Technical Writing Skills Certification

Technical Writing Skills Certification

A Business Plan Report usually contains:

a. A plan seeking to start a new business

b. A proposal seeking approval to do a specific project

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

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

a. garrulous

b. feasibility

c. descriptive

d. informative

A feasibility and evaluation report is an example of:

a. Report topic

b. Report type

c. Report audience
d. Report purpose

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

a. White matter

b. White paper

c. Front paper

d. Front matter

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

a. Yes

b. No

To be a good technical writer, you have to:

a. Include unknown terms and non-words

b. Avoid jargon

c. Include abstract words and phrases

d. Use acronyms and abbreviations.

What are "abstracts?"

a. Conclusions of the report contents

b. Comments on the report contents

c. Summaries of the contents of a report or a document

Choose the correct sentence.

a. The representatives of the press, who were annoyed at the remarks of the minister, have decided to boycott the function

b. The representatives of the press, which was annoyed at the remarks of the minister, has decided to boycott the function

c. The representatives of the press, who was annoyed at the remarks of the minister, have decided to boycott the function

d. The representatives of the press, who were annoyed at the remarks of the minister, has decided to boycott the function

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

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

b. You work on several files at the same time

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

d. You break up work tasks into manageable parts

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

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

a. Evaluation report

b. Technical background report

c. Technical background specifications report

d. Secondary research background report

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

a. Help guide

b. Troubleshooting guide

c. Design pamphlet

d. User guide

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

a. Business Proposals

b. Business Plans

c. Investment Plans

d. Bidding Plans

The name for a set of fonts is termed:

a. Typeface

b. Typefront

c. Keyword face

d. Typefont face

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

a. By dragging the sizing handles that appear at the edges of the picture

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

c. 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

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

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?

a. 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

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

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

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

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

Choose the correct prepositions to fill in the blanks.
______ lack of funds, the plan fell ______.

a. For, down

b. From, through

c. For, through

d. For, out

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

a. The Evaluation report is also called the feasibility report

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

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

d. All of the above

Choose the correct sentence from the following:

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

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

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

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

State whether true or false:

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

a. True

b. False

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

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

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

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

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

A diamond shaped box in a flowchart signifies:

a. A start/end symbol

b. A decision that must be made

c. The flow of control

d. Processing steps

e. Input/output

Which of the following works are not protected?

a. Literary works

b. Standard calendars

c. Height and weight charts

d. Motion pictures

What should you do to avoid plagiarism?

a. Just make sure to copy from obscure sources

b. Cite sources when using copyrighted material

c. Obtain permission before using copyrighted material

d. Use only Government sources

e. None of the above

STC stands for:

a. Society for Technical Communication

b. Society for Technical Contents

c. Standard Technical Contents

d. Standard Technical Communication

Which of the following best defines RoboHELP?

a. It is an operating system

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

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

d. It is a utility software that helps design graphics

e. It is a flowcharting tool

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?

a. F

b. //

c. 0 (zero)

d. FR

e. Space

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

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

b. A method of accessing the information that is included in the document

c. An ordered list of words and phrases

Choose the correct sentence.

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

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

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

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

What does the term "Glossary" mean?

a. An ordered list of phrases

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

c. An unordered list of words and phrases

The average number of words in a sentence should be:

a. Between 10-20

b. More than 30

c. Less than 8

d. Between 30-35

How would you describe a "process?"

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

b. A description of the overall performance of a system

c. A description of a system or how a system operates

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

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

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

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

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

d. Choose Edit -> Go To -> Go To Special dialog box -> Blanks

What is a "procedure?"

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

b. A description of the technical specifications

c. A description of how a system operates

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

a. Three new rows will be inserted after row 12

b. One new row will be inserted after row 12

c. Three new rows will be inserted after row 9

d. One new row will be inserted after row 9

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

a. Writing thin manuals and procedures

b. Minimizing the size of manuals and procedures by omitting important information

c. A method of documentation that avoids swamping users with irrelevant information

d. A method of voluminous documentation of task-oriented activity

Which are the two types of specification documentations?

a. Design

b. Technological

c. Functional

d. Logistical

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

a. What causes type-1 diabetes

b. Effects of the disease on the offspring of the affected

c. How the disease is treated

d. The kind of technologies available to treat the disease

An "Executive Summary" can be part of a:

a. Business Proposal

b. Control Plan

c. Investment Plan

d. Business Plan

A technical report should contain the following:

a. Headings

b. Biodata of the writer

c. Factual information

d. Graphics, wherever possible

e. Non-technical content

f. Fuzzy logic

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

a. Keeping sentences short

b. Using active voice

c. Using words that are appropriate for the reader

d. Using passive voice

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

a. Technical reporting

b. Technical specification

c. Technical documentation

d. Technical summary

How are spelling errors displayed in Microsoft Word?

a. A green wavy line under the wrong spelling

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

c. A red wavy line under the wrong spelling

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

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

a. Table of Contents

b. Index

c. Bibliography

d. Glossary

e. Foreword

State whether true or false:

Different states have different copyright laws in America.

a. True

b. False

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

a. It is the same as an index

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

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

d. It can be omitted in a technical document

Choose the correct pronouns to fill in the blanks.

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

a. we, she, she

b. us, her, she

c. us, she, she

d. we, her, she

Choose the correct pronouns to fill in the blanks.

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

a. You, I, us

b. You, me, ourselves

c. You, I, ourselves

d. You, I, we

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

a. past

b. present

c. past continuous

d. future

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

A pronoun is a word which __________

a. should not replace a noun or a noun phrase

b. can substitute for a noun or a noun phrase

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

d. can replace a noun or a noun phrase

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

a. 2/3/2003

b. 6-aug-2003

c. 5th-aug-2003

d. 5-8-03

Which is the standard language used to create Web pages?

a. JavaScript

b. Hypertext Markup Language (HTML)

c. C

d. C++

State whether true or false:

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

a. True

b. False

Choose the correct sentence(s):

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

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

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

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

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?

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

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

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

d. Apply the Text Format to the cell

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

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

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

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

d. Choose Edit -> Go To -> Go To Special dialog box -> Blanks

What is a "white paper?"

a. An authoritative and detailed report

b. A conclusive report

c. A blank page on a computer screen

d. A blue print of what a final document should look like

State whether true or false:

A Table of Contents is the same as an Index.

a. True

b. False

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

a. Social matter

b. Criminal matter

c. Political matter

d. Civil matter

e. Academic matter

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

a. Go to the Insert tab -> Select the Object menu option

b. Go to the Insert tab -> Select the Sound menu option

c. Go to the Insert tab -> Select the File menu option

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

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

a. What work remains to be done

b. How much time it will take to complete the work

c. How the previous project was progressing

d. The success level of previously undertaken projects

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

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

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

c. Write the index of the report

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

Choose the correct preposition to fill in the blank

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

a. in

b. to

c. into

d. inside

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

a. By dragging the sizing handles that appear at the edges of the picture

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

c. 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.

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

What are sections used for in a Word document?

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

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

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

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

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

a. The Evaluation report is also called the feasibility report

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

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