Test your basic knowledge |

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. Use these to show the meaning of a process or concept.






2. The extent to which data has been verified to be accurate






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






4. These kinds of reports answer the following questions: What has been accomplished since the last progress report? - What tasks still need to be accomplished? - Have there been any unanticipated problems? - What is the expected timetable for completio






5. Data organized visually for easy comparison






6. External proposal written and submitted without request






7. Written for unskilled individuals. The steps required to complete a task safely and efficiently - such as installing a memory card into a laptop. i.e. printed manuals - user manuals.






8. Show how components of a principle - process - or system function together - useful to people assembling and installing things.






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






10. Use a synonym or clarifying phrase to explain the meaning of an unfamiliar word; easy to set up links in electronic documents.






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






12. This supplements or clarifies information in the text body. It is in the back and there may be more than one per topic. For example: experiment details - complicated formulas - interview questions and answers - long quotes - maps - photos - tests - v






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






14. Show real or imaginary objects; highlight specific parts; use exploded view to show how parts fit together.






15. Sentences with an average of ____________ words are appropriate for technical writing. Sentences of fewer than 15 words are too short and choppy - and ones longer than 20 words are cumbersome and confusing.






16. 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.






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






18. Explain policies - and proposals persuade readers to follow a plan of action.






19. Written to describe events like safety emergencies - equipment problems - and workplace accidents.






20. Explaining what the term does not mean.






21. Included before full report; combines main points of a report or proposal; often persuasive






22. External proposal that may be short or long depending on the size of the potential sale






23. Appear on the top of every page in a document to indicate the page number and document title.






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






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






26. Discuss history - development - and applications for the term - unless readers are only attempting to perform a task related to the term.






27. Detailed - usually multipage commercial document containing descriptions of product/servive/project for marketing purposes.






28. Written to accompany a resume when seeking an internship or employment; explains how skills and experience match a specific job position.






29. The _______ is the left-hand column of a table - and it lists the items being compared.






30. _______ are documents written to persuade readers to take some type of action.






31. Informal written communications used in business between colleagues. The provide a record trail of decisions that can be used legally.






32. Involves dividing an idea into different parts and explaining each part separately.






33. Audience consists of people with some technical knowledge but less than experts; data needs some explanation e.g.: a physician giving a report to a first-year medical student regarding a patient's lab results and symptoms






34. 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






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






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






37. Titles or brief statements that describe a visual.






38. Explain how an item or process works






39. Defining through __________ involves comparing two seemingly different objects that share a common characteristic.






40. Rules and guidelines provided to people who know how to perform a task - These ensure safety within a group. For example - guide on how to exit a building during a fire. Policemen have ________ they do after at a crime scene.






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






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






43. Follows a sequence of events; useful for explanations of how something is done or how an accident occurred.






44. Writers developing a formal document should avoid _______________ - but thee occasional use in semiformal or informal documents is acceptable.






45. Included before full report; summarized version of report






46. Charts that show parts of a whole






47. These kinds of reports answer the following questions: The reason for conducting the test or investigation - Problems - Results and Conclusion






48. Show steps in a process.






49. Emphasizes important information; reasons or examples are arranged in decreasing or increasing order of imporance; used when making recommendations or proposals.






50. A single line carried over the top of a column