# Technical Mentoring Quiz

## Question 1

What is the main difference between mentoring and coaching?

A) Mentoring is for juniors; coaching is for seniors
B) Mentoring shares experience and advice; coaching asks questions to unlock the mentee's own thinking
C) Mentoring happens in 1:1s; coaching happens in meetings
D) There is no difference—they are the same

<!-- ANSWER: B -->
<!-- EXPLANATION: Mentoring involves sharing knowledge and experience. Coaching focuses on asking questions so the mentee arrives at their own insights. Both are valuable; effective mentors use each when appropriate. -->

## Question 2

According to the Dreyfus model, how should you support a *novice* engineer?

A) Give them ambiguous problems to build intuition
B) Provide clear rules, checklists, and safe practice
C) Get out of the way and sponsor them for bigger projects
D) Challenge them with stretch assignments

<!-- ANSWER: B -->
<!-- EXPLANATION: Novices are overwhelmed by context and want rules to follow. Clear instructions and checklists reduce cognitive load. Ambiguity, sponsorship, and stretch assignments are better for competent or expert stages. -->

## Question 3

What does SBI stand for in feedback?

A) Specific, Brief, Impactful
B) Situation, Behavior, Impact
C) Start, Build, Improve
D) Support, Behavior, Improvement

<!-- ANSWER: B -->
<!-- EXPLANATION: SBI is Situation (when/where), Behavior (what happened—observable), Impact (effect on outcome or others). It keeps feedback specific and non-accusatory. -->

## Question 4

When is it better to give a direct answer instead of Socratic questions?

A) Always—mentees prefer answers
B) When the mentee is stuck, stressed, or the situation is urgent
C) Never—questions always lead to better learning
D) Only when the mentee explicitly asks for the answer

<!-- ANSWER: B -->
<!-- EXPLANATION: Socratic questions work best when the mentee has bandwidth to think. When they're stuck, frustrated, or there's a production fire, a direct answer reduces overload. You can debrief and explore afterward. -->

## Question 5

What is "sponsoring" in the context of mentoring?

A) Paying for a mentee's conference ticket
B) Actively advocating for their visibility and opportunity
C) Assigning them stretch projects
D) Giving them SBI feedback

<!-- ANSWER: B -->
<!-- EXPLANATION: Sponsoring means using your influence to advocate for the mentee—putting them forward for projects, visibility, or promotions. It goes beyond advice and stretch assignments; it's active championing. -->

## Question 6

Which practice best supports psychological safety for a mentee?

A) Only give feedback when they ask for it
B) Admit your own gaps and normalize mistakes
C) Avoid assigning challenging work
D) Review their code before every commit

<!-- ANSWER: B -->
<!-- EXPLANATION: Admitting "I don't know" and normalizing mistakes shows that learning and uncertainty are expected. This makes it safe for mentees to ask questions and take risks. Avoiding challenge or over-reviewing can undermine growth. -->