Civil Service Exam Clerical Ability and Filing 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which of the following names would be filed FIRST in an alphabetical filing system?
- O'Brien, Thomas
- Oakley, Susan (Correct answer)
- O'Donnell, Patrick
- Oberman, Lisa
Correct answer: Oakley, Susan
In alphabetical filing, apostrophes are ignored. 'Oakley' (O-A-K) comes before 'Oberman' (O-B-E) and the O' names when sorted letter by letter.
When filing alphabetically, apostrophes and other punctuation marks are disregarded. Comparing the names without punctuation: OBrien, Oakley, ODonnell, Oberman. Sorting these letter by letter: Oakley (O-A) comes first because 'A' precedes 'B' in the second position.
Question 2: A clerk receives a document dated March 15, 2024, but it was supposed to be filed by subject rather than date. The document concerns 'Employee Benefits - Health Insurance.' Under which primary heading should it be filed?
- March 2024 Correspondence
- Employee Benefits (Correct answer)
- Health Insurance Plans
- Insurance Documents
Correct answer: Employee Benefits
When filing by subject, the primary heading is the broadest topic category. 'Employee Benefits' is the main subject, with 'Health Insurance' as a subheading.
Subject filing organizes documents by topic rather than date or name. The filing hierarchy goes from broad to specific. 'Employee Benefits' is the primary subject heading because it encompasses the broader category, while 'Health Insurance' would be a subdivision within that heading.
Question 3: When proofreading the following pairs of numbers, which pair contains a DISCREPANCY? Pair A: 4829163 / 4829163 Pair B: 7736501 / 7736501 Pair C: 9154827 / 9154287 Pair D: 3362718 / 3362718
- Pair A
- Pair B
- Pair C (Correct answer)
- Pair D
Correct answer: Pair C
Pair C contains a discrepancy: 9154827 vs 9154287. The digits '82' and '28' are transposed.
Clerical accuracy requires careful comparison of data. In Pair C, the original number is 9154827 and the copy reads 9154287. The fifth and sixth digits are transposed: '82' in the original becomes '28' in the copy. This type of transposition error is one of the most common clerical mistakes.
Question 4: A filing system uses the following codes: A = Administrative, F = Financial, P = Personnel, L = Legal. A document about an employee's salary dispute that has gone to arbitration should be cross-referenced under which codes?
- F and L only
- P and F only
- P, F, and L (Correct answer)
- P and L only
Correct answer: P, F, and L
A salary dispute in arbitration involves Personnel (employee matter), Financial (salary), and Legal (arbitration) — all three codes apply for cross-referencing.
Cross-referencing ensures documents can be found under all relevant categories. This document involves: Personnel (P) because it concerns an employee; Financial (F) because it involves salary; and Legal (L) because arbitration is a legal proceeding. Proper cross-referencing under all three codes ensures the document is retrievable regardless of which department searches for it.
Question 5: Which of the following represents the correct chronological filing order, from OLDEST to NEWEST?
- Feb 28, 2024; Mar 1, 2024; Jan 15, 2024; Apr 2, 2024
- Jan 15, 2024; Feb 28, 2024; Mar 1, 2024; Apr 2, 2024 (Correct answer)
- Apr 2, 2024; Mar 1, 2024; Feb 28, 2024; Jan 15, 2024
- Mar 1, 2024; Jan 15, 2024; Feb 28, 2024; Apr 2, 2024
Correct answer: Jan 15, 2024; Feb 28, 2024; Mar 1, 2024; Apr 2, 2024
Chronological order from oldest to newest: January 15, February 28, March 1, April 2 — each date follows sequentially through the calendar year.
Chronological filing arranges documents from the earliest date to the most recent. January (1st month) comes before February (2nd), which comes before March (3rd), and April (4th). Therefore the correct sequence is: Jan 15, Feb 28, Mar 1, Apr 2, 2024.
Question 6: A clerk needs to file documents for the following businesses. Which should be filed SECOND in alphabetical order? 1. The Daily Grind Coffee Shop 2. D & B Consulting Group 3. Dakota Plains Energy 4. D'Angelo's Restaurant
- The Daily Grind Coffee Shop
- D & B Consulting Group
- Dakota Plains Energy (Correct answer)
- D'Angelo's Restaurant
Correct answer: Dakota Plains Energy
Ignoring articles ('The') and punctuation, and treating '&' as 'and': Daily Grind (D-A-I), Dakota Plains (D-A-K), D and B (D-A-N-D), D'Angelo's (D-A-N-G). Dakota Plains is filed second.
Business filing rules require: (1) ignore articles (The, A, An) at the beginning, (2) treat '&' as 'and,' (3) ignore apostrophes. This gives us: Daily Grind Coffee Shop, Dakota Plains Energy, D and B Consulting Group, DAngelos Restaurant. Comparing letter by letter: Daily (D-A-I) comes first, Dakota (D-A-K) comes second, D and B (D-A-N-D) comes third, DAngelos (D-A-N-G) comes fourth.
Civil Service Exam Clerical Ability and Filing 2
Which of the following names would be filed FIRST in an alphabetical filing system?