When you use multiple-choice questions, the answer categories must be mutually
exclusive and exhaustive.
Situational interviews ask questions about the kinds of situations one had faced in the
past jobs.
If all your work experience is in your family business, for reference, you can use a
family member who can talk about your work.
After an interview, it is important to call the company several times to show enthusiasm
for the job.
A way to resolve a conflict when one person criticizes everything is to ask the person to
follow up the criticism with a suggestion for improvement.
All characteristics of an audience are important and one should avoid eliminating some
which may seem irrelevant.
Negative message that at first appears to be negative can be structured to create a
positive feeling.
While writing a report, it is best to spend most of one’s time on sections primarily
important to a reader, and one’s own logic.
It is important to highlight information in a subject line if information is neutral or
negative.
Prior to an interview, one should browse a company’s Facebook and Twitter pages in
addition to the company newsletters.
The first step in understanding another culture is to be willing to ask questions about
preferences and behaviors.
The bars on a single bar chart should all be the same width.
One should avoid providing an overview while writing for multiple audiences because
it takes the attention away from the body of the message.
Good business and administrative writing is similar to conversation and less formal
than the style of writing that was used in college essays and term papers.
Once you have defined your problem, the next step is to write a purpose statement.
Every task in the composing process involves brainstorming, planning, getting
feedback, organizing, revising, and evaluating.
Positive emphasis can be created by putting negative information in the middle and
presenting it compactly.
It is appropriate to talk about one’s own emotions in a message of congratulations or
condolence.
To keep visitors long enough on a home page to find or buy what they want, one should
make the first screen extremely easy to use.
(p. 503)-A line graph should be used to compare one item to another item.
A good progress report presents good news by speculating on the reader’s feelings.
The pro-and-con pattern of organizing data is most effective when there is a need to
deemphasize the disadvantages of a proposed solution.
In a summary of a conversation for internal use, one should identify the people who
were present, the topic of discussion, decisions made, and who will be undertaking
which tasks.
Large amounts of information are easier to process if they are presented individually
instead of in groups of seven.
It is mandatory to follow the same, standard conventions in all organizations across the
world.
One should present disciplinary notices and negative performance appraisals indirectly,
with buffers.
A skills rsum is usually best when your education and experience are not the usual route
to the position for which you are applying.
Straightforward negatives build credibility while giving bad news.
A report organized by a comparison/contrast pattern should focus on the alternatives if
the criteria are easy to separate.
Formal companies are characterized by flat organizational structures.
When one needs to convey a bad news through a message, it is good to put the
explanation first.
You will need a minimum of six references for the job search process.
It is acceptable to mention on your rsum that summer employment and scholarships
paid for a substantial portion of your undergraduate college expenses.
A manager at Sirius Cybernetics Corp. must warrant the need for the purchase of new
AI machine translation software, HAL 10000. Hence, he needs to write a _____ report.
A. recommendation
B. feasibility
C. justification
D. problem-solving
E. payback
Peter Cox recently worked on a fuel efficiency campaign as part of Red Planet, a
non-governmental organization in Nevada. He credited the success of the project to a
detailed investigation of possible barriers created by car manufacturers, and lobbyists,
who helped him tackle them better. The support generated by the public’s demand for
mandatory fuel efficiency standards also contributed to the victory. In addition, an
analysis of drawbacks and strengths within the organization played a big role in
achieving campaign milestones. Which of the following patterns of organizing
information did Cox use?
A. Chronological
B. Spatial
C. Geographical
D. SWOT analysis
E. Elimination of alternatives
Melissa Bell works as an assistant editor at a publishing house in Manhattan. Since she
resides 15 miles away from her workplace, she has to commute long hours on the metro
which tires her. In addition, she barely gets to spend time at home with her children.
She intends to talk to the management about a work from home option for a few days in
a week. Which of the following would be a good common ground for Bell to propose?
A. Making time for family
B. Strengthening personal relationships
C. Preventing travel woes
D. Increasing productivity
E. Finding time for household work
Emily has given a presentation to a group of trainees at her hotel on how to deal with
angry, dissatisfied customers. Just as she finishes, one of the trainees asks her a question
on what one should do if one is not sure of the information to be provided to a guest.
Which of the following should she do that will best help her handle the question?
A. Nod her head to indicate that she understands the question.
B. Inform that she has already answered the question before.
C. Link her answers to points she made during her presentation.
D. Say “That is an excellent question."
E. Agree with the questioner and the question and proceed to explain.
Which of the following sentences carries the highest level of politeness?
A. “Submit your campaign report to me latest by Friday."
B. “Please submit your campaign report by Friday."
C. “All campaign reports must be submitted latest by Friday."
D. “Would you please submit your campaign report by Friday?"
E. “Please ensure that you submit your campaign report by Friday."
Which of the following should be undertaken to create white space?
A. Using a mix of paragraph lengths, most not more than seven lines
B. Making the first and last paragraph longer than other paragraphs
C. Using spacing instead of tabs to arrange items vertically
D. Using bullets to follow a specific sequence or pattern
E. Using numbered lists when sequence does not matter
Which of the following is an example of an open body language in the United States?
A. Leaning forward with uncrossed arms
B. Hands in front pockets of one’s trousers
C. Crossed legs while sitting
D. Leaning back in a chair while someone is talking
E. Arms crossed across one’s chest
Which of the following guidelines should be followed while editing a document?
A. The editing process should always be followed by revision of the document.
B. The proofreading process should be undertaken before the revision process.
C. Acknowledgements should be made when information is external to an organization.
D. A spell-check instead of proofreading manually is more efficient to identify errors.
E. It is important to proofreading one’s own document instead of swapping it with
another.
The _____ became law in 2010 and requires all federal agencies to use clear prose that
the public can readily understand.
A. Plain Writing Act
B. Printing Presses and Publications Act
C. Community Whistleblower Protection Act
D. Lobbying and Disclosure Act
E. Welfare Reform Act
A _____ has the power to decide whether to accept a recommendation or not and every
message must reach this audience to fulfill its purpose.
A. gatekeeper
B. watchdog audience
C. primary audience
D. secondary audience
E. auxiliary audience
Which of the following is a design element that helps make data meaningful and
supports arguments in your proposals and reports?
A. Software
B. Modem
C. Internet
D. Visual
E. Desktop
Kimberly Thompson who works for Green Planet, an environmental organization in
Madrid, is working on a project where the team is currently allocating roles and
clarifying nature of tasks for each member in the team. In addition, they decide that
team members will meet every Monday to discuss their progress and setbacks faced.
Which of the following phases is Thompson working on?
A. Formation
B. Coordination
C. Finalization
D. Formalization
E. Interpersonal
Which of the following is recommended while using headings?
A. To use subheads when there are less than two divisions within a main heading
B. To have headings which are non-parallel with one another
C. To use a subhead immediately after a heading
D. To use a heading as an antecedent for a pronoun
E. To cover all the material under it until the next heading
Which of the following must be undertaken by a good buffer?
A. Put the reader in a negative frame of mind to accept the bad news
B. Convey the bad news explicitly in the beginning of a message
C. Convey bad news to a reader ambiguously to avoid antagonizing him
D. Provide a smooth, natural transition to the body of the letter
E. Convert a bad news into a good piece of news through persuasion
If a company is unsure whether it should change or not, a proposal serves the purpose
of:
A. Creating a record of the implementation process
B. Developing a plan for achieving the desired change
C. Implementing a suitable plan which meets its needs
D. Increasing measurable outcomes of possible changes
E. Assessing whether change is a good idea.
Which of the following guidelines should be followed during site visits that involve
meals and semisocial occasions?
A. Eat a good, heavy lunch to avoid being hungry later
B. To be polite, accept alcohol offered even if one does not drink
C. Let one’s guard down by drinking alcohol as much as being offered
D. Be aware of table manners while eating a meal
E. Keeping arms crossed constantly to demonstrate positive body language
Sarah Roswell works at a software company in Indonesia and recently wrote a report on
“Corporate Social Responsibility.” In her report, she explained how in the past decade,
Indonesia has witnessed severe impacts of climate change. She states that several large
multinational companies are making a paradigm shift to renewable energy to tackle the
problem of climate change. She suggests that lowering the company’s carbon footprint
is a good step toward corporate social responsibility. Which of the following is
Roswell’s report influenced by?
A. Religious feelings
B. Individual behaviors
C. Intuition
D. Trends
E. Philosophical beliefs
Lee is researching for a project titled, “Harmful Impact of Electronics on our Lives” and
will soon have a research assistant joining him in his project. With another person
working on the project, Lee is glad that the work will be completed much before the
deadline. However, when he conveyed the good news to the funding agency, they found
his statement slightly offensive. Which of the following did Lee most likely say?
A. “You will be overwhelmed to know that a research assistant will be joining me to
work on the project."
B. “There will be an additional member on the team who will help fasten the process
substantially."
C. “From next week, we will have a research assistant working on the project with me.
We expect to finish the work before deadline."
D. “Having a research assistant work on the project will help us complete the work a
week before the expected date."
Lisa Robinson is a sales manager at a bank. She recently received an electronic mail
from a team member, John Hill, requesting leave during Christmas. Though the mail
was formulated well, she felt like Hill was shouting at her. Which of the following did
Hill most likely use?
A. Sentences in green font among other text in black
B. Headings which were short and brief
C. Important sentences in full capitals
D. Long, descriptive sentences
E. White space between text
Which of the following is a difference between editing and revising processes?
A. The editing process involves major changes in a document in contrast with revision.
B. The editing process focuses on the surface of writing, unlike revision.
C. The editing process measures milestones and objectives of a report unlike revision.
D. The editing process involves analyzing needs of audiences in contrast with revision.
E. The editing process comprises of gathering additional information as opposed to
revision.
Which of the following is a difference between monologue presentation and guided
discussion?
A. Monologue presentations are lengthier than guided presentations.
B. Monologue presentations garner more audience response.
C. Monologue presentations produce more commitment to the result.
D. Monologue presentations produce more responses regarding analysis.
E. Monologue presentations need less time than guided presentations.
Which of the following kinds of reports substantiate a purchase, investment, hiring, or
change in policy?
A. Recommendation report
B. Information report
C. Closure report
D. Justification report
E. Match report
Written forms of communications are preferable over oral forms of communication
when:
A. group decisions need to be made.
B. misunderstandings need to be cleared quickly.
C. communication needs to be personal.
D. conflicts need to be resolved immediately.
E. communication needs to be formal.
Which of the following should be undertaken while creating subject lines which will
help an e-mail be read?
A. Make the subject line ambiguous and general to cater to a large audience
B. Highlight the subject line if information is neutral or negative
C. Use generic tags such as “hello” or “thank you” to give the message a friendly note
D. Name drop in the subject line to make an appropriate connection
E. Ensure the reader does not recognize the sender to eliminate possible bias
Which of the following does revisions in you-attitude result in?
A. Changed meaning of a sentence
B. Shorter, crisper sentences
C. Reduction of information
D. Creation of vague concepts
E. More information
The _____ is an all-too-brief time for an interviewee to highlight qualifications and
expect questions that give him/her an opportunity to showcase one’s strong points and
questions that probe any weaknesses evident from a rsum.
A. opening
B. conclusion
C. body
D. close
E. introduction
Mildred Gilbert, who works for a travel company, recently gave a presentation to her
manager on a marketing plan for the next financial year. In the presentation, she
ensured that all communication was well organized, and all procedures followed a
distinct structure and timeframe. Which of the following personality types was Gilbert’s
audience according to the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator?
A. Perceiving
B. Sensing
C. Intuiting
D. Extroverting
E. Judging
Which of the following is a secondary purpose of a persuasive message?
A. To help an audience make a decision
B. To make an audience change or alter beliefs
C. To build a good image of the communicator
D. To aid a reader to undertake action
E. To establish further communication on the same issue
Which of the following should be undertaken while writing proposals?
A. Ensure unimportant information is provided in the beginning
B. Place most important data in the beginning or end of the proposal
C. Use a different structure from the RFP to help the proposal stand out better
D. Use headings distinctly different from the RFP when replying to it
E. Avoid using the same terminology as used in the RFP
The Traffic Safety Department of Toronto is organizing a presentation on Road Safety
on World Road Safety Day. Which of the following statements will best help in making
the presentation relevant to the audience’s experiences?
A. “Safety is the number-one priority of our department."
B. “Think how your heart raced the last time you had a close call on the road."
C. “Seat belts save lives. Make sure you put them on while you drive."
D. “You are required by law to wear your seat belt while driving."
E. “The department cares about your safety. It is better to be safe than sorry."
Rhonda Wells is a relationship manager at Orbit Bank in California. She needs to write
to a customer to let him know that his application for an increase in credit limit has
been approved. In her message, she includes information about the company’s history
and testimonials from other valued customers. What is Wells’ secondary purpose of
including this additional information?
A. Building a good image of her organization
B. Cementing a good relationship with her manager
C. Making the receiver view the information positively
D. Providing good news to the customer
E. Having the receiver view the information neutrally
Explain the general to particular and particular to general patterns of organizing
information.
When should one use a chronological rsum and a skills rsum?
Explain in brief, the process to create good messages.
How do monologue presentations, guided discussions, and interactive presentations
differ from one another?
What are the factors which determine whether focus should be on criteria or alternatives
in a compare/contrast pattern?
What are some key points one needs to know while writing to international audiences?
Kevin Harvey, a sales manager at Williamson Bank, attended a team meeting where he
asked members how they felt about their performances and whether they felt that their
monthly sales targets were unrealistic. What team role is Harvey playing?
What are some key design principles that one should keep in mind while creating a
brochure?
Johanna Roberts works for Hotel Notre-Dame in Paris and has a total of ten years of
work experience in the hotel industry. She now wants to strengthen her online networks
with working professionals from the same field across Europe so that she can look out
for better work opportunities. She wants a social media site which focuses exclusively
on work. What should Roberts be using which will help her in this purpose?
What should you include in a follow-up letter after an interview?
Describe the components of a visual.
Susan Daniels has recently moved to the communications team of her company and
realizes that one of her new team members, Lee Pierce moves around in a wheelchair.
She has never worked with anyone in such a situation and is weary of the kind of
communication she should use with him. What are some key points she should
remember while communicating with him?
When should a persuasive direct request be used?
What are recommendation reports and how are they different from justification reports?
What is the purpose of checking for inferences while handling criticisms?
What are some of the key guidelines to follow while raising a fund-raising appeal?
List out the positive roles and actions that help a team achieve its task goals.
