USPS Address and ZIP Code Verification 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A package is addressed to '45 Oak St, Apt 3B, Denver CO 80201.' The ZIP code for that Denver neighborhood is actually 80203. What is the error?
- Street name is misspelled
- Apartment number format is invalid
- ZIP code does not match the city and street (Correct answer)
- State abbreviation is incorrect
Correct answer: ZIP code does not match the city and street
The ZIP code 80201 does not correspond to the correct postal zone for that Denver address; 80203 is the accurate code.
Question 2: Which of the following ZIP+4 codes is formatted correctly?
- 90210-1234 (Correct answer)
- 90210–1234
- 902101234
- 90210 1234
Correct answer: 90210-1234
USPS requires ZIP+4 codes to be written as five digits, a hyphen, then four digits (e.g., 90210-1234).
Question 3: An envelope shows the delivery address as '200 Main Street, Springfield, IL 62702' but the return address city reads 'Springfeld.' Which field contains an error?
- Delivery street number
- Delivery ZIP code
- Return address city spelling (Correct answer)
- Delivery state abbreviation
Correct answer: Return address city spelling
The return address city 'Springfeld' is misspelled; it should be 'Springfield.'
Question 4: A mail piece shows '1600 Pennsylvania Ave NW, Washington, DC 20050.' The correct ZIP for that address is 20500. What type of error is present?
- Missing directional suffix
- Transposed digits in the ZIP code (Correct answer)
- Wrong state abbreviation
- Missing secondary unit designator
Correct answer: Transposed digits in the ZIP code
The digits '0' and '5' are transposed—20050 should be 20500.
Question 5: A carrier receives a parcel addressed to '88 Elm Blvd, Austin TX, 78701.' What punctuation error is present?
- Missing hyphen in ZIP+4
- Comma placed between city and state instead of after the state abbreviation (Correct answer)
- Period after TX
- No space between street number and name
Correct answer: Comma placed between city and state instead of after the state abbreviation
Standard USPS format places the comma after the city name (Austin, TX 78701), not between the city and state as a separator with the state following the comma.
Question 6: Which address element is MOST important for automated mail sorting machines to read correctly?
- Recipient's full name
- Return address
- ZIP code on the last line of the delivery address (Correct answer)
- Postage amount
Correct answer: ZIP code on the last line of the delivery address
Automated sorting equipment primarily reads the ZIP code on the last delivery address line to route mail to the correct facility.
Question 7: A letter is addressed to '55 River Rd, Suite 400, Boston, MA 02134.' The suite number for that building is actually 4000. What kind of error is this?
- Missing digit in the secondary address unit (Correct answer)
- Wrong street type abbreviation
- Incorrect state code
- ZIP code mismatch
Correct answer: Missing digit in the secondary address unit
Suite 400 is missing a zero; the correct suite number is 4000, making this a missing-digit error in the secondary unit.
USPS Address and ZIP Code Verification 2
A package is addressed to '45 Oak St, Apt 3B, Denver CO 80201.' The ZIP code for that Denver neighborhood is actually 80203.
What is the error?