Level 4 exam — Professional communication

Exam — fresh questions

12 questions: recall (~25%) + application / scenario (~50%) + dilemma trade-off (~25%).
Answer everything, then click Check: your score and explanations will appear.
Indicative threshold: ≥ 80%.

4.1 · Application

1. What distinguishes assertiveness from aggression?

Assertiveness avoids all conflict Aggression is more effective Nothing, they're the same Assertiveness respects the other while asserting itself, aggression imposes

Assertiveness asserts itself while respecting the other person; aggression imposes at the expense of the relationship.

4.1 · Scenario

2. Which phrasing illustrates an "I" message?

"I feel overwhelmed when deadlines change without notice" "You're always late" "This is ridiculous" "You never pay attention"

The "I" message expresses feeling and need without directly accusing the other person, which defuses defensiveness.

4.2 · Recall

3. What does DESC stand for regarding feedback?

Describe, Express, Specify, Consequences Say, Listen, Apologize, Conclude Defend, Evaluate, Sanction, Correct None of these

DESC structures constructive feedback: Describe the facts, Express your feeling, Specify the request, Consequences expected.

4.2 · Application

4. What is the best reflex when RECEIVING feedback?

Justify yourself immediately Listen, say thanks, then clarify if needed Ignore the feedback Counter-attack with a reproach

Listening without justifying yourself right away, saying thanks, then asking questions to understand, is the most constructive stance.

4.2 · Scenario

5. A manager tells an employee "you're careless". What's missing from this feedback?

It's too positive Nothing, it's a correct feedback It judges the person instead of describing a precise fact It's too long

Judging the person rather than describing an observable fact is the main pitfall of poorly formulated feedback.

4.3 · Recall

6. What does the OFNR acronym stand for in NVC?

None of these Observation, Feeling, Need, Request Objective, Strategy, Balance, Decision Open, Smile, Chat, Decide

NVC is structured in four steps: Observation, Feeling, Need, Request (OFNR).

4.3 · Application

7. Is "I feel betrayed" a real feeling in NVC?

It depends on the tone used It doesn't matter in NVC Yes, it's a pure emotion No, it's a disguised judgment that accuses the other person

"Betrayed" assigns intent to the other person: it's a disguised judgment, not a pure feeling like "worried" or "disappointed".

4.4 · Application

8. What does negotiating on interests rather than positions mean?

Looking for the real need behind what each side demands Refusing all negotiation Imposing your position by force Sticking to what's openly demanded

The position is what's demanded; the interest is the real need behind it. Negotiating on interest opens unexpected solutions.

4.5 · Recall

9. What are Cialdini's six levers of influence?

Speed, volume, tone, gaze, posture, gestures None of these Reciprocity, consistency, social proof, authority, liking, scarcity Force, pressure, urgency, threat, flattery, lying

Cialdini's six principles are: reciprocity, commitment/consistency, social proof, authority, liking and scarcity.

Cross-cutting · Dilemma (V3 new)

10. Dilemma — Yasmine must say no to an urgent request from the director while two colleagues are waiting for her help. She…

Silently accepts everything: saying no to the director is forbidden Sends an aggressive message so people leave her alone Refuses everything outright with no explanation: a no needs no justification Says no to the extra with facts + a dated alternative, and honors her existing commitments

Assertiveness: a clear, respectful refusal + brief reason + alternative — neither passivity (accepting everything, botching everything) nor aggression.

Cross-cutting · Dilemma (V3 new)

11. Dilemma — In the middle of a disagreement, a colleague suggests dressing up the pilot teams' numbers "to convince faster". Yasmine…

Agrees: dressed-up proof is still a normal sales technique Refuses: it's manipulation — she sticks to true facts and handles the objection honestly Inflates the numbers even more to be sure of winning Hides the cost objection to avoid debate

The integrity red line: influence with true facts for a shared interest; faking numbers = manipulation that destroys trust.

Cross-cutting · Dilemma (V3 new)

12. Dilemma — Karim keeps interrupting Yasmine in front of leadership. Torn between DESC, NVC and blowing up, she…

Blows up in the meeting: you must mark your territory in front of leadership Settles scores in public, to set an example Raises it one-on-one in DESC/NVC form (facts + feeling + request), without personalizing Never says anything again: silence always preserves the relationship

Corrective feedback one-on-one, about facts, never about the person or in public — and without bottling up into passive explosion.

What's next?

Score ≥ 80%: level 4 passed — on to Level 5 V3 (situations: running a meeting, remote communication, cross-cultural, storytelling, advanced public speaking).
Score < 80%: revisit sheets 4.1 to 4.5 via the 48h challenge ("I" framework, DESC grid, OFNR, positions → interests, argument builder), then retake the exam.

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