1. (p.4) As more people compete for fewer jobs, the ones who will build successful careers are those
who
A. communicate well with customers and colleagues.
B. arrive to appointments on time.
C. are able to work well alone most of the time.
D. consistently require reprimands.
2. (p. 6) A business's external audience for communication purposes includes
A. peers.
B. customers.
C. subordinates.
D. superiors.
3. (p.7) Which of the following is an example of an internal document?
A. A quotation
B. An annual report
C. The claims adjustment
D. A performance appraisal
4. (p. 6) The primary purpose of a document that it written to motivate or convince a reader to act is
to
A. persuade.
B. perform.
C. build goodwill.
D. answer a question.
5. (p. 9) Which of the following is NOT a criterion for good business and administrative writing?
A. The message presents a positive image of the writer and his or her organization.
B. The information provided leaves room for interpretation so readers can determine the true meaning
of the message for themselves.
C. The reader can read, understand, and act on the message quickly.
D. All the reader’s questions are answered.
6. (p. 11) Strong written skills help you to do all of the following EXCEPT
A. provoke disagreement.
B. make your communication efforts effective.
C. communicate your points clearly.
D. save time.
7. (p.16) What is the purpose of a subject line in a well-designed written document?
A. To present ideas in a logical sequence
B. To group related ideas
C. To orient the reader quickly
D. To emphasize sub-points and examples
8. (p. 30) You are a technical writer in a large company who is working on a training manual to help
new users learn the company’s computer system. Employees will use your manual in training
seminars taught by your company’s trainers. The manual will also serve as an on-the-job reference
later. Both of the system analysts who designed the computer system and the trainers will comment
on your draft. The trainers would be classified as what kind of audience for you manual?
A. Watchdog
B. Gatekeeper
C. Primary
D. Secondary
9. (p. 31) Which of the following methods is NOT a useful way of analyzing an individual who is in your
audience?
A. Rely on what you already know about this individual through your previous experiences with him/her.
B. Assume this individual thinks the same way as someone else you know who is in a similar position.
C. Talk to the other people who know this individual.
D. Observe this individual firsthand.
10. (p.36-37) An oral message is preferable to a written one when you want to
A. present many specific details.
B. minimize undesirable emotions.
C. resolve conflicts and build consensus.
D. present extensive and complex data.
11. (p.40-41) When you must write to someone who has negative feelings about your organization,
your position, or you personally, you should
A. use arrogant or condescending language to gain control of the audience.
B. offer your opinion as to how you and the reader can create goodwill from this point forward.
C. avoid mentioning any reader benefits.
D. use a positive emphasis to counteract the natural tendency to sound defensive.
12.(p. 41) Providing an audience with some background information on a topic before delivering the
main message is an example of responding to which audience analysis question?
A. What positive aspects can you emphasize?
B. How will the audience use the document?
C. How will the audience initially react to the message?
D. How much information does the audience need?
13.(p. 40-41) Developing logic and suggesting reader benefits is LEAST essential when you are writing
to someone who
A. has had a negative experience with you in the past.
B. disagrees with your position.
C. is neutral about the message you are delivering.
D. does not think very highly of the organization that you represent.
14. (p. 45) Which audience benefit does NOT use the you-attitude?
A. We are offering discounts of up to 40% this week!
B. You will receive 25% off just for using your store credit card.
C. Your application will be complete as soon as you send your references.
D. Your premier status enables you to purchase the sale items before the general public.
15.(p. 63-64) In which of the following situations would using the word "you" typically NOT be
appropriate?
A. When you must inform a subordinate that you have passed her idea on to your superior
B. When you must inform a subordinate that she has inadvertently made a costly error
C. When you want to focus on what the reader will gain from your new policy
D. When you want to congratulate your subordinate for her promotion
16. (p. 68) All of the following are techniques for creating positive emphasis EXCEPT
A. avoiding words with negative connotations.
B. focusing on what the audience can do rather than on limitations.
C. putting bad news at the beginning of a message to get it over with.
D. justifying negative information by providing reasons and explanations.
17. (p. 68) Which sentence conveys information in the LEAST negative way?
A. "This plan has failed completely."
B. "This plan did not work the way we had hoped."
C. "We thought this plan would be great, but that was not the case at all.“
D. "This plan would have been successful if the strategies had been clearer."
18. (p. 73) The desirable tone for business writing is all of the following EXCEPT
A. friendly but not phony.
B. arrogant but not confident.
C. polite but not groveling.
D. businesslike but not stiff.
19. (p. 74-76) "All students should pick up his ID card by May 5th." This sentence is
A. grammatically correct and bias-free.
B. grammatically correct but not bias-free.
C. neither grammatically correct nor bias-free.
D. bias-free but not grammatically correct.
20.(p. 74) Which job title contains bias?
A. Nurse
B. Manager
C. Pilot
D. Salesman
21. (p. 79) Which of the following would be the MOST acceptable way to describe a person with a
disability?
A. Uses a wheel chair
B. AIDS victim
C. Deaf person
D. Abnormal person
22.(p. 69) All of the following build goodwill with words EXCEPT
A. You-attitude
B. Hidden negatives
C. Bias-free language
D. Positive emphasis
23. (p. 180) All of the following are excellent examples of how good writers write EXCEPT which of the
following?
A. Writers write in spurts, working intensely for periods of time and then resting and not working at all
at other times.
B. Writers break large projects into smaller, manageable component parts.
C. Writers use a variety of strategies on an as-need basis.
D. Writers complete the first draft before beginning the editing process.
24. (p. 180-181) Which of the following would NOT be considered a planning activity when composing
a report?
A. Analyzing the audience
B. Adding, deleting, and rearranging content
C. Evaluating the problem
D. Defining the purpose
25. (p. 181) When Joshua realizes that his persuasive memo doesn't counteract the most obvious
probable objections, he adds two additional paragraphs. What part of the composing process does
this activity represent?
A. Planning
B. Writing
C. Revising
D. Editing
26. (p. 181) In which part of the composing process is it most important to know the rules of grammar
and punctuation?
A. Editing
B. Revising
C. Planning
D. Writing
27. (p. 182-183) Samuel is freewriting to generate ideas for his business proposal. This involves
A. writing down ideas a topic suggests, circling them, and looking for patterns or repeated ideas.
B. thinking of all the ideas he can, without judging them.
C. making himself write, without stopping, for 10 minutes.
D. talking to audiences to help involve readers in the planning process.
28. (p.189-193) Which of the following is a recommended way to make your writing easier to read?
A. Use nouns rather than verbs to carry the weight of your sentences.
B. Use business jargon.
C. Vary sentence length and sentence structure.
D. Use passive verbs most of the time.
29. (p. 190-195) Which of the following will help make your business writing easy to read?
A. Business jargon
B. Parallel structure
C. Wordiness
D. Consistent sentence length for all sentences
30. (p.192) Which is an advantage of using passive verbs?
A. It makes writing crisper and more engaging.
B. It specifies who is responsible for doing the action.
C. It emphasizes the object that is receiving the action.
D. It makes sentences shorter than when active verbs are used.
31. (p. 193) Which is NOT a result of wordiness in a written message?
A. Readers become bored.
B. The message is longer than necessary.
C. The message is clearer and easier to understand.
D. The message takes longer to write.
32. (p. 198) Which of the following is a characteristic of a good topic sentence?
A. It is unrelated to the content of the paragraph.
B. It previews the main idea that will be discussed in the paragraph.
C. It appears at the end of the paragraph.
D. It determines the length of all the other sentences in the paragraph.
33. (p. 197) Which of the following is NOT an example of parallel structure?
A. "Yoga can help you develop flexibility, reduce stress, and increase relaxation."
B. "Learn how to analyze business audiences, improve your style, and edit thoroughly."
C. "You are all encouraged to come and share ideas, express concerns, and ask questions."
D. "You can pay by credit card, check, or just fill out a payroll deduction card."
34. (p. 202) Which of the following would a spell checker catch as an error?
A. Typing "it's" instead of "its."
B. Typing "recieved" instead of "received."
C. Typing "accept" instead of "except."
D. Typing "to" instead of "too."
35. (p. 204) Writers use boilerplate
A. to ignore subtle differences in situations and audiences.
B. to avoid being guilty of plagiarism.
C. to get valuable feedback from their audiences.
D. to take advantage language that has already been successful in similar situations.
36. (p. 305) Résumés must be free from typographical errors because employers
A. will not hire anyone who cannot type.
B. assume that someone who is careless with a résumé would be careless on the job.
C. believe that typos are evidence of alcohol or substance abuse.
D. will hire only people use the services of professional typists.
37. (p. 306) Which of the following is not a technique for emphasizing material in a résumé?
A. Presenting it in vertical lists
B. Including it as part of a lengthy paragraph
C. Offsetting it with white space
D. Positioning it at the top of a page
38. (p. 307) Which of the following should not be included in a résumé?
A. The word "I“
B. Gerunds, which are verbs that end in "ing“
C. Sentence fragments
D. Complete sentences
39. (p. 308-310) Choose the alternative which indicates the kind(s) of résumés, if any, which
emphasizes job titles and the dates you have held a job.
A. Chronological résumés
B. Skills résumés
C. Both chronological and skills résumés
D. Neither chronological nor skills résumés
40. (p. 311, 322) Which of the following is typically included on chronological résumés?
A. Career objective
B. Marital status
C. Height and weight
D. References
41. (p. 308-310) Choose the alternative which indicates the kind(s) of résumés, if any, which is/are
best for someone with impressive job titles, offices, and honors.
A. Chronological résumés
B. Skills résumés
C. Both chronological and skills résumés
D. Neither chronological nor skills résumés
42. (p. 313) A student who has poor grades should
A. omit the grade point average from the résumé.
B. round off the grade point average rather than giving the precise figure.
C. explain the reason(s) for getting poor grades on the résumé.
D. lie about the grade point average.
43. (p. 314-315) Which of the following should not be included in the "Experience" section of a
résumé?
A. Job titles that a person has held
B. Zip codes of the organizations that a person has worked for
C. Mention of whether jobs were full or part time
D. Dates of employment
44. (p. 344) Internships are valuable for all of the following reasons except
A. they provide experience that candidates can include in their professional portfolios.
B. they are a guarantee that candidates will be hired full time.
C. they enable candidates to learn about employers, professions, and jobs.
D. they allow candidates to establish a network of contacts in the profession.
45. (p. 352) Which of the following should be included in the first paragraph of a prospecting job
application letter?
A. A complete discussion of the writer's skills and qualifications
B. A statement that you are applying for a particular advertised position
C. Dates and times that you are available for an interview
D. A statement that will catch the reader's interest
46. (p. 349-354) Choose the alternative that indicates in which kind(s) of job application letters, if any,
you should tell where you learned about the job.
A. Solicited letters only
B. Prospecting letters only
C. Both solicited and prospecting letters
D. Neither solicited nor prospecting letters
47. (p. 349-354) Choose the alternative that indicates the kind(s) of job application letters, if any,
which should ask for an interview in the last paragraph.
A. Solicited letters only
B. Prospecting letters only
C. Both solicited and prospecting letters
D. Neither solicited nor prospecting letters
48. (p. 357) To make an application letter professional
A. include personal information.
B. use a conservative writing style with no contractions.
C. address the letter to the company or department rather than to an individual person by name.
D. mention the names of relatives only if they have worked with you professionally.
49. (p. 357) Which people should not be mentioned in a job application letter?
A. People who are relatives
B. People the reader knows and thinks well of
C. People who have given their permission to be mentioned
D. People who will say good things about you
50. (p. 357) A conservative writing style that creates a professional image includes
A. clichés.
B. contractions.
C. slang.
D. complete sentences.
51. (p. 359) Which is recommended in terms of paragraph length for a job application letter?
A. Long paragraphs in the body should cover at least two topics each.
B. All paragraphs should be similar in length to show paragraph unity.
C. The first paragraph should be fairly short.
D. The last paragraph should be long since it provides a comprehensive summary.
52. (p. 374-375) What should you not take with you to a job interview?
A. Extra copies of your resume
B. Extra cologne to dab on just before going in
C. Copies of your work in a portfolio
D. Names, addresses and phones numbers of references
53. (p. 376) During a videoconference interview, it is recommended that you
A. keep each of your answers approximately six minutes long.
B. develop your own script rather than directly answering the employer's questions.
C. interrupt the speakers at the other location to ask if they want more information.
D. verbally ask for feedback from the speakers at the other location.
54. (p. 379) Your interviewer takes you out to the local bar after the interview and quickly drinks
enough to become loud and boisterous. You should
A. drink as much as the interviewer does.
B. drink enough to make the interviewer comfortable.
C. drink very little, if at all.
D. refuse to drink, and tell the interviewer how unprofessional you find his or her behavior.
55. (p. 380) During which stage of the interview should make sure you know who to contact if the next
step is not clearly spelled out or if you do not hear by the stated time?
A. the opening
B. the body
C. the close
D. the follow-up letter
56. (p. 280) Which of the following should you not do in the close of a job interview?
A. Give a final explanation for a weakness that you have.
B. Show enthusiasm for the job.
C. Summarize your accomplishments and strengths.
D. Ask the interviewer when the company plans to make a hiring decision.
57. (p. 381) Which of following communication behaviors of interviewees is most likely to be
successful in an interview?
A. Using technical jargon appropriate to the position.
B. Making it clear that they are using the interview to learn about the company and what it offered.
C. Giving short answers of ten words or less.
D. Asking very few questions of the interviewer.
58. (p. 382-385) The best response to the question "Why should I hire you?" is to
A. explain your financial situation.
B. admit that you probably are not the best person for the job.
C. explain your strengths for this job.
D. list the relatives and friends who hope you get this job.
59. (p. 386-387) You are asked to describe an experience where you communicated successfully with
someone you disliked on the job. You are probably in a
A. stress interview.
B. second interview.
C. behavioral interview.
D. situational interview.
60. (p. 390) After the interview but before the job offer, it is not appropriate to
A. phone the company you interviewed with.
B. send a follow-up letter.
C. inquire about the salary and benefits.
D. respond to an e-mail query from the employer.