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. The _____________ explains what an organization wants to do and justifies the proposal with primary and secondary research.






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






3. Charts that show parts of a whole






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






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






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






7. Written for repair technicians; contain troubleshooting charts for diagnosing problems






8. The _________ of a brochure is its front page - and its purpose is to catch the attention of the audience. Usually contain a visual image and a small amount of text. Concepts and overviews appear inside the brochure.






9. Explain how each element of a complex item works - which is especially beneficial to laypersons attempting to understand a technical subject.






10. Major teaching tool in vocational jobs; used to train people in a procedure or skill and often paired with audiovisual information






11. Data organized visually for easy comparison






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






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






14. Increase the wordiness of a sentence






15. Included either at the beginning of the conclusion or at the end of the body; reviews main points and findings






16. Useful in highlighting sections of a document to draw reader attention






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






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






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






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






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






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






23. 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.






24. Illustrate relationships in systems - such as components in an electronic device






25. ______ ______ ______ 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






26. ____________________ in a sentence indicates the relationship between ideas; structuring a sentence with effective ______________ improves conciseness.






27. A word on a line by itself at the end of a column






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






29. 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






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






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






32. 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?






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






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






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






36. Organization Name __________ To: Name/Title of addressee From: Name/Title of sender with handwritten initials Date: For record keeping purposes Subject: Key words Introductory Paragraph: purpose and background Body Paragraph(s): details - explanation






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






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






39. A document with an alphabetical list of definitions. It defines terms without breaking the flow. If a document has five or more technical terms it needs one of these. Insert after the appendix and bibiolography






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






41. 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.






42. These build unity and clarity by creating a smoooth flow of ideas. Achieved by using ______ words (therefore - meanwhile etc) Repeating major points or words - summarizing information in previous paragraphs - using numbers to indicate steps.






43. Explaining what the term does not mean.






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






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






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






47. The purpose of a ____ is to: Summarize information - Interpret Findings - Recommend action






48. 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.






49. Letter format most appropriate with letterhead stationery - all letter elements are aligned to the left margin - and company letterhead is commonly used.






50. 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