Marion is comparing the sales volume in her region to the sales volumes in seven other
regions in the country. She should choose a bar chart to illustrate this data in a visual.
Answer:
Effective design, like most aspects of communication, is unaffected by conventions.
Answer:
It is never appropriate to be nervous during an interview.
Answer:
When writing about things that you have done, said, or seen, “I” should be avoided
because it may seem egocentric. Instead, phrases like “this writer” should be used.
Answer:
Smartphones allow users to conduct word processing, learn their next tasks, and update
a job’s status.
Answer:
To ensure that visuals translate well across cultures, make sure you use English
language punctuation.
Answer:
Application letters should be addressed to the company in general or the personnel
office, not to a specific person by name.
Answer:
Employment counselors advise that you not leave a gap on your résumé.
Answer:
Which of the following statements is TRUE of communication skills at entry-level
jobs?
A. Communication skills are not important, since new employees do not communicate
with others.
B. Communication skills are ranked relatively low among the qualities which
employers look for.
C. Communication skills are required for understanding instructions and for asking
questions.
D. Communication skills are not necessary if a person has good reasoning and
technical skills.
E. Communication skills are not required, because people at entry-level jobs do not
have writing responsibilities.
Answer:
Which of the following statements is TRUE of conventions?
A. They remain constant over long periods of time.
B. They are widely accepted practices.
C. They apply universally to all audiences.
D. They are practices one seldom encounters.
E. They can be best learned by reading reports.
Answer:
In order to prevent the audience from ignoring deadlines which seem arbitrary, you
should show the cost of delaying action.
Answer:
The secondary audience will merely encounter your message, but will not have to
interact with it.
Answer:
Nonverbal communication consists of selecting words and phrasing sentences.
Answer:
Active listening alone can reduce the conflict that arises when two people want
apparently inconsistent things.
Answer:
Phone calls are a better choice than face-to-face visits when a business requires
negotiation or a dialogue.
Answer:
Breaking large tasks into small ones is an effective time management technique.
Answer:
A good way to organize a memo or letter of transmittal is to start by saying what you
are sending.
Answer:
Unlike his boss, Mitchel, who is an entry-level engineer, does not require skills in
reasoning, mathematics, and communication.
Answer:
The three basic purposes of oral presentations are to inform, to persuade, and to build
goodwill.
Answer:
While delivering a presentation, you should focus most of your attention on the screen
instead of the audience.
Answer:
Once you are hired, avoid doing small jobs, such as making coffee or refilling the paper
tray.
Answer:
Many careers sites recommend that you post your résumé on as many websites as
possible to get maximum exposure to different employers.
Answer:
People are more likely to read brochures if the text has interesting headlines and selling
points.
Answer:
“When writing a document, you should place the main point in the middle of a long
first paragraph in order to keep the reader from skipping information.”
Answer:
It is an effective practice to use a more informal style when writing to international
audiences.
Answer:
When you send out regularly scheduled messages on the same topic, it is important to
put new material at the top or use color for new or changed entries.
Answer:
Gantt charts are a type of bar chart.
Answer:
Successful teams take time to acknowledge each member during team meetings.
Answer:
Sometimes, the culture to which a team belongs can be a distinct asset that unites
strangers in positive ways.
Answer:
Prior to an interview, it is useful for a candidate to browse a company’s Facebook and
Twitter pages in addition to the company newsletters.
Answer:
Which of the following is true of positive emphasis?
A. Positive emphasis always seems sincere.
B. Positive emphasis is always appropriate.
C. Positive emphasis cannot be overdone.
D. Positive emphasis cannot cloud the reality of any situation.
E. Positive emphasis can be made more effective through restraint.
Answer:
While evaluating sources of data for writing a report, asking yourself the question, “If
the subject supports multiple viewpoints, are other opinions referenced or explained?”
lets you primarily assess:
A. the objectivity of the source.
B. the author’s credentials.
C. the validity of constituent data.
D. the currency of the data.
E. the authenticity of the data.
Answer:
Yan has been assigned the task of training the new employees at work. Which of the
following types of presentations will Yan most likely use during his training sessions?
A. Validating presentations
B. Informative presentations
C. Goodwill presentations
D. Persuasive presentations
E. Decision-making presentations
Answer:
Which of the following may be used as a decorative device in a document?
A. A numbered sequence
B. Arrows
C. Bullet points
D. White space
E. Tables
Answer:
Which of the following best defines a good proposal?
A. They are created exclusively for experts.
B. They avoid supporting generalizations and inferences with data.
C. They anticipate and answer questions by readers.
D. They are complex in form and nature.
E. They limit benefits to those for the most influential reader.
Answer:
Alfred, an employee at a software company, is a single father who has opted to work
from home every day from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The software company is promoting
Alfred’s work/family balance through _____.
A. employee referral
B. telecommuting
C. cross-training
D. phishing
E. flextime
Answer:
In the context of interpersonal communication, which of the following is typically an
example of an acknowledgment response?
A. Thinking
B. Contemplating
C. Nodding
D. Introspecting
E. Humming
Answer:
The _____ has the power to decide whether to accept recommendations on the basis of
the message, and every message must reach this audience in order to fulfill its purpose.
A. gatekeeper
B. secondary audience
C. primary audience
D. watchdog audience
E. whistle-blower
Answer:
Derek is preparing a budget for his research project, and the institute he is submitting
the proposal to receives many funding proposals. Which of the following budgeting
guidelines should Derek follow?
A. Always ask for as little as possible, since the lower the budget the more chances it
will be approved.
B. Pay particular attention to costs that may appear to benefit him more than the
sponsor.
C. Costs pertaining to travel and equipment should be ignored.
D. Avoid including indirect costs for administration and infrastructure.
E. Do not include costs that will be paid from other sources.
Answer:
Helen works for a well-reputed advertising firm. She is popular among her colleagues
because of her excellent listening skills. Which of the following is Helen most likely
doing to reduce listening errors during conversations on the job?
A. Focusing more on formulating her reply than on understanding what a speaker is
saying
B. Ignoring instructions from the speaker that may seem unnecessary or irrelevant
C. Paraphrasing what a speaker has said to correct her understanding
D. Paying no attention to a speaker’s background and experience
E. Avoiding using you-attitude while listening
Answer:
Liam is a professional writer. His books, mostly based on managing relationships,
achieving success at work, and a work-life balance, are commonly read by people in
their early 30s while they travel from work to office. Keeping this in mind, which of the
following practices in designing these books will be ineffective?
A. Numbering items or segments in the books
B. Using very little white space in the books
C. Making the books small enough so that they can be held easily
D. Making use of headings within the books
E. Grouping chunks of related information in paragraphs
Answer:
Which of the following is an appropriate subject line for a neutral or positive message?
A. Hello! Good news!
B. Thank You for the Effort
C. Office Will Be Closed Tomorrow
D. Submit Reports by 12.12.2014
E. Points to Be Discussed in the Next Meeting
Answer:
When a reader is reluctant to grant your request, which of the following variation of the
problem-solving pattern is considered appropriate?
A. Don’t summarize the action needed to implement your recommendation.
B. Always submit your solution in a friendly, informal manner.
C. Use generic examples to prove seriousness of the problem.
D. Present your solution impersonally.
E. Pretend that your solution does not have any disadvantages.
Answer:
In which of the following patterns of organizing information are arguments for and
against a particular alternative presented under specific headings?
A. Spatial
B. Pro-and-con
C. Problem-solution
D. Elimination of alternatives
E. SWOT analysis
Answer:
Which of the following examples in a job application letter best demonstrates
you-attitude?
A. Your company has recently set up two new offices in Toulouse.
B. A company of your standing could offer me the training and experience I need to
excel in my career.
C. My experience in sales has taught me to accurately predict customer demand.
D. Running my own business taught me that you need to manage customer
relationships.
E. A proactive and creative individual like me is necessary for the success of your
business.
Answer:
Yosef is writing the budget section of a proposal on funding for a concert, “Music for a
Cause.” After careful calculation, he concludes that a total of $12,000,000 will be
required for the event. Which of the following is an appropriate guideline that will help
him win the bid?
A. State an amount much lower than $12,000,000 which will increase his chances of
winning.
B. Exclude less obvious costs such as overhead which can be negotiated.
C. Avoid including costs that will be paid from other sources since they are irrelevant.
D. Ask for $12,000,000 since it is required for the event to be successful.
E. Find out what others are bidding and quote a budget accordingly.
Answer:
Maria and Tina are having a telephone conversation and both use the word “ascent” at
different points of the conversation. While Maria uses the word to mean “progressing
upward,” Tina interprets it as “assent.” This scenario is representative of _____.
A. sampling
B. branching
C. digressing
D. rebuttal
E. bypassing
Answer:
Which of the following guidelines should you follow while choosing a level of
formality for a business document?
A. Use a formal style even if the document is for someone you have interacted with.
B. Use contractions if the document is for someone you are not familiar with.
C. Avoid using abbreviations in e-mails even if they are part of your group’s culture.
D. Pay particular attention to your style of writing when conveying bad news.
E. Use personal pronouns and second-person in reports to make them more efficient.
Answer:
A customer walks into a restaurant, sits at a table, and calls out “Can a waitress please
take our orders?” What makes his statement biased?
A. It is feministic.
B. It is gender-neutral.
C. It is sexist.
D. It is racist.
E. It is ageist.
Answer:
Eat Festival, a restaurant near New York’s Central Park, attracts more customers than
any other restaurant in that commercial hub. The owners of Eat Festival believe that the
reason for having such a wide customer base is because they appeal to the large
working subgroup in the area who are pressed for time. Which of the following
objective features does Eat Festival essentially focus on that meets the needs of the
working subgroup?
A. High rise chairs
B. Elite customer base
C. Play-area for kids
D. Pre-packed, combo lunches
E. Tasteful décor
Answer:
Yui Hongo works as a guest-relations executive at Stargaze Hotel. She writes a letter to
a guest who has recently become a member of the premier club at the hotel. Which of
the following introductory statements written by Yui best illustrates you-attitude?
A. You are now a premier club member of Stargaze Hotel.
B. You will be delighted to know that you have become a premier club member of the
hotel.
C. We, at Stargaze Hotel, are glad to inform you that you are now a premier club
member.
D. I am sure you will be happy to know that you are now a part of our premier club
family.
E. It gives me pleasure to inform you that you are now in our premium club.
Answer:
“Anything the mind can conceive and believe, it can achieve.” – Napoleon Hill
What kind of an opener to a message is this?
A. Startling statement
B. Anecdote
C. Narration
D. Quotation
E. Question
Answer:
Aniyah has designed a brochure and is not happy with the alignment of the graphics and
the text. She feels that the headings, graphics, and the text are not unified. Which of the
following is the best way to align them?
A. Using a grid
B. Using proportional font
C. Using ragged right margins
D. Placing the graphics in a Z pattern
E. Placing the graphics at the top left-hand corner
Answer:
Which of the following statements is generally true of references included on résumés?
A. Résumés no longer include references but mention that they are available on
request.
B. At least five, usually no more than ten, references are required.
C. Include personal and character references to elaborate on your behavioral traits.
D. Relatives and friends, even if you’ve worked for them, should not be given as
references.
E. References that the reader knows are not recommended.
Answer:
Identify the correct statement about the length of a typical job application letter?
A. A short letter is extremely persuasive.
B. A short letter suggests interest and enthusiasm for a job.
C. A sentence has to be made short by eliminating content.
D. A letter should consist of at least three paragraphs.
E. A letter over a page is seen as extremely lengthy and wordy.
Answer:
Saul is planning on writing a feasibility report for his business plan. He intends to use
this report to get some capital to start his business. Also, this report has to be created
keeping in mind the multiple audiences at his current office: the venture capitalists, the
bankers, and the managers. Which of the following practices should Saul adopt while
drafting the feasibility report?
A. Since the report will be used by both internal and external audiences, Saul should
adopt a more informal style of writing.
B. If the decision makers don’t need details that other audiences will need, Saul should
provide such details in the report’s appendices.
C. When writing the body of the report, Saul should not make any assumptions about
the degree of knowledge that the decision makers will have.
D. Saul should actively use personal pronouns in the report to keep the style of the
report conversational.
E. Saul should place background and explanatory information under the same heading
to make it easier for his readers to locate the required information.
Answer:
Which of the following is a way to build one’s credibility?
A. By appealing to popularity
B. By appealing to authority
C. By being factual and reliable
D. By using psychological reactance
E. By exaggerating details
Answer:
Frances is a forest preservation expert and needs to attend a video conference interview
with a rainforest conservation organization. In the past week, she has managed to
prepare well for the position she is applying for and has undertaken substantial research
on the organization. Which of the following will help her have a good video conference
interview?
A. Ensuring that she answers questions in a way that shows she has memorized them
well
B. Providing detailed answers in the beginning, so that her employer cannot ask
follow-up questions
C. Ensuring that her answers are over four minutes each and elaborating on all related
details
D. Avoiding asking the interviewers if they want more information about her answers
E. Doing a practice video ahead of time and checking her posture, gestures, and facial
expressions
Answer:
When receiving criticism from a supervisor, which of the following actions will help
you judge the quality of the criticism?
A. Focusing on your response
B. Expressing your resentment
C. Ignoring the criticism
D. Asking questions
E. Criticizing the supervisor
Answer:
What does Daniel Pink’s research indicate about motivators used at work places?
A. Financial motivators always work for employees irrespective of financial fairness
levels.
B. Carrot motivators work well for employees who need to be innovative at their jobs.
C. Carrot motivators increase creativity at work places and improve efficiency.
D. Stick motivators are especially helpful to tackle unethical and illegal behavior.
E. Carrot motivators decrease innovation and turn creative work into drudgery.
Answer:
Which of the following is a technique for creating positive emphasis in a message?
A. Placing the negative information at the beginning of the message
B. Justifying the negative information in the message by giving a reason
C. Using hidden negatives in the message in place of negative connotations
D. Focusing on the limitations of the audience so that they can be overcome
E. Avoiding linking the negative information in the message to an audience benefit in
any way
Answer:
A sentence reads “We must review the feedback that is enclosed within this e-mail and
act on the suggestions that the customer has offered us.” Which of the following
correctly rephrases this sentence to make it less wordy and to reduce the business jargon
in contains?
A. We must review the feedback enclosed along with this e-mail and then see whether
we can act on the customer’s suggestions.
B. We must review the enclosed feedback and act on the customer’s suggestions.
C. We must review the feedback which is enclosed and then act on the suggestions
offered by the customer.
D. We must review the feedback that has been enclosed and then act on the customer’s
suggestions.
E. As per the feedback enclosed herewith, we must act on the customer’s suggestions.
Answer:
Olga is a public relations executive at an educational institution and needs to invite
Florence Woods, a renowned author, for the institution’s annual function in March. Olga
knows that Florence has a busy schedule and travels around the globe for her work.
Which of the following should Olga undertake while composing her e-mail, keeping in
mind Florence’s time restraints?
A. Put important details about the annual meet in the middle paragraph
B. Use an overview if the e-mail is less than one screen long
C. Limit the e-mail to the main topic of the annual meet
D. Avoid using headings if her e-mail is more than one screen long
E. Use off-topic materials to make the e-mail interesting
Answer:
During a business meeting, the chairperson said he highly appreciated the speaker’s
talk. However, the speaker took offence at this gesture. Given this scenario, we can
conclude that the speaker was most likely a(n) _____.
A. American
B. Chinese
C. Japanese
D. Indonesian
E. Indian
Answer:
Lesley works for Stop Now, a boutique for clothing, and has been asked by her manager
to write a report on “Growth of Stop Now in the last 5 Years.” What can Lesley do to
create white space in her document and make it easier to read? Explain with examples.
Answer:
List the characteristics of well-designed survey questions.
Answer:
How do monologue presentations, guided discussions, and interactive presentations
differ from one another?
Answer:
List four guidelines that will help you choose points to include in a job application
letter.
Answer:
List and explain the various types of reports based on the variety of information they
can provide.
Answer:
Explain how to organize a persuasive direct request.
Answer:
Explain how full justification is different from ragged right margins and when each
should be used.
Answer:
David is planning to design a web page for his company. He has numerous pictures that
he can use and has written a draft of what he wants to place on this marketing page. He
would like to follow standard conventions to design an attractive, user-friendly website.
Describe some of the guidelines that David should consider when creating his page.
Answer:
Why are drawings often more useful than photographs for depicting information
visually?
Answer:
Explain what a wiki is and what its functions and advantages are in business
communications.
Answer:
Explain good communication strategies for the sensing type and the judging type in the
Myers-Briggs typology.
Answer:
Explain, with the help of an example, what the problem section of a proposal contains.
Answer:
Describe the different types of reports that can be information, analytical, or
recommendation reports, depending on the particular situation.
Answer:
When is it useful to use visuals in a written document?
Answer:
What kind of persuasion is best for an organization and its culture?
Answer:
What is a topic sentence? How does it strengthen a piece of writing?
Answer:
What activities does the planning process in writing involve?
Answer:
How do video conferences help enhance business communication?
Answer:
Edward has recently joined a new project, for which he needs to regularly coordinate
with his colleague, Ken Bradley, to discuss project activities. He understands that the
content of their communication needs to be confidential and should not leave any paper
trail. In addition, he wants to establish a good working relationship with Mr. Bradley for
future projects through this communication. Explain what common media Edward
should use to establish communication efficiently with Mr. Bradley and why.
Answer: