49) Where could an employee find information on the organization’s official position on issues
that affect the company’s success?
A) Policy reports
B) Compliance reports
C) Position papers
D) Topical reports
E) Category papers
50) Which type of report is an annual tax report?
A) Monitor
B) Operating
C) Activity
D) Compliance
E) Policy
51) Which type of topical organization would be used to explain a chain of events?
A) Geography
B) Chronology
C) Importance
D) Sequence
E) Category
52) Which of the following should be developed when a company wants to convince outsiders to
invest in the firm?
A) A compliance plan
B) A control-and-monitor plan
C) A business plan
D) A policy report
E) White papers
53) Which of the follow explains how investors can profit from investments in an organization?
A) Design and development plan
B) Operations plan
C) Critical risks and problems
D) Financial projections
E) Exit strategy
54) Which part of a business plan looks at significant factors that could affect the company
negatively?
A) Critical risks and problems
B) Financial projections and requirements
C) Design and development plans
D) Operations plan
E) Exit strategy
55) A writer who wants to use a ________ to build an informational report can choose from a
number of arrangement patterns, such as geography, sequence, chronology, category, or
importance.
A) talking pattern of organization
B) topical pattern of organization
C) demonstrative pattern of organization
D) representative pattern of organization
E) white paper outline of organization
56) As it relates to a formal business plan, the ________ defines how the company will generate
revenue and produce a profit.
A) marketing strategy
B) business model
C) action forecast
D) financial projection
E) white paper forecast
57) All ________ are written in response to regulations of one sort or another.
A) compliance reports
B) operating reports
C) white papers
D) position papers
E) marketing strategies
58) A ________ is written to validate a decision that has already been made.
A) project proposal
B) progress report
C) compliance report
D) justification report
E) strategy analysis
59) When you’re writing a business plan, you must include a ________ section to explain the
purpose of your business and what you hope to accomplish.
A) mission and objectives
B) design and development
C) products and services
D) financial projections and requirements
60) All of the following EXCEPT ________ are categories of informational reports.
A) reports to monitor and control operations
B) reports to demonstrate compliance
C) reports to document progress
D) reports to assess opportunities
61) Topical organization strategies for informational reports include all of the following
EXCEPT
A) complexity.
B) sequence.
C) importance.
D) comparison.
62) A ________ outlines an organization’s official position on issues that affect its success.
A) policy report
B) position paper
C) feasibility report
D) business plan
63) Business reports don’t require a work plan.
64) For long, complex reports, the indirect approach tends to be less effective than the direct
approach.
65) In business reports, it is never appropriate to combine the direct and indirect approaches by
revealing conclusions and recommendations as you go along.
66) Plans provide feedback on a wide variety of an organization’s functions.
67) Informational reports are used when employees and managers need to make decisions or take
action.
68) Topical organization is rarely used when creating informational reports.
69) A company’s mission statement, structure, and objectives can be found in its business plan.
70) Describe the elements of a formal business plan.
71) Which types of information should be included when writing a summary for a business plan?
72) Identify and describe six ways to use topical organization when writing an informational
report.
73) How does the term “topical organization” pertain to informational reports?
74) What are the four general categories of informational reports?
75) What is the difference between a solicited and an unsolicited proposal?
76) Which type of report is used to judge the likelihood of success when launching new
products?
A) Troubleshooting
B) Feasibility
C) Market analysis
D) Failure analysis
E) Due diligence
77) Which type of problem solving report should be used to study negative events that happened
in the past so they are not repeated?
A) Justification
B) Due diligence
C) Market analysis
D) Failure analysis
E) Feasibility
78) Which of the following is one of the reasons analytical reports are more challenging to write
than informational reports?
A) You need to ensure your analysis is complete
B) You will have to find and define the problem or opportunity yourself
C) Most readers will not be interested in reading about problems
D) There must be a strong hypothesis established in order to begin the writing process
E) You must present conclusions to problems or opportunities identified, in addition to
informational summaries
79) Which of the following is a method of dividing a complex problem into a series of logical,
connected questions?
A) Problem factoring
B) Forming a hypothesis
C) 2 + 2 approach
D) Market analysis
E) Due diligence
80) Which of the following is the process of examining financial aspects of a proposed decision
in an analytical report?
A) Troubleshooting
B) Feasibility reporting
C) Due diligence
D) Failure analysis
E) Market analysis
81) Which of the following is developed based on speculation about the cause of a problem?
A) A hypothesis
B) Problem factoring
C) A yardstick solution
D) A feasibility report
E) Failure analysis
82) Which of the following is an advantage to focusing on conclusions and recommendations in
an analytical report?
A) The report will be longer and include more detail
B) The readers will agree on criteria for each alternative
C) Readers will quickly grasp what the conclusions or recommendations do
D) All criteria used in the decision-making process are fully explained
E) It puts a hostile or skeptical audience at ease
83) How can you ensure your recommendations are ethical when they involve risk?
A) Clearly address each risk inherent in the recommendations
B) Specifically identify the potential benefit tied to the risks
C) Use a matrix approach to allow the audience to see the logic of the recommendations
D) Use logic to guide the audience toward the responses you want them to choose
E) Include only the technical criteria used to evaluate each possible solution
84) Analytical reports for skeptical audiences should generally follow the ________ approach.
A) direct
B) indirect
C) hypothetical
D) aggressive
E) persuasive
85) One potential drawback of focusing immediately on conclusions in a report is that you may
A) reveal information you know about that has not been included in the report.
B) make everything you say seem too simple.
C) have new ideas that cannot be introduced later.
D) eliminate the need to read the report.
E) make the report longer and more difficult to write.
86) A report focused on recommendations should
A) first establish or verify the need for action.
B) not include conclusions.
C) avoid mentioning any potential risks.
D) outline costs, but not in detail.
E) begin with a summary of the issues.
87) If the audience for your report is likely to accept what you have to say, focus on
A) the logical arguments in your report.
B) your conclusions and recommendations.
C) the benchmarks used to compile your results.
D) the criteria used in your decision-making process.
E) using the yardstick approach to prove your central message.
88) If your readers will want to know what they ought to do in a given situation, then your report
should focus on
A) the conclusions.
B) improving the writing process.
C) the recommendations.
D) verifying sources of information.
E) establishing your credentials