Administrative Analyst Practice Exam

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• The total estimated cost of physical and operating plat projects included in the CAO's tentative capital improvement expenditure program for a fiscal year shall be _____________ the total amount of funds estimated to be available for capital improvement is:
• In governmental agencies, ad hoc committees are used as:
• On a request for a transfer of funds, which item is not typically required?
• Which statement characterizes a flat organizational structure?
• In a delegation from a chief executive to a subordinate, what is the primary accountability created for the subordinate?
• In program budgeting, which statement accurately describes program budgets?
• Which Department is responsible for enforcing the City's zoning laws?
• Which department administers the Section 8 Housing Program?
• Which type of bonds are submitted to the CAO for study and report?
• Depreciation is relevant to capital projects because:
• What is a stakeholder analysis and how is it used in policy implementation?
• To whom does an employee appeal a suspension or discharge?
• Which outcome is CAO Rule 3 aiming to improve in departmental annual reports?
• Which department is primarily associated with eliminating slums in Los Angeles neighborhoods?
• What is the biggest disadvantage of line-item budgeting?
• The City Purchasing Agent is authorized to contract with which bidder?
• Which document governs the requirement for annual reports from each city office or board to the Mayor and Council?
• In Los Angeles, charges of unfair employee relations practices would most appropriately be investigated by which body?
• Which office is most closely associated with purchasing and procurement for City operations?
• What is open data and why is it relevant to administrative analysts?
• Which list is used in city staffing as the general pool of candidates to consider after screening?
• Under the City Charter, a salary that is related to private-sector pay must be at least equal to which standard?
• Which interpretation best describes a 95% confidence interval?
• When assessing program performance, which statement best captures the difference between qualitative and quantitative indicators?
• How many of the CAO's criteria must be satisfied when establishing work units?
• Which entity determines manpower shortage in a class to adjust salary, as per the Administrative Code provisions?
• Which office reviews personnel services to determine need and financing?
• Which practice best supports data privacy in a public organization?
• How many CAO criteria must be satisfied when establishing work units?
• Which department handles city records management?
• Which statement describes the procurement process from needs assessment to contract management?
• Which two areas are protected under the ADA as described in the material?
• Which statement best defines a confidence interval in survey results?
• Which entity has the authority to modify the final budget after it has been submitted to the Council?
• In filling a vacancy in Department X, which list is most appropriately certified third?
• The purpose of CAO Rule 3 governing departmental annual reports is to achieve which outcome?
• In an organization with both line supervisors and staff consultants, the preferred relationship is for consultants to be:
• In governmental agencies, ad hoc committees are used as:
• What is the purpose of a feasibility study?
• The City Administrative Office can best be described as:
• Who serves as the chief negotiator for MOUs?
• What is a dashboard in performance reporting?
• The ADA prohibits discrimination in which areas?
• Which description best differentiates descriptive, analytic, and inferential statistics?
• Which option lists the elements of a SWOT analysis?
• The administrative code consists of which of the following?
• Which statement best defines key performance indicators (KPIs)?
• What are the main features that distinguish modified accrual basis from accrual basis in government accounting?
• An impartial third party who serves as an intermediary between city management and recognized employee organizations to resolve disputes through interpretation, suggestion, and advice is called a
• In most cases, if a department wishes to designate an employee as management or confidential the approving authority is:
• Which department handles the city's Section 8 Housing Program?
• Vertical specialization refers to which concept in organizational structure?
• Which term describes a policy listing how long records are kept and how disposed of?
• All general obligation bonds relating to a Municipal Improvement shall be submitted to the CAO for study and report. What authorizes this?
• Proceeds from the sale of city personal property are credited to which fund?
• Where is the authority for emergency appointments specified?
• Which rule requires every city office or board to present to the Mayor and Council an annual report of their work?
• Which office is associated with budget preparation but is not the Finance Department?
• Which department is responsible for managing the elder abuse prevention program?
• What is data governance?
• The cost accounting aspect of the City's Program Budget provides cost information for two basic purposes. One is for programs where cost is a recurring factor in decision making, the other is for:
• Offical records of the City of LA are preserved and maintained in compliance with the City Charter and
• If a disciplinary hearing under Civil Service Commission Rule 12 finds charges insufficient or not sustained, what action can the Board take regarding penalties?
• Name 3 Charter Departments with Citizens Commissions.
• Which statement best differentiates qualitative from quantitative data?
• Council Committees' power in relation to City functions is best described as:
• Which City Department administers the Section 8 Housing Program?
• Depreciation applies to which type of assets?
• To whom would a resident report a zoning violation?
• That all City offices remain nonpartisan is imposed upon the City by which entity?
• Which office or division is primarily responsible for the City’s purchasing activities?
• In what year was the Cal/OSHA program approved by Federal OSHA?
• In cost management, a cost driver is defined as?
• Which statement accurately describes centralized decision-making?
• In evaluating proposals, which criterion is commonly used?
• Break-even point is defined as?
• The relative size of an organization's administrative staff tends to increase when the organization becomes smaller and more complex.
• In what year did Federal OSHA approve the Cal/OSHA program?
• Who draws the distinction between curative medical visits and preventive medical visits in regard to sick time usage?
• Which organizational form describes staff consultants who report at the same level as line supervisors to the same superior?
• Which statement describes competitive bidding?
• What is sampling error and how is it quantified?
• The basic authority for controlling employee sick leave usage is:
• In dispute resolution between management and employee organizations, which role provides interpretation and advice?
• Which conditions are covered by the ADA according to the material?
• In a large organization, the main drawback of relying solely on a line structure is that
• Budgetary control is concerned with all of the following except which option?
• Which City Department provides the City Council with technical assistance on legislative issues?
• Which statement describes a risk management process step: 'monitor and review'?
• A successful bidder must post his performance bond how many days after award of contract?
• A successful bidder must post his performance bond how many days after award of contract?
• What is the effective date of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)?
• What form of government does the City of Los Angeles use?
• The letting of contracts by the City Council is which type of function?
• What does organizational design entail and what are common structural forms such as tall vs flat and centralized vs decentralized?
• In a formal problem-solving process, the final phase is typically described as which?
• After the final budget is submitted to the Council, who may modify it?
• The City Council serves in which branch of city government?
• Which statement best describes an ad hoc committee?
• Who is responsible for records management services?
• Ad hoc committees in governmental agencies are used as:
• In merit-system settings, the soundest solution to increase job opportunities for the disadvantaged is to:
• Which statement best describes a Gantt chart?
• The audit and approval requirement that must be met before payment of all demands for funds drawn on the City fund is provided by which document?
• What is the Critical Path Method (CPM) and why is it important?
• Which statement best defines span of control?
• The value of in-service training can be judged by:
• Which of the following is a common step in change management?
• In municipal budget variance analysis, how is variance calculated?
• The City Clerk is an elected position.
• Which department is responsible for the elder care program?
• Differentiation of sub-activities to be included in the budget includes which of the following:
• The establishment of positions in non-proprietary City departments is by
• Which department is responsible for eliminating slums in Los Angeles neighborhoods?
• In the budget, appropriations are described in which terms?
• CAO staff analyze departmental work programs in conjunction with the City budget by reviewing which of the following?
• Work units are determined by:
• Proceeds from the sale of city personal property are credited to which fund?
• Budgetary control is concerned with all of the following except:
• What is a performance audit?
• Which department is exempt from the Controller's close supervision requirement?
• Marginal cost and marginal benefit; how are they used in decision making?
• What is the primary purpose of capital budgeting?
• What is the importance of confidentiality and privacy in data handling?
• The work units in an organization are determined by which position?
• Which of the following describes common methods used in cost allocation?
• Which topic best describes the relationship between Schedule A and DPOs in the Administrative Code?
• Which office is primarily responsible for City Budget Preparations?
• Which charter department is NOT listed as having a Citizens Commission?
• Protection of rights under the California Fair Employment Practices Act is done under what authority of the State?
• In variance analysis, the difference between actual and budget should be explained by categorizing drivers and anomalies. Which option reflects this?
• Under Charter Section 355(1), budgetary transfers involving less than $5,000 can be made with CAO approval. This process applies to which accounts?
• Which statement best describes capital budgeting vs operating budgeting?
• What is a records retention schedule and why is it important?
• The department that serves as the Chief Accounting Officer for the City is the
• What is a logic model and how is it used?
• By Charter, the Controller is required to report on anticipated revenues from the following sources except one: which is the exception?
• Which standard anchors City salaries in relation to private-sector pay?
• Which sequence best represents the typical stages of policy analysis?
• Line-item budgets differ from program budgets in that line-item budgets:
• What is a request for proposals (RFP) and what should it contain?
• The Charter states that the Controller is required to exercise close supervision over all of the accounts of the officers and departments of the City except one. Which is exempt?
• In civil service, which body handles ADA complaint appeals?
• Which department provides the City Council with legislative analysis and research support?
• Define governance and management in the public sector and give an example of each.
• In the context of sick leave usage, who has the basic authority according to the Administrative Code?
• In the City’s Program Budget, cost information is used for two basic purposes; one is recurring costs, the other is:
• The authority that determines that a manpower shortage exists in a class in order to adjust entry level salary is:
• What is an encumbrance in financial reporting?
• Which term describes managing a project schedule by adjusting task sequences to balance resource usage and avoid idle time?
• Who is the Chief Financial Advisor to the Mayor & City Council?
• Name the 2 State Law Departments headed by City Commissions.
• In the Controller's report on anticipated revenues, property taxes are treated as which?
• Which groups are exempt from Cal/OSHA coverage?
• If an ADA complaint receives an unsatisfactory resolution, where may an employee file an additional complaint?
• Which city official serves as the Chief Accounting Officer for the City?
• Which of the following is an example of qualitative data?
• Which statement best defines data governance?
• Which of the following is not a common method of cost allocation?
• Impact analysis in policy analysis typically includes which types of impact?
• Which term best describes the formal allocation of authority and responsibility within an organization?
• Appropriations are stated in what terms in the budget document?
• Which statement best defines risk management?
• In a merit-system government setting, the soundest solution to increasing job opportunities for the disadvantaged is:
• What is an ethics compliance program in public administration?
• Explain Net Present Value (NPV) and its use in capital budgeting.
• Authority for emergency appointments is contained in which city document?
• What does OCDR stand for in the civil service complaint context?
• Explain the difference between effectiveness and efficiency in public administration.
• What does "best value" competition evaluate?
• In policy analysis, which component is typically included with recommendations to ensure accountability?
• Which department head acts as the purchasing agent for the City?
• Which code authorizes the CAO to study and report on general obligation bonds relating to Municipal Improvement?
• The Chief Financial Advisor to the Mayor & City Council is which city office?
• Which statement correctly describes accrual versus cash basis accounting?
• What should performance reporting include?
• When presenting recommendations to operating personnel, the best approach is to focus on acceptability, meaning you should first explain changes most likely to be accepted. This approach is called?
• Explain the concept of opportunity cost in public decision making.
• What best describes a service level agreement (SLA) in public contracts?
• Which option describes an effective change-management practice?
• In hypothesis testing, which statement best describes a p-value?
• Which office administers ordinances regarding such matters as transient occupancy tax, utility users tax, and the business tax?
• Advancement to the fourth pay step requires one year's service at the third step and on what rating?
• Who is the department head that reports to both the Mayor and the City Council?
• Which tool can be used in root cause analysis?
• Which item is NOT part of the Cal/OSHA recordkeeping steps?
• Which statement best distinguishes productivity from efficiency?
• A performance baseline is best described as the initial level of performance used for which purpose?
• What constitutes a conflict of interest in public procurement?
• Which office has approving authority to designate an employee as management or confidential?
• Which accounting basis recognizes revenue and expenses when earned and incurred, regardless of cash flow?
• The purpose of Schedule "A" of Section 4.61 of the Administrative Code is approal of _______________; the purpose of DPO's is _________________.
• Which office prosecutes misdemeanor criminal offenses?
• How do you interpret a simple linear regression coefficient?
• Line-item budgeting primarily records expenses by category and often fails to reveal which important performance metric?
• Which department is primarily associated with land use development and zoning planning?
• Which item is not required on a request for a transfer of funds?
• Advancement to the fourth pay step is contingent upon completion of one year's service at the third step and on what additional condition?
• Which body authorizes staffing changes in non-proprietary City departments?
• A monitoring plan is used to
• The basic authority which states that class descriptions are descriptive and explanatory and not restrictive is:
• Which City Department handles the pickup of dead animals?
• Of all the feasible possibilities, the soundest solution to the problem of increasing job opportunities and availability for the disadvantaged in a merit-based government is:
• In budgeting, an item intended to correct a service deficiency is called a ________.
• Which outcome is most associated with open data?
• Which statement about the Administrative Code is true?
• Which sequence outlines steps for a cost-benefit analysis for a proposed public program?
• In an organization with horizontal specialization, vertical specialization is necessary to:
• The Department of Public Works is responsible for land use development.