractions, tuning the person out, reacting emotionally, not
reading body language, sending false messages, & anticipating your
response
,●● Assertive communication style
Answer: prefer facts that have been verified by experience; prefer
detailed advance planning & want to know what is, not what might be
●● Expressive communication style
Answer: interested in possibilities first, then facts; react to challenges
enthusiastically & enjoy speculating about the future
●● Introspective communication style
Answer: prefer points to be arranged in logical, start-to-end sequences;
interested in principles involved & in cost/benefit analysis
●● Supportive communication style
Answer: interested in the effect of an idea on others; want to know who
agrees with an idea & what is helpful/valuable about it
●● Reflective listening
Answer: a process where the listener repeats what was heard & asks for
verification
●● Supporting management style
Answer: low task / high relationship; little control sought by manager
with a good deal of trust & support
,●● Coaching management style
Answer: high task / high relationship; manager controls job &
procedures, also relies on personal communication with employees to
coach them in performing
●● Delegating management style
Answer: low task / low relationship; most jobs delegated to the staff;
little personal contact desired by manager
●● Directing management style
Answer: high task / low relationship; manager seeks control over staff &
direct performance, but with little feedback & dialogue
●● Essential elements for effective feedback
Answer: expectation & reinforcement
●● Bridging statements that lead into reflective listening
Answer: clarifying to get additional facts, paraphrasing to clear up
misunderstandings, reflecting feelings, & summarizing main ideas
●● Staffing's 3 essential activities
Answer: hiring, delegating, & training
, ●● 5 basic management skills
Answer: planning/organizing, staffing, directing, controlling, &
reporting
●● Change management plan's first step
Answer: Establish a sense of urgency
●● Types of negative change reactions
Answer: rational, personal, emotional
●● 5 steps in project management
Answer: 1) initiate (define the challenge)
2) plan (determine how to resolve the challenge)
3) execute (complete the task)
4) control (monitor the plan)
5) close (finish)
●● Project planning involves:
Answer: defining the scope of the project, defining the time for the
project, defining the tasks to be completed, analyzing the resources
needed, & evaluating costs
●● Guidelines for feedback
APA COMPREHENSIVE EXAM QUESTIONS
AND CORRECT ANSWERS STUDY GUIDE
●● Responsiveness
Answer: willingness to help the employees promptly
●● Assurance
Answer: the knowledge & courtesy you show to employees and your
ability to convey trust, competence, & confidence
●● Empathy
Answer: the degree of caring & individual attention shown to employees
●● Tangibles
Answer: professionalism of the physical facilities & equipment in the
payroll department
●● Barriers to effective listening
Answer: distractions, tuning the person out, reacting emotionally, not
reading body language, sending false messages, & anticipating your
response
,●● Assertive communication style
Answer: prefer facts that have been verified by experience; prefer
detailed advance planning & want to know what is, not what might be
●● Expressive communication style
Answer: interested in possibilities first, then facts; react to challenges
enthusiastically & enjoy speculating about the future
●● Introspective communication style
Answer: prefer points to be arranged in logical, start-to-end sequences;
interested in principles involved & in cost/benefit analysis
●● Supportive communication style
Answer: interested in the effect of an idea on others; want to know who
agrees with an idea & what is helpful/valuable about it
●● Reflective listening
Answer: a process where the listener repeats what was heard & asks for
verification
●● Supporting management style
Answer: low task / high relationship; little control sought by manager
with a good deal of trust & support
,●● Coaching management style
Answer: high task / high relationship; manager controls job &
procedures, also relies on personal communication with employees to
coach them in performing
●● Delegating management style
Answer: low task / low relationship; most jobs delegated to the staff;
little personal contact desired by manager
●● Directing management style
Answer: high task / low relationship; manager seeks control over staff &
direct performance, but with little feedback & dialogue
●● Essential elements for effective feedback
Answer: expectation & reinforcement
●● Bridging statements that lead into reflective listening
Answer: clarifying to get additional facts, paraphrasing to clear up
misunderstandings, reflecting feelings, & summarizing main ideas
●● Staffing's 3 essential activities
Answer: hiring, delegating, & training
, ●● 5 basic management skills
Answer: planning/organizing, staffing, directing, controlling, &
reporting
●● Change management plan's first step
Answer: Establish a sense of urgency
●● Types of negative change reactions
Answer: rational, personal, emotional
●● 5 steps in project management
Answer: 1) initiate (define the challenge)
2) plan (determine how to resolve the challenge)
3) execute (complete the task)
4) control (monitor the plan)
5) close (finish)
●● Project planning involves:
Answer: defining the scope of the project, defining the time for the
project, defining the tasks to be completed, analyzing the resources
needed, & evaluating costs
●● Guidelines for feedback
