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Technical Writing DANTES Practice Test
1) An office manager asks for the specifications for a new computer application. Based on the specifications, she decides to purchase the application. After the application is installed, the end users refer to the specifications to see what features are available. Which term best describes the office manager’s relationship to the specifications?
A) Primary reader
B) Secondary reader
C) Principle audience
D) Alternate audience
2) Choose the best revision for the sentence below. If the sentence does not need to be revised, choose answer A). “We set sail, pushed off the shore, and looked for fish until sunset.”
A) “We set sail, pushed off the shore, and looked for fish until sunset.”
B) “We set sail and pushed off the short, then looked for fish until sunset.”
C) “Until sunset, we set sail, pushed off the shore, and looked for fish.”
D) “We set sail, we pushed off the shore, and we looked for fish until sunset.”
3) What is the main purpose of a technical proposal?
A) Persuasion
B) Instruction
C) Communication
D) Research
4) A list of average daily temperatures for a city is an example of which type of source?
A) Primary
B) Secondary
C) Major
D) Minor
5) What is the name for a graphic element that is a list of non-numeric information arranged in rows and columns?
A) Figure
B) Table
C) Chart
D) Graph
6) What is the main purpose of a report?
A) To communicate with the reader
B) To list general information about a subject
C) To find connections between sets of data
D) All of the above
7) If a tape recorder is described in the order the parts were assembled, what type of descriptive sequence is used?
A) Manufacturing sequence
B) Objective sequence
C) Assembly sequence
D) Chronological sequence
8) Which term refers to rules that govern processes in an organization?
A) Policies
B) Procedures
C) Principles
D) Both A and B
9) Procedure bodies are written in what format?
A) Paragraphs
B) Checklists
C) Worksheets
D) Any of the above
10) Which of the following is a complex sentence?
A) “Without the correct reagent, we will not be able to finish the experiment.”
B) “Without the correct reagent, we will not be able to finish the experiment and will have to cut the project short.”
C) “We will not be able to finish the experiment and will have to cut the project short.”
D) “We will not be able to finish the experiment.”
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Technical Writing DSST Practice Test Answer Key:
- 1. A:) Primary reader. The primary audience of a piece of technical writing requests the material and uses it to make decisions.
- 2. B:) “We set sail and pushed off the short, then looked for fish until sunset.” The original sentence is ambiguous as to whether the writer set sail and pushed off the shore once or multiple times until sunset. The correct answer clears the ambiguity.
- 3. A:) Persuasion. Technical proposals are used to persuade readers to take a specified course of action.
- 4. A:) Primary. Records of transactions, measurements, and experiments are examples of primary sources.
- 5. B:) Table. A table may contain numeric information, non-numeric information, or both.
- 6. A:) To communicate with the reader. A report is used to communicate a recommendation, result, opinion, or conclusion to an internal or external audience.
- 7. D:) Chronological sequence. A chronological sequence orders the parts based on the assembly process.
- 8. A:) Policies. Policies are rules that govern processes. Procedures are ways policies are implemented.
- 9. D:) Any of the above. A procedure body is written in a format that meets the organization requirements, is approachable to the intended audience, and is appropriate to the related policy.
- 10. A:) “Without the correct reagent, we will not be able to finish the experiment.” A complex sentence has one independent clause and one or more subordinate clauses. In the correct answer, the independent clause is “we will not be able to finish the experiment.” The subordinate clause is “without the correct reagent.”