Choose the best technical sentence from the following:
The exercise expedited energy expenditures.
The exercise caused the people to use more energy
than they might have otherwise used in normal circumstances.
The exercise
increased energy expenditures.
The exercise was increasing energy expenditures.
What is the most common way to present task-oriented instructions in written documentation?
Step-by-step
instructions in numbered lists
In context-sensitive help
Step-by-step instructions in bulleted lists
Video demos
How does technical writing differ from expository writing?
Technical writing uses flowery language, whereas
expository does not
Grammar and formatting are not important
Technical
writing does not involve proving arguments
A conclusion does not need to be reached
When documenting a piece of software and referring to a particular feature, you should follow the spelling…
...used in the
software's user interface.
...prescribed by your chosen dictionary.
...suggested by an applicable style guide.
...most commonly used by the target audience.
Where can explanatory information appear?
Below a step
Before the instructions
All of these
After the instructions
What does p.r.n. Stand for?
Per registered nurse
As needed
Per rectum
______ refers to the veracity of data, while _______ refers to the degree of exactness used in the measurements.
reliability; validity
accuracy;
precision
intentional; incidental
precision; accuracy
Which voice should be used for explaining instructional steps?
Active
Passive
First person
Second person
Which of the following is the equivalent of a hyperlink in written documentation?
An appendix
Endnotes
A cross
reference
A glossary of terms
Which verb tense is most effective in technical writing?
Present progressive
Regular verbs
Present perfect
Present
When technical writers talk about "single-source publishing," what do they mean?
Only one person or department source writes and
maintains all the documentation.
It is the system
that allows technical writers to write once, then use and re-use and deploy the
same content in various formats, and even languages.
Writers convert paper manuals to online formats.
Software developers write explanatory documentation
into their source codes.
Which of these is NOT a true statement about documents following a linear (paper) model?
They are designed to be read in their entirety.
The 'optimal'
path through the information is not defined by the writer.
They are designed to be read sequentially.
What level of user will most likely read a technical white paper?
Experts
Rank novices with no prior knowledge
Intermediate to
expert users
When dealing with a help guide on a computer, when a user presses F1 from a field, what kind of help does the user usually receive?
Two or three options to complete the task
Scenarios
Context-sensitive
help
All of these
What is the FOG test?
The test for Forensic Ocular Graphing
A readability
test
A test on fog density
A test to make sure your graphs are easily
understood
What person is primarily responsible for editing a technical manual for style and grammar?
The quality assurance team
The programming team
All of these
The writer
What does a schematic illustrate?
Detailed instructions of how to use a product
How an object appears from different angles
The way in which
something works
The feel of a product
Which of the following is the best way to summarize a list of software functions in written documentation?
Charts
Endnotes
Using Images
In a table
When writing a technical manual for software, what preliminary meetings are best to attend, if possible?
Software design
meetings
Quality assurance meetings
Editorial review meetings
Management meetings
True or false? In order to be a technical writer, you must have a technical background.
False
True
What is a functional description?
A description
that provides typical uses, details, and the purpose of the subject.
A description that provides warranty information on
the subject.
A description that provides step-by-step details on
using the subject.
Which of the following uses INCORRECT capitalization?
The tests were performed at Madison Square Garden.
The test
concluded last Winter.
The test concluded last winter.
The scientist used a Bunsen burner to heat the
compound.
What does "SME" refer to?
Systematic math entry
Scientific metric effect
Scientific method exercise
Subject-matter
expert
What is a secondary source?
An
interpretation of data from a primary source
The second group of people interviewed
Sources that are less relevant to your paper
The second resource referenced
Which of the following is correct?
The machine's principle component is the engine.
Both are correct
The machine's
principal component is the engine.
Which of the following is NOT used to markup and/or style technical writing?
CSS
WWW
HTML
XML
What portion of a manual addresses issues that can occur with the product?
Appendix section
Tech support section
Addendum section
Troubleshooting
section
If the document relies heavily on technical terms, which of the following should be included?
An appendix
Footnotes
Glossary of
Terms
A link to an online technical dictionary
Which of the following traits embody the ideal technical writing style?
Concise
Authoritative tone
All of these
Parallel sentence structure
As a general rule of thumb technical writers should use _______.
Active voice
Passive voice
What is RoboHelp?
A database of technical terms and tools
An HTML5
publishing tool
That paperclip from Word
A Python publishing tool
What is the purpose of a white paper?
To list the features of the product
To offer solutions to problems
All of these
To explain the product
What is the abstract?
A theoretical framework
A brief summary
of the article
A conclusive statement
A dataset
What is cross-browser, cross platform compatibility?
Compatibility across multiple smart phones and
computers
Compatibility
across multiple technologies, operating systems, and browsers
Compatibility across PCs and Macs
Compatibility across multiple browsers
Suppose you are citing an author who is citing another author's work. Which author should you cite in your paper?
You should formally cite the author of the original
experiment
You do not need to cite either author
You should formally cite both authors
You should
formally cite the author you are actually reading
How many iterations of your original document will a technical writer generally be expected to write?
It depends on
how many times the product changes
At least four interations
At least three iterations
At least two iterations
In the context of technical writing, what does SME typically stand for?
Source Material Engagement
Source Manager Evaluation
Subject Matter Error
Subject Material Error
Subject Matter
Expert
Which of these is NOT an XML-based document format?
DITA
TEI
DocBook
LaTeX
Which of the following is the best wording to appear in end user documentation?
If the program crashes…
If the program abends…
If the program
shuts down unexpectedly…
If the program dies...
Which of the following is the most comprehensive definition of technical writing?
Creating a document designed for engineers
Documenting tasks, scenarios, and tools
Presenting
complex information in an understandable manner
Presenting features and benefits in a difficult
manner
When documenting an unfamiliar subject, which of the following people would be the best to consult?
Your manager
The
subject-matter expert
The programmers
The marketers
Technical writing refers to:
All of these
Writing about technology
Explaining tech communication
Providing instructions on how to do something
Which is the proper way to express a temperature in Kelvin?
10 Kelvins
10˚ K
10 Kelvin
10 K
Why are quick-start guides popular?
All of these
They're cost effective
They reduce calls to tech support for initial setup
Customers want them and read them
Which of the following is the best procedure for testing documentation?
The beta testers completing the testing
The programmers and the QA team completing the
testing
Working one's way through the documentation
Following a
written test plan
What grammatical person is most often used in steps?
First person
Implied second
person
Third person
Second person
What is the proper terminology for creating multiple outputs from one document?
All sourcing
Multiple sourcing
Single sourcing
Dual sourcing
True or false? It is always best to use complex technical terms because it makes the document more credible.
False
True
What form of style is most often used in software documentation?
AP
MLA
Chicago
APA
Which of these are examples of technical writing?
Training manuals
White papers
All of these
Online help files
In addition to spelling, grammar, and punctuation, what should a technical writer also check in the document?
Formatting
Accuracy
Consistency
All of these
Which of the following is the most important step in writing an online help manual?
Testing the documentation against the program
Writing the steps
Planning the
system
Testing the program
