Technical Writing Test 2015

1. Choose the best technical sentence from the following:

Answers:

• The exercise expedited energy expenditures.

• The exercise was increasing energy expenditures.

• The exercise caused the people to use more energy than they might have otherwise used in normal circumstances.

• The exercise increased energy expenditures.

2. As a general rule of thumb technical writers should use _______.

Answers:

• Passive voice

• Active voice

3. What portion of a manual addresses issues that can occur with the product?

Answers:

• Addendum section

• Appendix section

• Troubleshooting section

• Tech support section

4. How does technical writing differ from expository writing?

Answers:

• Technical writing does not involve proving arguments

• A conclusion does not need to be reached

• Technical writing uses flowery language, whereas expository does not

• Grammar and formatting are not important

5. ______ refers to the veracity of data, while _______ refers to the degree of exactness used in the measurements.

Answers:

• intentional; incidental

• accuracy; precision

• reliability; validity

• precision; accuracy

6. What level of user will most likely read a technical white paper?

Answers:

• Intermediate to expert users

• Experts

• Rank novices with no prior knowledge

7. When dealing with a help guide on a computer, when a user presses F1 from a field, what kind of help does the user usually receive?

Answers:

• Scenarios

• Context-sensitive help

• Two or three options to complete the task

• All of these

8. What is the purpose of a FAQ?

Answers:

• To cover up mistakes in the product

• To sell the product

• To answer the most common questions

• To provide a place for users to congregate

9. What is the purpose of a white paper?

Answers:

• To offer solutions to problems

• To explain the product

• To list the features of the product

• All of these

10. Which voice should be used for explaining instructional steps?

Answers:

• Active

• First person

• Second person

• Passive

11. What person is primarily responsible for editing a technical manual for style and grammar?

Answers:

• All of these

• The quality assurance team

• The programming team

• The writer

12. What is the proper terminology for creating multiple outputs from one document?

Answers:

• Multiple sourcing

• Single sourcing

• Dual sourcing

• All sourcing

13. What does "SME" refer to?

Answers:

• Systematic math entry

• Subject-matter expert

• Scientific metric effect

• Scientific method exercise

14. Which of the following traits embody the ideal technical writing style?

Answers:

• Parallel sentence structure

• Concise

• All of these

• Authoritative tone

15. If the document relies heavily on technical terms, which of the following should be included?

Answers:

• A link to an online technical dictionary

• An appendix

• Footnotes

• Glossary of Terms

16. Which of the following is NOT used to markup and/or style technical writing?

Answers:

• HTML

• WWW

• XML

• CSS

17. What is the most common way to present task-oriented instructions in written documentation?

Answers:

• Step-by-step instructions in numbered lists

• Video demos

• Step-by-step instructions in bulleted lists

• In context-sensitive help

18. What is the abstract?

Answers:

• A conclusive statement

• A theoretical framework

• A brief summary of the article

• A dataset

19. What is a functional description?

Answers:

• A description that provides typical uses, details, and the purpose of the subject.

• A description that provides warranty information on the subject.

• A description that provides step-by-step details on using the subject.

20. Which of the following uses INCORRECT capitalization?

Answers:

• The test concluded last Winter.

• The test concluded last winter.

• The scientist used a Bunsen burner to heat the compound.

• The tests were performed at Madison Square Garden.

21. What is cross-browser, cross platform compatibility?

Answers:

• Compatibility across multiple smart phones and computers

• Compatibility across multiple browsers

• Compatibility across PCs and Macs

• Compatibility across multiple technologies, operating systems, and browsers

22. How many iterations of your original document will a technical writer generally be expected to write?

Answers:

• At least two iterations

• At least four interations

• It depends on how many times the product changes

• At least three iterations

23. Which of the following is the most comprehensive definition of technical writing?

Answers:

• Presenting features and benefits in a difficult manner

• Documenting tasks, scenarios, and tools

• Presenting complex information in an understandable manner

• Creating a document designed for engineers

24. In the context of technical writing, what does SME typically stand for?

Answers:

• Subject Matter Expert

• Source Material Engagement

• Subject Matter Error

• Source Manager Evaluation

• Subject Material Error

25. When documenting an unfamiliar subject, which of the following people would be the best to consult?

Answers:

• The programmers

• Your manager

• The marketers

• The subject-matter expert

26. Which of the following is the best wording to appear in end user documentation?

Answers:

• If the program crashes…

• If the program dies...

• If the program abends…

• If the program shuts down unexpectedly…

27. Technical writing refers to:

Answers:

• Explaining tech communication

• Writing about technology

• All of these

• Providing instructions on how to do something

28. Why are quick-start guides popular?

Answers:

• All of these

• They reduce calls to tech support for initial setup

• They're cost effective

• Customers want them and read them

29. True or false? It is always best to use complex technical terms because it makes the document more credible.

Answers:

• False

• True

30. Which of these are examples of technical writing?

Answers:

• Training manuals

• All of these

• White papers

• Online help files

31. In addition to spelling, grammar, and punctuation, what should a technical writer also check in the document?

Answers:

• Formatting

• Consistency

• All of these

• Accuracy

32. True or false? In order to be a technical writer, you must have a technical background.

Answers:

• False

• True

33. Where can explanatory information appear?

Answers:

• Below a step

• All of these

• After the instructions

• Before the instructions

34. When writing a technical manual for software, what preliminary meetings are best to attend, if possible?

Answers:

• Software design meetings

• Quality assurance meetings

• Editorial review meetings

• Management meetings

35. Which of the following is the best way to summarize a list of software functions in written documentation?

Answers:

• Charts

• In a table

• Endnotes

• Using Images

36. Which of the following is the equivalent of a hyperlink in written documentation?

Answers:

• An appendix

• A glossary of terms

• A cross reference

• Endnotes

37. What does p.r.n. Stand for?

Answers:

• Per rectum

• As needed

• Per registered nurse

38. When documenting a piece of software and referring to a particular feature, you should follow the spelling…

Answers:

• ...most commonly used by the target audience.

• ...suggested by an applicable style guide.

• ...used in the software's user interface.

• ...prescribed by your chosen dictionary.

39. Which verb tense is most effective in technical writing?

Answers:

• Present progressive

• Regular verbs

• Present

• Present perfect

40. When technical writers talk about "single-source publishing," what do they mean?

Answers:

• It is the system that allows technical writers to write once, then use and re-use and deploy the same content in various formats, and even languages.

• Only one person or department source writes and maintains all the documentation.

• Writers convert paper manuals to online formats.

• Software developers write explanatory documentation into their source codes.

41. Which of these is NOT a true statement about documents following a linear (paper) model?

Answers:

• They are designed to be read in their entirety.

• They are designed to be read sequentially.

• The 'optimal' path through the information is not defined by the writer.

42. What is the FOG test?

Answers:

• The test for Forensic Ocular Graphing

• A readability test

• A test on fog density

• A test to make sure your graphs are easily understood

43. What does a schematic illustrate?

Answers:

• The way in which something works

• How an object appears from different angles

• Detailed instructions of how to use a product

• The feel of a product

44. What is a secondary source?

Answers:

• Sources that are less relevant to your paper

• The second resource referenced

• An interpretation of data from a primary source

• The second group of people interviewed

45. Which of the following is correct?

Answers:

• The machine's principal component is the engine.

• Both are correct

• The machine's principle component is the engine.

46. What is RoboHelp?

Answers:

• That paperclip from Word

• An HTML5 publishing tool

• A database of technical terms and tools

• A Python publishing tool

47. Suppose you are citing an author who is citing another author's work. Which author should you cite in your paper?

Answers:

• You do not need to cite either author

• You should formally cite the author you are actually reading

• You should formally cite both authors

• You should formally cite the author of the original experiment

48. Which of these is NOT an XML-based document format?

Answers:

• DITA

• TEI

• LaTeX

• DocBook

49. Which is the proper way to express a temperature in Kelvin?

Answers:

• 10 K

• 10 Kelvins

• 10˚ K

• 10 Kelvin

50. What grammatical person is most often used in steps?

Answers:

• Second person

• First person

• Implied second person

• Third person

51. Which of the following is the best procedure for testing documentation?

Answers:

• Following a written test plan

• Working one's way through the documentation

• The beta testers completing the testing

• The programmers and the QA team completing the testing

52. What form of style is most often used in software documentation?

Answers:

• Chicago

• AP

• APA

• MLA