Clerical Exams CLERICAL Coding & Info Ordering 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A filing code system assigns numbers based on document type: 100-series for correspondence, 200-series for financial records, 300-series for personnel files, and 400-series for contracts. A signed vendor agreement should be filed under which series?
- 100-series
- 200-series
- 300-series
- 400-series (Correct answer)
Correct answer: 400-series
A vendor agreement is a contract, so it belongs in the 400-series, which is designated for contracts.
Question 2: A clerk must prioritize incoming mail using the following rule: Mark 'URGENT' if the postmark is more than 5 days old; mark 'ROUTINE' if 3–5 days old; mark 'CURRENT' if fewer than 3 days old. Today is Wednesday the 15th. A letter postmarked Friday the 9th should be marked:
- CURRENT
- ROUTINE
- URGENT (Correct answer)
- PENDING
Correct answer: URGENT
Friday the 9th to Wednesday the 15th is 6 days, which exceeds the 5-day threshold, so the letter is marked URGENT.
Question 3: When entering names into an alphanumeric index, the name 'St. Claire, John' should be indexed as:
- St. Claire, John
- Saint Claire, John
- Stclaire, John (Correct answer)
- Claire St., John
Correct answer: Stclaire, John
Standard alphabetic filing rules treat prefixes like 'St.' as part of the surname and file them as one unit without punctuation, so 'St. Claire' is indexed as 'Stclaire'.
Question 4: A records coding system uses letter suffixes to indicate document status: '-A' for active, '-C' for closed, '-P' for pending review, and '-H' for on hold pending legal. A case that has been settled and is no longer open should receive which suffix?
- -A
- -C (Correct answer)
- -P
- -H
Correct answer: -C
A settled case is no longer open or active, so it is considered closed and should receive the '-C' suffix.
Question 5: A data-entry clerk is processing a stack of forms and must sort them before entry. The correct order for processing should be:
- Enter all forms immediately, then verify afterward
- Sort by date received, oldest first, then enter in that order (Correct answer)
- Enter the most recently received forms first to meet deadlines
- Group forms alphabetically by last name before sorting by date
Correct answer: Sort by date received, oldest first, then enter in that order
Standard clerical processing requires sorting documents by date received with the oldest first to ensure fairness, accurate sequencing, and proper workflow order.
Question 6: A coding system assigns region codes as follows: Northeast = NE, Southeast = SE, Midwest = MW, and Southwest = SW. A secondary code is added for state: 'NY' for New York, 'FL' for Florida, 'OH' for Ohio, and 'TX' for Texas. What is the correct full code for a record originating from Ohio?
- NE-OH
- SE-OH
- MW-OH (Correct answer)
- SW-OH
Correct answer: MW-OH
Ohio is a Midwest state, so it receives the regional prefix MW combined with the state code OH, resulting in MW-OH.
Clerical Exams CLERICAL Coding & Info Ordering 1
A filing code system assigns numbers based on document type: 100-series for correspondence, 200-series for financial records, 300-series for personnel files, and 400-series for contracts.
A signed vendor agreement should be filed under which series?