TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT EXAM 2 STUDY GUIDE | COMPLETE EXAM
REVIEW QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 2026/2027
Needs Assessment - ANS ✔✔Refers to the process of determining learning needs and opportunities and
determining whether training is necessary
Needs assessment involves - ANS ✔✔organizational analysis, person analysis, and task analysis
Needs assessment is a ___________ perspective that helps to _________ - ANS ✔✔- Multi-level
- guarantee that different perspectives are taken into account during the assessment process
Organization analysis - ANS ✔✔Involves determining the appropriateness of training for the organization
overall, given its strategy, resources, and support for training
Person analysis - ANS ✔✔Involves determining whether performance deficiencies result from lack of
ability or from a motivational or work-design problem.
- Also involves determining who needs training and employee readiness for training
Task analysis - ANS ✔✔Identifies the important tasks, knowledge, skills, and behaviors that need to be
addressed in training
If needs assessment is not properly conducted, the following situations could occur: - ANS ✔✔- Training
may be incorrectly used as a solution to a performance problem
- Training programs may have the wrong content, objectives, or methods.
- Trainees may be sent to training programs for which they do not have the basic skills, prerequisite skills,
or confidence to learn.
- Training will not deliver the expected learning, behavior change, or financial results.
-Money will be spent on training programs that are unnecessary because they are unrelated to the
company's business strategy.
There are many pressure points that might suggest that training is necessary such as: - ANS ✔✔(1)
Legislation
(2) Lack of basic skills
(3) Poor performance
(4) New technology
(5) Customer requests
(6) Customer dissatisfaction
(7) New products and innovations
(8) Higher performance standards
What sets the stage for the remaining steps of the training design process? - ANS ✔✔Considering the
outcomes of needs assesssment
Knowledge of outcomes will help ensure that: - ANS ✔✔the most appropriate data are collected during
the needs assessment process
,Examples of outcomes from the needs assessment: - ANS ✔✔(1) What trainees need to learn
(2) Who receives training
(3) Type of training needed
(4) Frequency of training
(5) Buy versus build training decision
(6) Other HRM solutions
The goal of needs assessment is to determine - ANS ✔✔Whether a training need exists
It is important that all relevant ___________ be involved in needs assessments - ANS ✔✔stakeholders
Stakeholders include - ANS ✔✔those who have an interest in training and whose support is important
for determining its success
Key stakeholders include - ANS ✔✔company leaders, mid-level managers, trainers, and employees
Company leaders want to: - ANS ✔✔anticipate training needs, align them with business strategy, and
ensure that learning efforts are integrated in a way that adds value to the company
Mid-level managers are more concerned with: - ANS ✔✔how training might affect the attainment of
financial goals for their particular units.
- they must determine how of their budget will be devoted for training, the types of employees who
would receive training, and what jobs should be the focus of training
Trainers need to consider: - ANS ✔✔whether training is aligned with business strategy, whether training
should be purchased or developed in-house, what content should be the focus training, what training
methods employees find preferable, and the degree of management support for training
Employees should diagnose: - ANS ✔✔their own learning needs for their current job and future
employment prospects.
- employees should also consider their motivation to learn
A learning council: - ANS ✔✔a group of key stakeholders, typically including executives, company
leaders, and other important stakeholders who asked to provide insight and recommendations about the
company's training needs
Subject matter experts (SMEs) should be - ANS ✔✔consulted in the needs assessment process
SMEs have expertise knowledge about - ANS ✔✔the training issue at hand
SMEs could include a variety of individuals such as - ANS ✔✔employees, managers, technical experts,
suppliers, and academics who are knowledgeable
SMEs could lend their expertise regarding: - ANS ✔✔- training issues, including the tasks to be
performed
- knowledge, skills, and abilities required to perform tasks effectively
- the necessary equipment
- conditions under which tasks will be have to be performed
, Methods Used in Needs Assessment - ANS ✔✔- Observation
- Survey
- Interview
- Focus groups and crowdsourcing
- Documentation
- Technology
- Historical Data Review
Observation - ANS ✔✔- Advantages: relevant data; minimizes interruption work
- Disadvantages: requires skill in observation; employee behavior may be affected by being observed
Survey - ANS ✔✔- Advantages: inexpensive, can collect data from a large number of individuals; data
easily summarized
- Disadvantages: requires time; potentially low response rates; may lack detail; only provides information
directly related to questions asked
Interview - ANS ✔✔- Advantages: good at uncovering detail; can explore unexpected issues; questions
can be modified
- Disadvantages: time-consuming; difficult to analyze; needs skills interviewers; can be threatening to
SMEs; difficult to schedule; SMEs provide only such information they think they want to hear
Focus groups and crowdsourcing - ANS ✔✔- Advantages: useful for complex or controversial issues; can
explore unexpected issues; reduces risk that training based on needs assessment will be rejected by
stakeholders
- Disadvantages: time consuming to organize; group members provide only information they think they
want to hear
Documentation - ANS ✔✔- Advantages: good source of information; objective; good source of task
information for new jobs and jobs in the process of being created
- Disadvantages: may be difficult to understand; potentially obsolete
Technology - ANS ✔✔- Advantages: objective; minimize work interruption; limited human involvement
- Disadvantages: may threaten employees; managers may use data to punish versus train
Historical Data Review - ANS ✔✔- Advantages: provide data related to performance and practices
- Disadvantages: data may be inaccurate, incomplete, or not fully reflective of performance
Benchmarking - ANS ✔✔Many companies are using information about other companies' training
practices to help determine the appropriate type, level, and frequency of training
Companies need to consider information from - ANS ✔✔organizational, person, task analyses before the
decision is made to devote time, money, and resources to training
Organizational analysis - three factors to examine to determine if training is the appropriate solution -
ANS ✔✔- the company's strategic direction
- support of managers, peers, and employees for training
- training resources
REVIEW QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS 2026/2027
Needs Assessment - ANS ✔✔Refers to the process of determining learning needs and opportunities and
determining whether training is necessary
Needs assessment involves - ANS ✔✔organizational analysis, person analysis, and task analysis
Needs assessment is a ___________ perspective that helps to _________ - ANS ✔✔- Multi-level
- guarantee that different perspectives are taken into account during the assessment process
Organization analysis - ANS ✔✔Involves determining the appropriateness of training for the organization
overall, given its strategy, resources, and support for training
Person analysis - ANS ✔✔Involves determining whether performance deficiencies result from lack of
ability or from a motivational or work-design problem.
- Also involves determining who needs training and employee readiness for training
Task analysis - ANS ✔✔Identifies the important tasks, knowledge, skills, and behaviors that need to be
addressed in training
If needs assessment is not properly conducted, the following situations could occur: - ANS ✔✔- Training
may be incorrectly used as a solution to a performance problem
- Training programs may have the wrong content, objectives, or methods.
- Trainees may be sent to training programs for which they do not have the basic skills, prerequisite skills,
or confidence to learn.
- Training will not deliver the expected learning, behavior change, or financial results.
-Money will be spent on training programs that are unnecessary because they are unrelated to the
company's business strategy.
There are many pressure points that might suggest that training is necessary such as: - ANS ✔✔(1)
Legislation
(2) Lack of basic skills
(3) Poor performance
(4) New technology
(5) Customer requests
(6) Customer dissatisfaction
(7) New products and innovations
(8) Higher performance standards
What sets the stage for the remaining steps of the training design process? - ANS ✔✔Considering the
outcomes of needs assesssment
Knowledge of outcomes will help ensure that: - ANS ✔✔the most appropriate data are collected during
the needs assessment process
,Examples of outcomes from the needs assessment: - ANS ✔✔(1) What trainees need to learn
(2) Who receives training
(3) Type of training needed
(4) Frequency of training
(5) Buy versus build training decision
(6) Other HRM solutions
The goal of needs assessment is to determine - ANS ✔✔Whether a training need exists
It is important that all relevant ___________ be involved in needs assessments - ANS ✔✔stakeholders
Stakeholders include - ANS ✔✔those who have an interest in training and whose support is important
for determining its success
Key stakeholders include - ANS ✔✔company leaders, mid-level managers, trainers, and employees
Company leaders want to: - ANS ✔✔anticipate training needs, align them with business strategy, and
ensure that learning efforts are integrated in a way that adds value to the company
Mid-level managers are more concerned with: - ANS ✔✔how training might affect the attainment of
financial goals for their particular units.
- they must determine how of their budget will be devoted for training, the types of employees who
would receive training, and what jobs should be the focus of training
Trainers need to consider: - ANS ✔✔whether training is aligned with business strategy, whether training
should be purchased or developed in-house, what content should be the focus training, what training
methods employees find preferable, and the degree of management support for training
Employees should diagnose: - ANS ✔✔their own learning needs for their current job and future
employment prospects.
- employees should also consider their motivation to learn
A learning council: - ANS ✔✔a group of key stakeholders, typically including executives, company
leaders, and other important stakeholders who asked to provide insight and recommendations about the
company's training needs
Subject matter experts (SMEs) should be - ANS ✔✔consulted in the needs assessment process
SMEs have expertise knowledge about - ANS ✔✔the training issue at hand
SMEs could include a variety of individuals such as - ANS ✔✔employees, managers, technical experts,
suppliers, and academics who are knowledgeable
SMEs could lend their expertise regarding: - ANS ✔✔- training issues, including the tasks to be
performed
- knowledge, skills, and abilities required to perform tasks effectively
- the necessary equipment
- conditions under which tasks will be have to be performed
, Methods Used in Needs Assessment - ANS ✔✔- Observation
- Survey
- Interview
- Focus groups and crowdsourcing
- Documentation
- Technology
- Historical Data Review
Observation - ANS ✔✔- Advantages: relevant data; minimizes interruption work
- Disadvantages: requires skill in observation; employee behavior may be affected by being observed
Survey - ANS ✔✔- Advantages: inexpensive, can collect data from a large number of individuals; data
easily summarized
- Disadvantages: requires time; potentially low response rates; may lack detail; only provides information
directly related to questions asked
Interview - ANS ✔✔- Advantages: good at uncovering detail; can explore unexpected issues; questions
can be modified
- Disadvantages: time-consuming; difficult to analyze; needs skills interviewers; can be threatening to
SMEs; difficult to schedule; SMEs provide only such information they think they want to hear
Focus groups and crowdsourcing - ANS ✔✔- Advantages: useful for complex or controversial issues; can
explore unexpected issues; reduces risk that training based on needs assessment will be rejected by
stakeholders
- Disadvantages: time consuming to organize; group members provide only information they think they
want to hear
Documentation - ANS ✔✔- Advantages: good source of information; objective; good source of task
information for new jobs and jobs in the process of being created
- Disadvantages: may be difficult to understand; potentially obsolete
Technology - ANS ✔✔- Advantages: objective; minimize work interruption; limited human involvement
- Disadvantages: may threaten employees; managers may use data to punish versus train
Historical Data Review - ANS ✔✔- Advantages: provide data related to performance and practices
- Disadvantages: data may be inaccurate, incomplete, or not fully reflective of performance
Benchmarking - ANS ✔✔Many companies are using information about other companies' training
practices to help determine the appropriate type, level, and frequency of training
Companies need to consider information from - ANS ✔✔organizational, person, task analyses before the
decision is made to devote time, money, and resources to training
Organizational analysis - three factors to examine to determine if training is the appropriate solution -
ANS ✔✔- the company's strategic direction
- support of managers, peers, and employees for training
- training resources
