Technical Writing Skills Certification Test 2015

1. Which of the following are the characteristic features of "Plain English?"

Answers:

• Keeping sentences short

• Using active voice

• Using words that are appropriate for the reader

• Using passive voice

2. A technical report should contain the following:

Answers:

• Headings

• Biodata of the writer

• Factual information

• Graphics, wherever possible

• Non-technical content

• Fuzzy logic

3. An "Executive Summary" can be part of a:

Answers:

• Business Proposal

• Control Plan

• Investment Plan

• Business Plan

4. Which are the two types of specification documentations?

Answers:

• Design

• Technological

• Functional

• Logistical

5. Which of the following are Help Authoring Software?

Answers:

• Microsoft HTML Help

• RoboHelp HTML

• Made-to-Help

• HTML Help

6. Choose the correct option(s) to make a semantically correct sentence.

A pronoun is a word which ____________

Answers:

• should not replace a noun or a noun phrase.

• can substitute for a noun or a noun phrase.

• can be substituted for a noun or a noun phrase.

• can replace a noun or a noun phrase.

7. Which of the following is true regarding the "Table of Contents?"

Answers:

• It is the same as an index.

• It is a method of accessing the information contained in a document.

• It is a list of topics with links to each topic.

• It can be omitted in a technical document.

8. What should you do to avoid plagiarism?

Answers:

• Just make sure to copy from obscure sources.

• Cite sources when using copyrighted material.

• Obtain permission before using copyrighted material.

• Use only Government sources.

• None of the above

9. If you want to write a technical report on how type-1 diabetes is treated, you will probably include:

Answers:

• What causes type-1 diabetes

• Effects of the disease on the offspring of the affected

• How the disease is treated

• The kind of technologies available to treat the disease

10. Which of the following works are not protected?

Answers:

• Literary works

• Standard calendars

• Height and weight charts

• Motion pictures

11. Which of the following can you include in a Progress Report?

Answers:

• What work remains to be done

• How much time it will take to complete the work

• How the previous project was progressing

• The success level of previously undertaken projects

12. Which of the following statements are true if the cell B1 contains the formula =$A$1?

Answers:

• The value of cell B1 contains the same number of characters as the value of cell B2.

• There is an absolute reference to cell A1 so that the formula =$A$1 can be copied to other cells without changing the reference to A1.

• There is a relative reference to cell A1 so the formula will change each time it is copied to other cells.

• The value of cell B1 is equal to the value of the function in cell A1.

13. Which of the following sentences/options describes an "index?"

Answers:

• Product names and technical terminology that are included in a document

• A method of accessing the information that is included in the document

• An ordered list of words and phrases

14. Choose the correct option among the following:

You have opened a page through Internet Explorer and want to see that page on your desktop. You should click the __________ menu, click on _________ and then click _________.

Answers:

• Send, File, Shortcut to Desktop

• File, Send, Shortcut to Desktop

• File, New, Shortcut to Desktop

• View, Send, Shortcut to Desktop

15. The __________ abstract should include all the important sections of the report.

Answers:

• garrulous

• feasibility

• descriptive

• informative

16. Choose the correct pronouns to fill in the blanks.

Let ______ all go for a walk except ______, because ______ is so tired.

Answers:

• we, she, she

• us, her, she

• us, she, she

• we, her, she

17. Choose the correct prepositions to fill in the blanks.

______ lack of funds, the plan fell ______.

Answers:

• For, down

• From, through

• For, through

• For, out

18. Choose the correct preposition to fill in the blank.

All the people injured in the accident have been admitted ______ a hospital.

Answers:

• in

• to

• into

• inside

19. Which is the standard language used to create Web pages?

Answers:

• JavaScript

• Hypertext Markup Language (HTML)

• C

• C++

20. What are screen shots?

Answers:

• Graphics of computer screens that are captured to be inserted in a technical document

• Pictures that are downloaded from the Internet and inserted in a document, for instance, to help illustrate the instruction manual

• Graphics that are created by a designer as an illustrated step-by-step manual

• All of the above

21. State whether true or false:

A person's work is only recognized as original if it has a copyright notice attached.

Answers:

• True

• False

22. The name for a set of fonts is termed:

Answers:

• Typeface

• Typefront

• Keyword face

• Typefont face

23. What are sections used for in a Word document?

Answers:

• To divide the document into parts so that each part may be independently printed when the print command is given

• To divide the document into parts so as to allow certain parts of the document to display data from a table

• To divide the document into parts so as to allow certain parts of the document to display data from the Internet

• To vary the layout of a document within a page or between pages and then allow formatting of each part the way you want

24. Abstracts can be of two types — ___________ and ___________.

Answers:

• informative, descriptive

• descriptive, garrulous

• garrulous, conclusive

• conclusive, garrulous

25. Which of the following statements is the most correct and most effective way of writing?

Answers:

• The Sigma level of the processes in which a company is involved in is an indicator of how the company is faring in their business processes.

• Companies measure their business performance by the Sigma level of their processes.

• The best indicator of how a company is faring in their business processes is to see the Sigma level of their processes in which they are involved.

26. How do you insert a sound file in a Microsoft Word 2007 document?

Answers:

• Go to the Insert tab -> Select the Object menu option

• Go to the Insert tab -> Select the Sound menu option

• Go to the Insert tab -> Select the File menu option

• By right-clicking on the document and choosing the "Add sound" option

27. Using the thoughts and writings of other people and passing them as your own is known as_______.

Answers:

• Altruism

• Copying

• Plagiarism

• Hedonism

• Imitation

28. What nature of information does a specification document contain?

Answers:

• Information used by programmers

• Information used by amateurs in software programming

• Information used by a person who wants to build a product or process

• Information used by geeks and hackers

29. Choose the correct pronouns to fill in the blanks.

______ and ______ have always understood each other although ______ have always been in different camps.

Answers:

• You, I, us

• You, me, ourselves

• You, I, ourselves

• You, I, we

30. A legal violation of a copyright could be a(n) ___________.

Answers:

• Social matter

• Criminal matter

• Political matter

• Civil matter

• Academic matter

31. If you would like to enter a part number for a product in Excel, e.g., 6776736, and would like Excel to treat it as text and not a number, what should you do?

Answers:

• Place the character T before the number, e.g., T6776736.

• Place the characters TX before the number, e.g., TX6776736.

• Enclose the number in parentheses, e.g., (6776737).

• Apply the Text Format to the cell.

32. Choose the right option(s) to fill in the blank(s).

I find it very hard to remember ______ letters entrusted to me. I remember ______ to do so scores of times.

Answers:

• posting, to forget

• to post, to forget

• to post, forgetting

• posting, forgetting

33. A PDF file can be viewed if ____________ is installed.

Answers:

• Microsoft Office Professional Edition 2003

• Adobe Acrobat Reader

• Macromedia Flash MX

• WinRAR Archiver

34. Can you insert a new table inside a cell of an existing table in a Microsoft Word document?

Answers:

• Yes

• No

35. STC stands for:

Answers:

• Society for Technical Communication

• Society for Technical Contents

• Standard Technical Contents

• Standard Technical Communication

36. How can you select all the blank cells in your Excel worksheet?

Answers:

• This must be done manually as it cannot be automated through any built-in feature.

• Choose Edit -> Select -> Blank under the main menu.

• Choose Edit -> Go To -> Special menu option.

• Choose Edit -> Go To -> Go To Special dialog box -> Blanks

37. In Microsoft Excel, you select the row headings 10, 11, and 12 and then choose the menu option Insert -> Rows. What will happen?

Answers:

• Three new rows will be inserted after row 12.

• One new row will be inserted after row 12.

• Three new rows will be inserted after row 9.

• One new row will be inserted after row 9.

38. A feasibility and evaluation report is an example of:

Answers:

• Report topic

• Report type

• Report audience

• Report purpose

39. Which of the following examples of headings is most effective?

Answers:

• How Auto Parts can be Assembled

• How to Assemble Auto Parts

• Assembling Auto Parts

• The Assembling of the Auto Parts

40. Does a user guide usually contain warranties and disclaimers?

Answers:

• Yes

• No

41. Which of the following best defines RoboHELP?

Answers:

• It is an operating system.

• It is an application software that helps create "computer help files" in various formats.

• It is a software that assists amateurs in technical writing.

• It is a utility software that helps design graphics.

• It is a flowcharting tool.

42. State whether true or false:

Different states have different copyright laws in America.

Answers:

• True

• False

43. What are "abstracts?"

Answers:

• Conclusions of the report contents

• Comments on the report contents

• Summaries of the contents of a report or a document

44. Choose the correct sentence.

Answers:

• A gentleman was walking along a road dressed in blue with green trees on both sides.

• A dressed in blue gentleman was walking along a road with green trees on both sides.

• A gentleman was walking along a road with green trees on both sides dressed in blue.

• A gentleman dressed in blue was walking along a road with green trees on both sides.

45. PDF is an acronym for:

Answers:

• Protected Document Format

• Portable Data File

• Portable Document Formatting

• Portable Document Format

46. The details of design, make, installation, and usage of a particular product are known as:

Answers:

• Technical reporting

• Technical specification

• Technical documentation

• Technical summary

47. A diamond shaped box in a flowchart signifies:

Answers:

• A start/end symbol

• A decision that must be made

• The flow of control

• Processing steps

• Input/output

48. Choose the correct sentence from the following:

Answers:

• Select your country from the drop lists in the country fields.

• Select your country from the drop-down list in the country's field.

• Select your country from the drop-down list in the country field.

• Select your country from the drops-down list in the country's field.

49. How are spelling errors displayed in Microsoft Word?

Answers:

• A green wavy line under the wrong spelling

• The word with the wrong spelling has a strike-through font.

• A red wavy line under the wrong spelling

• The color of the word with the wrong spelling will change to red.

50. A document that consists of instructions on how to use or troubleshoot a product is known as a _________.

Answers:

• Help guide

• Troubleshooting guide

• Design pamphlet

• User guide

51. Which of the following statement(s) is/are true about Technical Evaluation Reports?

Answers:

• The Evaluation report is also called the feasibility report.

• The Evaluation report mentions whether the proposed method is practically and logically possible or not.

• The Evaluation report always recommends the company to use the proposed method.

52. What does a Primary Research Report describe?

Answers:

• It describes findings and interpretation from field or laboratory research.

• It describes ideas about how to start a new business venture.

• It is a description of the operational details of a new product.

• It describes newly researched, potential organizational policies.

53. A document written in the ________ tense sends the message immediately and is easier to comprehend.

Answers:

• past

• present

• past continuous

• future

54. What is a "procedure?"

Answers:

• A list of steps that tells the user how to perform a task

• A description of the technical specifications

• A description of how a system operates

55. What do Functional Specifications in a technical document include?

Answers:

• Components that are required to create the product or service

• A diagrammatic representation of how the finished product will look

• A daily report recording the assembly of the product

• An illustrative representation of how the product will work once the product is built

56. A Business Plan Report usually contains:

Answers:

• A plan seeking to start a new business

• A proposal seeking approval to do a specific project

• A plan seeking approval to do developmental work on an existing project

57. Which of the following is a diagram drawing software application used to draw diagrams like flowcharts?

Answers:

• Visio

• Microsoft Project

• Photoshop

• Flash

• Oracle

58. A list of books, articles, or Web pages that a writer referenced in his document is known as:

Answers:

• Table of Contents

• Index

• Bibliography

• Glossary

• Foreword

59. To be a good technical writer, you have to:

Answers:

• Include unknown terms and non-words.

• Avoid jargon.

• Include abstract words and phrases.

• Use acronyms and abbreviations.

60. What does a circle indicate in a flowchart?

Answers:

• It indicates that a particular step is connected with some other parts of a program

• It indicates the beginning of the process.

• It indicates a decision to be taken in the process.

• It indicates a linear flow of the process.

61. What is the quickest way to select all the columns of a worksheet in Microsoft Excel 2007?

Answers:

• Click on the column heading of the first column, press Shift, and then click on the column heading of the last column.

• Click on the column heading of the first column, press Ctrl, and then click on the column heading of the last column.

• Choose Edit -> Select all from the main menu.

• Click on the gray rectangle on the upper left corner of the worksheet where the column headings and row headings meet.

62. The first thing you should do when you are starting out to write a technical report is to:

Answers:

• Decide what type of document you are required to write.

• Decide on the items you will put in the glossary.

• Write the index of the report.

• Write the technical specifications of the product or service you are writing about.

63. The average number of words in a sentence should be:

Answers:

• Between 10-20

• More than 30

• Less than 8

• Between 30-35

64. Documents that help to get an organization hired or approved to undertake a project are known as:

Answers:

• Business Proposals

• Business Plans

• Investment Plans

• Bidding Plans

65. What would you call a report that gives a background on a particular topic, say greenhouse gases?

Answers:

• Evaluation report

• Technical background report

• Technical background specifications report

• Secondary research background report

66. What does the term "Glossary" mean?

Answers:

• An ordered list of phrases.

• An alphabetic list of words and phrases in which each word or phrase is defined.

• An unordered list of words and phrases.

67. How can you resize the width or height of a picture in a Microsoft Word document?

Answers:

• By dragging the sizing handles that appear at the edges of the picture

• By altering the height and width values on the "Size" Tab available at the Format -> Picture menu

• By right-clicking on the picture and selecting the Format Picture dialog box. Then select the Size tab and change the height and width values.

• By right-clicking on the picture and choosing the "Picture Size" option

68. The _______________ appears before (and, possibly, immediately after) the table of contents in a document.

Answers:

• White matter

• White paper

• Front paper

• Front matter

69. You have to prepare an essay in Microsoft Word consisting of only 250 words. What is the most convenient way for you to count the total number of words in your document?

Answers:

• First justify the document (both left and right justified), then count the number of words on one line, and multiply them by the number of lines to get a rough count.

• Select the text that you have to count and right-click the mouse. Choose the "Word count" option.

• Choose the "Word count" from the Review Tab main menu.

• Choose the "Paragraph statistics" option under the View menu.

• Count each word one by one, since there is currently no tool available for counting the number of words.

70. Which of the following characters must be added before a fraction value, e.g. 1/3, to avoid entering it as a date in Microsoft Excel 2007?

Answers:

• F

• //

• 0 (zero)

• FR

• Space

71. State whether true or false:

A copyright in the context of authorship immediately becomes the property of the person who wrote the work.

Answers:

• True

• False

72. Which of the following date formats is NOT available when entering a date into a cell in Microsoft Excel 2007?

Answers:

• 2/3/2003

• 6-aug-2003

• 5th-aug-2003

• 5-8-03

73. As a writer, what do you do when you create a macro?

Answers:

• You create a shortcut for performing repetitive tasks in a program.

• You work on several files at the same time.

• You download software from the Internet that helps organize tasks.

• You break up work tasks into manageable parts.

• You combine small sub-tasks into a macro-task.

74. Choose the correct sentence:

Answers:

• Unless the world controls its population, mankind will continue to face one problem after another.

• Unless the world does not control its population, mankind will continue to face one problem after another.

• Unless the world controls its population, till then mankind will continue to face one problem after another.

• Unless the world fails to control its population, mankind will continue to face one problem after another.

75. What is a "white paper?"

Answers:

• An authoritative and detailed report

• A conclusive report

• A blank page on a computer screen

• A blue print of what a final document should look like

76. How would you describe a "process?"

Answers:

• A description of the steps that a user takes to perform a task

• A description of the overall performance of a system

• A description of a system or how a system operates

• A series of steps taken to perform an action in a task

77. Which of the following statements best describes what "minimalism" is?

Answers:

• Writing thin manuals and procedures

• Minimizing the size of manuals and procedures by omitting important information

• A method of documentation that avoids swamping users with irrelevant information

• A method of voluminous documentation of task-oriented activity