Which request should the supervisor protect first?
You are writing a fictional records quality work sample.
The question
One worker has 45 minutes from 14:00. The case protects the earliest verified deadline and sends deadline conflicts to the supervisor. Routine work waits behind time-sensitive work. Completion at the stated cutoff meets it.
| Handling time (minutes) | Opening evidence | |
|---|---|---|
| A | 20 | Verified correction due 14:30 |
| B | 15 | Routine summary with no deadline |
| C | 25 | Dashboard flags urgency. No verified deadline. |
Write the plan before 14:00, when the work starts.
“Write the decision the supervisor needs to make, using the supplied evidence.”
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A strong answer, step by step
Open each step in turn. This is one strong answer, not the only one.
Step 1: What do you put first?
What would you do here? Open the move you’d make.
Plan A first and ask for the deadline behind C’s flag
The strong move. The plan protects the verified cutoff and leaves the flag open for checking.
Put C first because the dashboard marks it urgent
Tempting, but it misses something. The flag does not supply a verified deadline for C.
Start with B because it is shortest
Tempting, but it misses something. The case gives verified deadlines priority.
See how a strong candidate says it
“I would start A at 14:00 and finish at 14:20. If no verified change arrives, B can follow and finish at 14:35. I would ask for a verified deadline for C.”
Why it works: A has the earliest verified deadline in the opening packet.
Step 2: Does the second record verify C?
A forwarded notice uses the same description as C but lists a different request ID.
What would you do here? Open the move you’d make.
Assign the forwarded deadline to C because the description matches
Tempting, but it misses something. The notice names a different request ID.
Remove C from the brief because the record does not match
Tempting, but it misses something. The dashboard still raises a question that the scheduling owner can check.
Ask for the notice that names C and keep the current plan
The strong move. This uses verified evidence while the new record is being checked.
See how a strong candidate says it
“I would keep C’s deadline unverified and ask the scheduling owner for the notice tied to C’s exact request ID. The opening plan for A still applies.”
Why it works: A similar description does not link the forwarded deadline to C.
Step 3: How does the verified due time change the plan?
Before the shift begins, the scheduling owner supplies a verified notice for C due at 14:25. A’s deadline remains 14:30.
What would you do here? Open the move you’d make.
Keep A first because it was verified first
Tempting, but it misses something. C now has an earlier verified deadline.
Put C first and ask the supervisor to resolve A’s deadline conflict
The strong move. This follows the case order and makes the conflict visible before work starts.
Fit both before 14:30 by leaving B out
Tempting, but it misses something. A and C still require 45 minutes. They cannot both finish within 30 minutes.
See how a strong candidate says it
“I would protect C first. It finishes at 14:25. A would finish at 14:45, 15 minutes late. A first would make C finish at 14:45, 20 minutes late. I would raise the conflict before work starts.”
Why it works: The verified due time for C is earlier than A’s. One worker needs 45 minutes for both.
Step 4: What do you write to the supervisor?
What would you do here? Open the move you’d make.
Say both deadlines will be met and leave B open
Tempting, but it misses something. There is no second worker assigned in the case.
Escalate C’s deadline without explaining what happens to A
Tempting, but it misses something. The supervisor needs both deadlines and the schedule conflict.
Give the C-first plan, the A conflict and the latest parallel start
The strong move. The supervisor can use the times to make an assignment decision.
See how a strong candidate says it
“C needs 25 minutes and is due at 14:25. I would start it at 14:00. A needs 20 minutes and would be 15 minutes late unless another worker can start it by 14:10. Please decide whether to assign A separately or address its deadline. B will wait.”
Why it works: The brief states the confirmed time, the capacity conflict and the decision the supervisor owns.
The answer, in short
- Decision
- Protect C and send the deadline conflict for A to the supervisor.
- Because
- The earliest verified deadline is 14:25. A and C together use the worker’s full 45 minutes.
- What would change it
- A second assigned worker starting A by 14:10 could protect both deadlines.
Common traps
- Check the request ID before you use a due time.
- Show the supervisor the consequence of the current capacity.
Check your answer
- I protected the first verified deadline.
- I checked the forwarded notice against the request ID.
- I revised the order using the verified update.
- I gave the supervisor a clear decision and the evidence for it.
Last reviewed Nov 11, 2026