Mock Exam and Self-Assessment

Overview

• What you’ll learn: A full-length mock exam that simulates the BIZ certification exam conditions, with a self-scoring rubric and a recommended study plan based on your performance.
• Estimated practice time: 90 minutes (exam) + 30 minutes (self-scoring)

Instructions

Set a 90-minute timer. Close all reference materials. Answer all 20 questions. Then use the scoring rubric below to assess your answers. Be honest — generous self-scoring defeats the purpose of the mock exam entirely.

Calculation Questions (8 questions, 5 points each = 40 points)

Q1. An amoeba has monthly revenue of ¥6,400,000, expenses of ¥4,100,000, and 380 person-hours. Calculate UTP.

Q2. Target UTP: ¥5,500/hr. Actual: ¥6,050/hr. What is the efficiency ratio?

Q3. Annual profit: ¥18,000,000. Threshold: ¥5,000,000. Pool: 15%. Amoeba A target allocation: ¥900,000 at 125% achievement (cap 130%). Amoeba B target allocation: ¥700,000 at 80% achievement. Calculate actual bonus for each amoeba.

Q4. Base salary: ¥5,500,000. Base bonus: 18% of salary. Achievement ratio: 1.12. Individual multiplier: 1.25. Calculate KPI bonus.

Q5. Amoeba monthly surplus profit above threshold: ¥400,000. Distribution rate: 6%, split equally (by percentage of monthly salary) among 4 members with annual salaries of ¥6,000,000, ¥4,800,000, ¥4,200,000, and ¥3,600,000. Calculate the monthly payout for each member.

Q6. An employee receives 5,000 options at exercise price ¥1,200. 4-year vesting, 1-year cliff, then monthly. At the end of year 2.5 (30 months), the share price is ¥2,000. How many options have vested? What is the total intrinsic value?

Q7. Three amoebas report the following in Q3: A — revenue ¥3,200,000, expenses ¥1,900,000, hours 200. B — revenue ¥2,800,000, expenses ¥1,800,000, hours 250. C — revenue ¥4,100,000, expenses ¥2,400,000, hours 300. Rank the three by UTP. Identify which has the highest efficiency.

Q8. Phantom share plan: company EBITDA = ¥8,000,000, EBITDA multiple = 6×. Total phantom shares issued = 100,000. An amoeba leader holds 2,000 phantom shares. What is the current value of their phantom share holding?

Philosophy / Case Questions (12 questions, 5 points each = 60 points)

Q9. A manager consistently sets vague goals (“improve performance this quarter”) rather than specific targets. Which Inamori management rule is being violated? What specific corrective action should their leader take?

Q10. An amoeba has excellent UTP numbers but its internal transfer price with the adjacent manufacturing amoeba has become the subject of repeated disputes. Using Module 3 frameworks, diagnose the root cause and propose a systemic solution.

Q11. A company’s balance sheet shows ¥30,000,000 in inventory. Applying Inamori’s managerial accounting principles from Module 5, how should the CFO present this to the CEO, and what decision should follow?

Q12. An amoeba leader is technically excellent but consistently avoids difficult conversations with underperforming team members. Which Module 6 leadership principle is being violated? Write a specific coaching plan for this leader.

Q13. You are conducting a talent assessment of your 10-person amoeba. Using Inamori’s three types of people framework, describe: (a) what you are looking for in each type, (b) what you do with each type, and (c) your priority hiring criteria going forward.

Q14. A philosophy meeting at your company has become a rote exercise — people read, nod, and leave unchanged. Diagnose the failure mode (using Module 10 frameworks) and redesign the meeting structure to restore its function.

Q15. A new company wants to implement amoeba management. It has 40 employees, a single product line, and a founder who is both CEO and top salesperson. Applying Module 11’s SME adaptation guidelines, design a minimal first-phase implementation. What are the two or three pilot amoebas? What do you NOT implement in the first six months?

Q16. The JAL turnaround succeeded where conventional airline restructuring had failed. Using the specific actions from Module 11’s JAL case, explain why — focus on what Inamori did in the first 90 days that a conventional CEO would not have done.

Q17. An amoeba unit’s UTP has improved 40% over 12 months. The cultural health scorecard shows a score of 2.8. How do you interpret this combination? What does it tell you, and what do you do?

Q18. You are designing a compensation system for an amoeba-managed company. A new manager proposes making all pay equal to eliminate internal competition. Using Hu Baiyi’s framework, evaluate this proposal. Accept, reject, or modify — and explain your reasoning with specific references to Module 8 principles.

Q19. Rules 5 and 6 (maximize revenue/minimize expenses; pricing is management) appear to conflict in the following scenario: an amoeba can increase revenue by lowering prices to win volume. Using Inamori’s framework, resolve this apparent conflict and state the correct decision criteria.

Q20. You are advising a 200-person manufacturing company that has been running amoeba management for 18 months. The CEO reports: “Our UTP numbers are good, but our best people are leaving and nobody talks about philosophy anymore.” Diagnose the situation using frameworks from this track and write a 90-day intervention plan.

Answer Key: Calculation Questions

• Q1: UTP = (¥6,400,000 − ¥4,100,000) ÷ 380 = ¥2,300,000 ÷ 380 ≈ ¥6,053/hour
• Q2: ¥6,050 ÷ ¥5,500 = 1.10 (110%)
• Q3: Pool = (¥18M − ¥5M) × 15% = ¥1,950,000. A: ¥900,000 × min(1.25, 1.30) = ¥1,125,000. B: ¥700,000 × 0.80 = ¥560,000.
• Q4: Base bonus = ¥5,500,000 × 18% = ¥990,000. KPI bonus = ¥990,000 × 1.12 × 1.25 = ¥1,386,000
• Q5: Pool = ¥400,000 × 6% = ¥24,000. Total monthly salary = (¥6M + ¥4.8M + ¥4.2M + ¥3.6M) ÷ 12 = ¥1,550,000. Rate = ¥24,000 ÷ ¥1,550,000 ≈ 1.548%. Payouts: ¥7,742 / ¥6,194 / ¥5,419 / ¥4,645 (sums to ¥24,000, minor rounding accepted).
• Q6: After 30 months: cliff vests at 12 months (25% = 1,250 shares), then 18 more monthly vests (18 × (5,000/48) ≈ 1,875 shares). Total ≈ 3,125 vested. Intrinsic value = (¥2,000 − ¥1,200) × 3,125 = ¥2,500,000
• Q7: A: (¥3.2M−¥1.9M)÷200 = ¥6,500/hr. B: (¥2.8M−¥1.8M)÷250 = ¥4,000/hr. C: (¥4.1M−¥2.4M)÷300 ≈ ¥5,667/hr. Ranking: A > C > B. A has highest efficiency.
• Q8: Company value = ¥8,000,000 × 6 = ¥48,000,000. Per phantom share = ¥48,000,000 ÷ 100,000 = ¥480. Leader’s 2,000 shares = ¥960,000

Self-Assessment and Study Plan

• Score 85–100: Exam-ready. Focus final preparation on any specific weak areas identified in Q9–Q20. Review your timing — can you complete all questions in 90 minutes comfortably?
• Score 70–84: Near-ready. Identify which calculation areas or which modules produced the weakest answers. Spend 2–3 focused hours on those specific areas. Repeat this mock exam.
• Score 55–69: Significant gaps. Return to the weakest modules and re-read the core lessons. Prioritize: Module 4 (calculation), Module 12 Lesson 4 (incentive formulas), Module 2 (twelve rules). Allow 5–7 days of focused study before re-attempting.
• Score below 55: Foundational review required. Start with Modules 2, 4, and 8. Work through all exercises in those modules before returning to this mock exam.