PC-FOI Sample Questions & Answers
Handling obligations like records management and processing requests carries the biggest share, ahead of three evenly tied areas: legislative scope and principles, exemptions from disclosure, and environmental information, with basics and enforcement the smallest.
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- Question 1Beginner
The Scope and Principles of the Freedom of Information Act · FOIA principles
True or False: Under the core principles of the Freedom of Information Act 2000, a public authority is permitted to require an applicant to explain their motives or reasons for requesting information before processing the request.
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Correct answer: B
One of the fundamental principles of the FOIA is that requests are applicant-blind. An applicant does not need to provide a reason for wanting the information, and public authorities cannot require them to justify their request before processing it.
- Question 2Advanced
The Scope and Principles of the Freedom of Information Act · Who and what is covered
A government minister uses a personal email account to discuss the formulation of a new public policy with external advisors. A freedom of information request is submitted to the minister's department asking for these specific email communications. How should the department evaluate whether this information is 'held' under the FOIA?
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Correct answer: B
Information held in private email accounts (or on personal devices) by public officials is considered 'held' by the public authority under FOIA if it relates to the official business of the authority. The physical location or ownership of the device does not exclude the substantive information from the scope of the Act.
- Question 3Beginner
The Scope and Principles of the Freedom of Information Act · Who and what is covered
An applicant submits an FOI request asking for a dataset of traffic incidents. They explicitly state they want the information provided in a comma-separated values (CSV) file. The local authority currently holds the data in a proprietary database system. Under Section 11 of the FOIA, what is the authority's obligation regarding the format?
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Correct answer: D
Under Section 11 of the FOIA, if an applicant expresses a preference for receiving the information in a specific format (e.g., electronic vs. hard copy, or a specific file type like CSV), the public authority must comply with that preference so far as is reasonably practicable.
- Question 4Advanced
Obligations and Responsibilities · Time deadlines
A large NHS Trust receives a complex FOI request from a local activist group on the 1st of October. The request asks for all internal emails over the past five years containing the word 'privatisation.'
The FOI officer determines that gathering the information will take significant time, but it does not exceed the appropriate cost limit under Section 12. Upon review, the officer identifies that Section 36 (Prejudice to effective conduct of public affairs) and Section 43 (Commercial interests) might apply, both of which are qualified exemptions requiring a public interest test.
By the 25th of October (the 18th working day), the officer realises they need more time to conduct the public interest test. They notify the applicant that they are extending the deadline. The applicant complains, stating that the extension is unlawful because they were not notified within 10 working days.
Which of the following statements correctly evaluates the FOI officer's actions regarding the time extension?
gantt title FOI Request Timeline dateFormat YYYY-MM-DD section Request Lifecycle Request Received (Oct 1) :milestone, m1, 2023-10-01, 0d Original 20-Day Deadline :milestone, m2, 2023-10-29, 0d Notification of Extension (Oct 25) :milestone, m3, 2023-10-25, 0d Extended Deadline (Max +20 Days) :milestone, m4, 2023-11-26, 0dShow answer & explanation
Correct answer: D
Under Section 10 of the FOIA, the standard time limit is 20 working days. However, if a qualified exemption applies and the authority needs more time to consider the public interest test, it can claim a 'reasonable' extension (typically up to an additional 20 working days). The authority must issue a refusal notice stating which exemption applies and notify the applicant of the extension before the initial 20-working-day period expires. There is no 10-day notification requirement.
- Question 5Intermediate
Obligations and Responsibilities · Handling FOI requests
A government department receives a request that would cost £800 to fulfill, which exceeds the £600 appropriate limit for central government under Section 12 of the FOIA. What is the department's primary obligation under Section 16 (Advice and Assistance) in this scenario?
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Correct answer: B
Under Section 16 of the FOIA, public authorities have a duty to provide advice and assistance. When a request exceeds the appropriate cost limit (Section 12), the authority should engage with the applicant to help them refine or narrow the scope of their request so that it can be fulfilled within the cost limit.
- Question 6Intermediate
Obligations and Responsibilities · Publication schemes
Section 19 of the FOIA requires public authorities to adopt and maintain a publication scheme. Which of the following is NOT one of the seven classes of information defined in the Information Commissioner's model publication scheme?
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Correct answer: A
The seven classes of the model publication scheme are: 1) Who we are and what we do, 2) What we spend and how we spend it, 3) What our priorities are and how we are doing, 4) How we make decisions, 5) Our policies and procedures, 6) Lists and registers, and 7) The services we offer. Internal staff performance reviews contain personal data and are not part of a publication scheme.
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