Clerical Exams CLERICAL Skills 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A clerk receives a phone call while filing documents. Which action demonstrates proper office etiquette?
- Ignore the call and continue filing
- Answer the call, identify yourself and your department, and assist the caller (Correct answer)
- Let the call go to voicemail without checking it later
- Answer the call but immediately put it on hold indefinitely
Correct answer: Answer the call, identify yourself and your department, and assist the caller
Professional phone etiquette requires answering promptly, identifying yourself and your department, and providing courteous assistance.
Question 2: When using a numerical filing system, where would you file document number 10432?
- Between 10__(0)__ and 10__(1)__
- Between 10__(3)__ and 10__(5)__
- Between 10431 and 10433 (Correct answer)
- Between 10400 and 10500
Correct answer: Between 10431 and 10433
In numerical filing, documents are placed in exact sequential order, so 10432 goes directly between 10431 and 10433.
Question 3: Which of the following is the BEST practice when proofreading a business letter before mailing?
- Read it once quickly for overall impression
- Check only the spelling using spell-check software
- Read the document multiple times checking for spelling, grammar, formatting, and factual accuracy (Correct answer)
- Only verify that the recipient's name is correct
Correct answer: Read the document multiple times checking for spelling, grammar, formatting, and factual accuracy
Thorough proofreading requires multiple passes to catch different types of errors including spelling, grammar, formatting, and content accuracy.
Question 4: A supervisor asks you to prepare 150 collated copies of a 12-page report by end of day. What should you do FIRST?
- Begin copying immediately without reviewing the document
- Check the copier for paper and toner supply and confirm the document is complete and in order (Correct answer)
- Delegate the task to another clerk
- Tell the supervisor it cannot be done today
Correct answer: Check the copier for paper and toner supply and confirm the document is complete and in order
Verifying supplies and document completeness before starting prevents wasted time from running out of materials or copying an incomplete document.
Question 5: Which keyboard shortcut is used to select all text in a document on a standard Windows computer?
- Ctrl + S
- Ctrl + A (Correct answer)
- Ctrl + P
- Ctrl + Z
Correct answer: Ctrl + A
Ctrl + A is the universal Windows shortcut for selecting all content in a document or window.
Question 6: When maintaining an alphabetical filing system, which name would be filed FIRST?
- MacDonald, James
- Macarthur, Ellen (Correct answer)
- MacBride, Thomas
- Macy, Linda
Correct answer: Macarthur, Ellen
In alphabetical filing, 'Mac' and 'Mc' prefixes are filed letter by letter, making Macarthur (M-A-C-A) come before MacBride (M-A-C-B) and MacDonald (M-A-C-D).
Clerical Exams CLERICAL Skills 2
A clerk receives a phone call while filing documents.
Which action demonstrates proper office etiquette?