Coast Guard managers should avoid a supervisory ratio that is below what?

• A. 1:7
• B. 1:15
• C. 1:4
• D. 1:3

Answer: (C)

Span of control is the number of direct reports a supervisor can effectively oversee. In Coast Guard health services, maintaining a workable span of control helps ensure close supervision, timely feedback, and quality, safety-focused care. The value you should not let the supervisory ratio drop below is four subordinates per supervisor, expressed as 1:4. That means you should avoid ratios that would result in fewer than four staff under each supervisor (for example, a 1:3 setup would be below this threshold and harder to supervise well). Ratios like 1:7 or 1:15 describe broader spans and are looser than the minimum, while still operating within different contexts; the key point the item tests is keeping at least a 1:4 ratio.