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DSST Technical Writing

Subjects : dsst, writing-skills
Instructions:
  • Answer 50 questions in 15 minutes.
  • If you are not ready to take this test, you can study here.
  • Match each statement with the correct term.
  • Don't refresh. All questions and answers are randomly picked and ordered every time you load a test.

This is a study tool. The 3 wrong answers for each question are randomly chosen from answers to other questions. So, you might find at times the answers obvious, but you will see it re-enforces your understanding as you take the test each time.
1. Data organized visually for easy comparison






2. Single words or short lines carried over to the top of a column or page






3. This document contains: Name and contact information - Job Objective - Qualifications and Summary - Education and Work Experience - Awards - Skills and Activities - References






4. _______________ terms are clearer than general ones.






5. The attitude expressed by a writer. Use formal or semi when writing for superiors/professionals - Use semi or informal when writing for colleagues and subordinates - Use informal when conversational style is desired. Avoid profanity or slang.






6. External proposal written in response to a request for proposals (RFP) or an invitation for bids (IFB)






7. Titles or brief statements that describe a visual.






8. Show steps in a process.






9. External proposal written to request funding for a project or study.






10. Show trends and changes over time - cost - size - rates - and other variables.






11. Increase the wordiness of a sentence






12. It emphasizes abilities and skills rather than work history. This type of resume is appropriate for people who are changing careers or who have limited work experience. Education and references are included but not stressed.






13. ___________ - such as 'who -' are more likely to decrease clarity in a document.






14. Translate numbers into shapes or colors; show camprisons






15. What is the background of the audience? Global? - What is the reader's experience - What is the attitude of the audience on subject? - What are the needs/interests/expectations of the audience? - Will multiple audiences/skill levels read this?






16. Too brief and general to convey the complexity of a term with multiple meanings.






17. A ____________ is the final document or product that will be submitted once a project is completed.






18. What is the Web Site's sponsor and domain type(.edu.com.gov) - What is the purpose of the Web page and message? - When was the Web site most recently updated? - What are the author's credentials and expertise?






19. Begins with either the cause of the effect; useful in reports discussing problems and solutions






20. Use comparison to define - but they are less likely to be used for terms with multiple meanings.






21. Used when writing about one subject that is similar to another.






22. ______ are documents that help people how to understand how to assemble - use - and repair products.






23. Used when requesting large amounts of money






24. Explaining what the term does not mean.






25. Are reduced images of pictures.






26. Consist of brief phrases that indicate a document's method of development - and they are primarily used for short documents like letters and memos.






27. Commonly used to outline longer documents like reports - proposals - and manuals.






28. Used in in presenting steps - materials - and recommendations






29. Left ____________ improves the flow of a document.






30. Audience consists of laypersons with no training in the subject matter; data needs to be translated into simple language that can be easily understood e.g.; a physician giving a report to a patient's spouse regarding lab results - symptoms - and trea






31. Advantages: gaining a better understanding of how the audience will read the document - each member of the group provides more questions and suggestions Disadvantages: disjointed writing styles - increased time to complete the project - and reduced m






32. Boldface - italics - capital letters - font style - and font size are common ways to show readers the difference between _________________ headings.






33. A formal document longer than ten pages usually includes a table of contents to simplify the process of locating information. It's included after the title and abstract - but before the list of tables - forward and preface.






34. Included on the title page; summarizes in a few sentences the scope and purpose of the document.






35. Written to express disappointment with a product or service and to request a refund - replacement - or an apology






36. Charts that show parts of a whole






37. When using a ______________ - center the return address - date - and closing - and align body paragraphs to the left.






38. Dividing information into manageable pieces so that the document is easier for readers to follow and understand - Writers use various sequencing methods to do this.






39. These are sentences clarity is increased by creating lists/clauses with similar grammer. (for example - every item on a list has 'a' before it)






40. Describes the physical appearance of an object or area beginning at one point and ending at another; useful for product or mechanism descriptions






41. Audience consists of experts in the subject matter - data does not require lengthy explanation e.g.: a physician giving a report to a surgeon about a patient's lab results and symptoms






42. Most appropriate when a writer needs to define a multiple-meaning term with precision.






43. Using '______________' to link the two sentences best contrasts the information.






44. Describing the terms origin - such as Greek or Latin words






45. The page area that contains no text or graphics - and it helps draw a reader's attention to a particular page element. Improves the readability of a document for all types of readers. Although it limits the amount of information on a page - it does n






46. Often include section topic - date - page number - and title of document.






47. They are different from Memos - since they correspond to people outside of the organization instead of inside.






48. ______ ______ ______ is as follows: Introduction: background information and purpose statement - Body: Review of options being considered based on criteria like costs and staff - Conclusion: Interpretations of findings - Recommendation: Author's opin






49. Show how the phases of a project relate to each other






50. Use images or icons to represent quantities; useful for non-experts to grasp ideas.