English reading practice for the PSC unsupervised format

Every question and its answer choices. The correct answers and explanations appear when you take the test above.

1. ORIGINAL BRIEF — QUIETER EQUIPMENT A short trial found that the new floor-cleaning machine was quieter, but operators needed more time to prepare it. The trial covered only the small meeting wing. We recommend a longer trial in the large hall before replacing the existing equipment. Lower noise is useful, yet preparation time may offset that benefit on larger jobs.

   What is the recommendation in the equipment brief?

   1. Run a broader trial before replacing the equipment
   2. Replace every existing machine immediately
   3. Reject quieter equipment without further testing
   4. Stop cleaning the large hall during the next trial

2. ORIGINAL EMAIL — RECIPE FOLDER Hi Émile, Add the plant-based recipes to Saturday’s folder, but keep the ingredient list separate. Léa will check that list to prepare the allergen display. Wait for her confirmation before printing the display. You may still print the recipe sheets that have already been approved. Clara

   What does “still” mean in the final printing instruction?

   1. Another printing task is permitted despite the wait
   2. All printing is prohibited until Saturday
   3. The ingredient list must be merged into the folder
   4. The plant-based recipes will not be used

3. ORIGINAL NOTICE — ROUTE REHEARSAL The route rehearsal starts at 9 a.m. in the hall. Only facilitators should arrive at 8:30 to set up markers. Observers are asked to note unclear sections without interrupting the first rehearsal. A discussion will follow at 10 a.m.

   Who is asked to arrive at 8:30 for the rehearsal?

   1. Facilitators only
   2. All observers
   3. Discussion participants only
   4. Everyone present in the hall

4. ORIGINAL BRIEF — LENDING REVIEW The most frequently borrowed items are not necessarily the first ones we should buy. Some are cheap to repair and available in several copies, while other items are regularly unavailable. The next purchase should consider both demand and availability rather than a single ranking of loans.

   What does “not necessarily” indicate in this brief?

   1. Repairs are prohibited for every item
   2. Loan frequency does not decide the purchase by itself
   3. Borrowed items will never be purchased again
   4. Loan counts have no relevance at all

5. ORIGINAL EMAIL — SESSION LIST Hi Zoé, The attached table lists confirmed sessions. Grey rows are still under discussion and must not appear in the public announcement. For today, check only that each confirmed session has a location. If one is missing, flag the row without choosing a location yourself. Hugo

   What should Zoé do if a confirmed session has no location?

   1. Flag the row without choosing a location
   2. Assign the largest room immediately
   3. Publish the session as a grey row
   4. Delete the session without notifying anyone

6. ORIGINAL NOTICE — TEMPORARY LOCKERS Temporary lockers are for workshop visitors. Staff should use their usual storage spaces. Keys are available at reception and must be returned there the same day. No belongings may remain in these lockers overnight.

   Which use of a temporary locker follows the notice?

   1. A visitor stores belongings and removes them that day
   2. An employee leaves belongings there for the week
   3. A visitor keeps the key until the next morning
   4. An employee reserves all lockers overnight

7. ORIGINAL BRIEF — LENDING REVIEW The most frequently borrowed items are not necessarily the first ones we should buy. Some are cheap to repair and available in several copies, while other items are regularly unavailable. The next purchase should consider both demand and availability rather than a single ranking of loans.

   What does the brief recommend for the next purchase?

   1. Exclude every item that is cheap to repair
   2. Ignore items that are regularly unavailable
   3. Consider demand and availability together
   4. Buy only the most frequently borrowed item

8. ORIGINAL EMAIL — WELCOME DESK Hello, The welcome desk opens at 8:45. Volunteers assigned to the first slot must check badges at 8:30. Other volunteers should follow their usual schedules. If you cannot attend, notify Yara directly; do not change the shared table yourself. Olivier

   What should a volunteer who cannot attend do?

   1. Delete their name without sending a message
   2. Ask every volunteer to arrive at 8:30
   3. Postpone the desk opening to another day
   4. Notify Yara without changing the table

9. ORIGINAL NOTICE — DEMONSTRATION TOOLS Demonstration tools may be borrowed for Saturday’s session. Write down your name and the tool number before taking one. Models marked with a red dot must stay on site. All other tools must be returned to the counter before 5 p.m.

   What must a borrower do before taking an eligible tool?

   1. Return the tool before the session starts
   2. Record their name and the tool number
   3. Wait for every red-marked model to return
   4. Add a red dot to every model

10. ORIGINAL BRIEF — VISIT LENGTH Shorter visits allowed more groups to attend, but several guides report too little time for questions. We could retain this format for introductory visits and offer a longer session to groups seeking more depth. One format may not meet both needs.

    How is the recommendation about visit lengths best described?

    1. Certain that short visits fail everywhere
    2. Hostile to visitors’ questions
    3. Indifferent to the number of groups served
    4. Exploratory and attentive to a trade-off

11. ORIGINAL EMAIL — PAPER SAMPLES Hello, We will test two papers for field cards. Use each outdoors during one session, then compare how readable the notes are. Do not judge the colour; it will be the same in the final order. Return the used sheets on Thursday so we can examine the marks together. Nadia

    Why should participants return the used sheets?

    1. To replace outdoor testing with indoor testing
    2. To request a new colour
    3. To examine the resulting marks together
    4. To sell them in the final order

12. ORIGINAL NOTICE — ROUTE REHEARSAL The route rehearsal starts at 9 a.m. in the hall. Only facilitators should arrive at 8:30 to set up markers. Observers are asked to note unclear sections without interrupting the first rehearsal. A discussion will follow at 10 a.m.

    How should observers respond to an unclear section?

    1. Interrupt the rehearsal immediately
    2. Move the markers before the end
    3. Leave the route without taking notes
    4. Note it for the discussion afterward

13. ORIGINAL BRIEF — WORKSHOP ACCESS Online registrations increased after the form was simplified. This does not prove that everyone now finds registration easy. People who leave before submitting are absent from the total. We propose examining those abandoned attempts before drawing conclusions about the process’s accessibility.

    Which statement would go beyond the reported results?

    1. The team proposes examining abandoned attempts
    2. The form is now easy for everyone
    3. Submitted registrations increased
    4. Some attempts do not reach submission

14. ORIGINAL EMAIL — RECIPE FOLDER Hi Émile, Add the plant-based recipes to Saturday’s folder, but keep the ingredient list separate. Léa will check that list to prepare the allergen display. Wait for her confirmation before printing the display. You may still print the recipe sheets that have already been approved. Clara

    Which document must wait for Léa’s confirmation before printing?

    1. An old menu without ingredients
    2. The allergen display
    3. Previously approved recipe sheets
    4. The empty Saturday folder

15. ORIGINAL NOTICE — PLANT EXCHANGE The exchange accepts potted plants and rooted cuttings. Each container must show the plant’s name. Loose seeds will be collected at a different event. Drop off plants between 10 and 11 a.m.; exchanging will begin at 11:15.

    Which item is reserved for a different event?

    1. Potted plants
    2. Labelled containers
    3. Loose seeds
    4. Rooted cuttings

16. ORIGINAL BRIEF — VISIT LENGTH Shorter visits allowed more groups to attend, but several guides report too little time for questions. We could retain this format for introductory visits and offer a longer session to groups seeking more depth. One format may not meet both needs.

    What solution is proposed for the groups’ two needs?

    1. Offer lengths suited to the visit’s purpose
    2. Require every introductory visit to be longer
    3. Remove questions from every format
    4. Limit all visits to a single group

17. ORIGINAL EMAIL — ROUTE SIGNS Hi André, Check the arrows on the outdoor signs, but leave station numbers unchanged. The approved plan already has the correct numbering. Send direction errors to Lila before Tuesday; she will prepare correction stickers. We do not need entirely new signs. Sofia

    What will Lila do after receiving the errors?

    1. Change every station number
    2. Request a new registration list
    3. Prepare correction stickers
    4. Order complete replacement signs

18. ORIGINAL NOTICE — SUPPLY DELIVERY For Thursday’s delivery, carts will enter through Door B. Door A will remain open to pedestrians. Between 1 and 2 p.m., keep the striped area in front of Door B clear. Bicycles may remain in the outdoor racks.

    What does the delivery notice require between 1 and 2 p.m.?

    1. Close Door A to pedestrians
    2. Move every bicycle indoors
    3. Use the striped area for parking
    4. Keep the striped area by Door B clear

19. ORIGINAL BRIEF — POSTER SIZE The large poster is visible from a distance but blocks some information at reception. The small poster keeps the counter clear but cannot be read from the entrance. Before printing more, we suggest moving the small poster to a more visible position and observing requests for directions.

    What action is proposed before another print run?

    1. Remove all information from the reception counter
    2. Conclude that size has no importance
    3. Test a different position for the small poster
    4. Immediately print only the large posters

20. ORIGINAL EMAIL — SEEDLING TABLE Hello Marco, We have enough seedlings for the Saturday table, but we still need three volunteers for the final hour. Please ask last month’s volunteers first. If the three places are not filled by Wednesday, open the invitation to the rest of the network. There is no need to order more plants. I will send the table layout separately. Amara

    Whom should Marco contact first about the remaining volunteer places?

    1. People who volunteered last month
    2. Everyone in the network at once
    3. The supplier of the extra plants
    4. Only people available before Saturday

21. ORIGINAL NOTICE — DEMONSTRATION TOOLS Demonstration tools may be borrowed for Saturday’s session. Write down your name and the tool number before taking one. Models marked with a red dot must stay on site. All other tools must be returned to the counter before 5 p.m.

    Which tool cannot be taken away for the session?

    1. A tool returned before 5 p.m.
    2. A tool without a red mark
    3. A model marked with a red dot
    4. A model whose number is recorded

22. ORIGINAL BRIEF — NOISE MEASUREMENT Measurements were taken on a day when the neighbouring room was empty. They show that the equipment is quiet under those conditions, but not what users would hear during a simultaneous activity. A second measurement on an ordinary day would help interpret the first result.

    How far should the first noise result be generalized?

    1. To every simultaneous activity in the two rooms
    2. To every room in every building in the network
    3. Only to days when the equipment is switched off
    4. To the particular conditions under which it was measured

23. ORIGINAL EMAIL — AUDIO WALK CHECK Hi Priya, Please test tracks 2 and 5 on the outdoor audio walk before Thursday’s preview. Track 1 has already been checked, and track 4 is being rewritten. Note any place where the recorded direction does not match the path. You do not need to comment on the music. Send your notes to Ellis rather than the whole project list. Rowan

    Which tracks should Priya test before the preview?

    1. All five tracks
    2. Only track 4
    3. Tracks 2 and 5
    4. Tracks 1 and 4

24. ORIGINAL NOTICE — COMMUNITY DISPLAY The display cases in the north corridor will be cleaned on Tuesday between 8 and 11 a.m. Please remove loose objects from the cases by Monday afternoon. Wall-mounted posters can remain in place. Items left in the cases will be placed in labelled trays at reception, not discarded.

    Where will objects left in the cases be taken?

    1. To a waste container outside the building
    2. To the north corridor’s wall displays
    3. To exhibitors’ homes on Monday
    4. To labelled trays at reception

25. ORIGINAL BRIEF — NOISE MEASUREMENT Measurements were taken on a day when the neighbouring room was empty. They show that the equipment is quiet under those conditions, but not what users would hear during a simultaneous activity. A second measurement on an ordinary day would help interpret the first result.

    Why take a measurement on an ordinary day?

    1. To examine conditions missing from the first measurement
    2. To confirm the neighbouring room is always empty
    3. To replace measurement with personal impressions
    4. To prove the first instrument was defective