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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. Margins ________ on the left are easier to read; fully ______ is appropriate for multiple columns.






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






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






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






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






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






8. Included before full report; summarized version of report






9. External proposal written and submitted without request






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






11. Used for writing step-by-step instructions.






12. Reduces costs by minimizing customer calls and the need to release document updates. Product sales and customer satisfaction also benefitsfrom this - although this enhances product safety - it does not eliminate a firm's legal responsibilities.






13. Left ____________ improves the flow of a document.






14. Indicate organizational structure and help readers find information; type size or font should differ from main text.






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






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






17. ______ ______ ______ 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






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






19. 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.






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






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






22. 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?






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






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






25. 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






26. Written in short proposal format; used frequently in organizations for minor spending requests.






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






28. 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






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






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






31. Used when requesting large amounts of money






32. Explaining what the term does not mean.






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






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






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






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






37. Written to ask about a product - service or procedure; brief - direct and clearly worded so the reader understands what is needed.






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






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






40. 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.






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






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






43. 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






44. 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.






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






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






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






48. Translate numbers into shapes or colors; show camprisons






49. Are reduced images of pictures.






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