Technical Writing MCQs
Technical Writing MCQs
These Technical Writing multiple-choice questions and their answers will help you strengthen your grip on the subject of Technical Writing. You can prepare for an upcoming exam or job interview with these 100+ Technical Writing MCQs.
So scroll down and start answering.
1: What is the purpose of a FAQ?
A. To sell the product
B. To cover up mistakes in the product
C. To provide a place for users to congregate
D. To answer the most common questions
2: Which voice should be used for explaining instructional steps?
A. Active
B. Passive
C. First person
D. Second person
3: What does "SME" refer to?
A. Systematic math entry
B. Subject-matter expert
C. Scientific method exercise
D. Scientific metric effect
4: Which of the following is the best way to summarize a list of software functions in written documentation?
A. Charts
B. In a table
C. Using Images
D. Endnotes
5: True or False: Verb tense alignment is not applicable in technical writing.
A. True
B. False
6: When writing a technical manual for software, what preliminary meetings are best to attend, if possible?
A. Editorial review meetings
B. Management meetings
C. Software design meetings
D. Quality assurance meetings
7: What is the most common way to present task-oriented instructions in written documentation?
A. Step-by-step instructions in numbered lists
B. Video demos
C. Step-by-step instructions in bulleted lists
D. In context-sensitive help
8: True or false? In order to be a technical writer, you must have a technical background.
A. False
B. True
9: Where can explanatory information appear?
A. All of these
B. Before the instructions
C. Below a step
D. After the instructions
10: What is a functional description?
A. A description that provides typical uses, details, and the purpose of the subject.
B. A description that provides warranty information on the subject.
C. A description that provides step-by-step details on using the subject.
11: What portion of a manual addresses issues that can occur with the product?
A. Troubleshooting section
B. Tech support section
C. Addendum section
D. Appendix section
12: Which of the following uses INCORRECT capitalization?
A. The test concluded last winter.
B. The test concluded last Winter.
C. The tests were performed at Madison Square Garden.
D. The scientist used a Bunsen burner to heat the compound.
13: Which of the following is the equivalent of a hyperlink in written documentation?
A. An appendix
B. Endnotes
C. A glossary of terms
D. A cross reference
14: Which of the following is NOT used to markup and/or style technical writing?
A. XML
B. WWW
C. CSS
D. HTML
15: How many iterations of your original document will a technical writer generally be expected to write?
A. At least four interations
B. At least two iterations
C. It depends on how many times the product changes
D. At least three iterations
16: Which of the following traits embody the ideal technical writing style?
A. Parallel sentence structure
B. All of these
C. Concise
D. Authoritative tone
17: In the context of technical writing, what does SME typically stand for?
A. Source Material Engagement
B. Subject Matter Expert
C. Subject Material Error
D. Subject Matter Error
E. Source Manager Evaluation
18: What is cross-browser, cross platform compatibility?
A. Compatibility across multiple technologies, operating systems, and browsers
B. Compatibility across PCs and Macs
C. Compatibility across multiple browsers
D. Compatibility across multiple smart phones and computers
19: If the document relies heavily on technical terms, which of the following should be included?
A. Footnotes
B. Glossary of Terms
C. An appendix
D. A link to an online technical dictionary
20: What is the purpose of a white paper?
A. To explain the product
B. To list the features of the product
C. All of these
D. To offer solutions to problems
21: What is the abstract?
A. A conclusive statement
B. A brief summary of the article
C. A theoretical framework
D. A dataset
22: Technical writing refers to:
A. All of these
B. Writing about technology
C. Providing instructions on how to do something
D. Explaining tech communication
23: As a general rule of thumb technical writers should use _______.
A. Passive voice
B. Active voice
24: Which of the following is the most comprehensive definition of technical writing?
A. Presenting features and benefits in a difficult manner
B. Creating a document designed for engineers
C. Presenting complex information in an understandable manner
D. Documenting tasks, scenarios, and tools
25: Which of the following is the best wording to appear in end user documentation?
A. If the program abends…
B. If the program crashes…
C. If the program shuts down unexpectedly…
D. If the program dies...
26: Research is an important element of most technical writing projects?
A. True
B. False
27: Why are quick-start guides popular?
A. Customers want them and read them
B. They reduce calls to tech support for initial setup
C. All of these
D. They're cost effective
28: When documenting an unfamiliar subject, which of the following people would be the best to consult?
A. Your manager
B. The subject-matter expert
C. The programmers
D. The marketers
29: True or false? It is always best to use complex technical terms because it makes the document more credible.
A. True
B. False
30: Which of these are examples of technical writing?
A. All of these
B. White papers
C. Training manuals
D. Online help files
31: In addition to spelling, grammar, and punctuation, what should a technical writer also check in the document?
A. Formatting
B. Consistency
C. Accuracy
D. All of these
32: When documenting a piece of software and referring to a particular feature, you should follow the spelling…
A. ...prescribed by your chosen dictionary.
B. ...suggested by an applicable style guide.
C. ...used in the software's user interface.
D. ...most commonly used by the target audience.
33: How does technical writing differ from expository writing?
A. A conclusion does not need to be reached
B. Technical writing does not involve proving arguments
C. Technical writing uses flowery language, whereas expository does not
D. Grammar and formatting are not important
34: ______ refers to the veracity of data, while _______ refers to the degree of exactness used in the measurements.
A. accuracy; precision
B. reliability; validity
C. intentional; incidental
D. precision; accuracy
35: Choose the best technical sentence from the following:
A. The exercise increased energy expenditures.
B. The exercise caused the people to use more energy than they might have otherwise used in normal circumstances.
C. The exercise expedited energy expenditures.
D. The exercise was increasing energy expenditures.
36: What does p.r.n. Stand for?
A. As needed
B. Per rectum
C. Per registered nurse
37: When adding a safety hazard or warning to technical procedures, which of the following is the BEST answer for where the hazard or warning statement should be inserted?
A. It is best to insert it at the bottom of the applicable page of the procedure to which it applies.
B. It is best to insert it in a table with the other hazards or warnings.
C. It can be inserted either at the step in the procedure where it is likely to occur or in a table with other hazards / warnings.
D. It is best to insert it at the step in the procedure where it is likely to occur.
38: What level of user will most likely read a technical white paper?
A. Intermediate to expert users
B. Rank novices with no prior knowledge
C. Experts
39: When technical writers talk about "single-source publishing," what do they mean?
A. It is the system that allows technical writers to write once, then use and re-use and deploy the same content in various formats, and even languages.
B. Writers convert paper manuals to online formats.
C. Only one person or department source writes and maintains all the documentation.
D. Software developers write explanatory documentation into their source codes.
40: MLA, APA and Chicago are all used in writing for what?
A. Format
B. Methodology
C. Citations
41: Which verb tense is most effective in technical writing?
A. Present progressive
B. Present
C. Present perfect
D. Regular verbs
42: Which of these is NOT a true statement about documents following a linear (paper) model?
A. They are designed to be read sequentially.
B. They are designed to be read in their entirety.
C. The 'optimal' path through the information is not defined by the writer.
43: What is the FOG test?
A. A test on fog density
B. A readability test
C. The test for Forensic Ocular Graphing
D. A test to make sure your graphs are easily understood
44: What person is primarily responsible for editing a technical manual for style and grammar?
A. The programming team
B. All of these
C. The quality assurance team
D. The writer
45: What is a secondary source?
A. The second group of people interviewed
B. An interpretation of data from a primary source
C. The second resource referenced
D. Sources that are less relevant to your paper
46: When dealing with a help guide on a computer, when a user presses F1 from a field, what kind of help does the user usually receive?
A. All of these
B. Context-sensitive help
C. Scenarios
D. Two or three options to complete the task
47: What does a schematic illustrate?
A. Detailed instructions of how to use a product
B. How an object appears from different angles
C. The way in which something works
D. The feel of a product
48: How to use capitalize titles if names are given?
A. I have never met our congressman, Tim Nelson.
B. I have never met our congressman Tim Nelson.
C. I have never met our Congressman Tim Nelson.
D. I have never met our Congressman, Tim Nelson.
49: What grammatical person is most often used in steps?
A. Implied second person
B. Second person
C. Third person
D. First person
50: Suppose you are citing an author who is citing another author's work. Which author should you cite in your paper?
A. You do not need to cite either author
B. You should formally cite the author of the original experiment
C. You should formally cite both authors
D. You should formally cite the author you are actually reading
51: Which is the proper way to express a temperature in Kelvin?
A. 10 K
B. 10 Kelvin
C. 10˚ K
D. 10 Kelvins
52: Which of these is NOT an XML-based document format?
A. DITA
B. DocBook
C. TEI
D. LaTeX
53: What is RoboHelp?
A. An HTML5 publishing tool
B. A Python publishing tool
C. That paperclip from Word
D. A database of technical terms and tools
54: Which of the following is the best procedure for testing documentation?
A. The beta testers completing the testing
B. Working one's way through the documentation
C. The programmers and the QA team completing the testing
D. Following a written test plan
55: What is the proper terminology for creating multiple outputs from one document?
A. Dual sourcing
B. All sourcing
C. Multiple sourcing
D. Single sourcing
56: What form of style is most often used in software documentation?
A. APA
B. AP
C. Chicago
D. MLA
57: Scientific writing does not follow ornamental or flowery style of writing.
A. True
B. False
58: What is Technical jargon?
A. It is a special word or phrase used by technical writers
B. It is a simple word
C. It is technical word
D. It is a very common word
E. It is a difficult word
59: The Deductive order of writing moves from
A. time to time
B. general to specific
C. specific to general
D. simple to complex
E. general to more general
60: Which of the following is the process of drafting your message?
A. Editing
B. Revising
C. Composing
D. Planning
61: Which of the following is achieved though a balance between precise language and familiar language?
A. Clarity
B. Correctness
C. Concretness
D. Conciseness
62: Choose the correct option. Feasibility reports are used:
A. To solve problems and supply facts.
B. To monitor and control production, sales, shipping, etc.
C. To analyze problems and predict practical alternatives.
D. To control problems, sell products and services.
63: Which of the following are the characteristic features of "Plain English?"
A. Keeping sentences short
B. Using active voice
C. Using words that are appropriate for the reader
D. Using passive voice
64: A technical report should contain the following:
A. Headings
B. Biodata of the writer
C. Factual information
D. Graphics, wherever possible
E. Non-technical content
65: An "Executive Summary" can be part of a:
A. Business Proposal
B. Control Plan
C. Investment Plan
D. Business Plan
66: Which are the two types of specification documentations?
A. Design
B. Technological
C. Functional
D. Logistical
67: Which of the following are Help Authoring Software?
A. Microsoft HTML Help
B. RoboHelp HTML
C. Made-to-Help
D. HTML Help
68: Which of the following is true regarding the "Table of Contents?"
A. It is the same as an index.
B. It is a method of accessing the information contained in a document.
C. It is a list of topics with links to each topic.
D. It can be omitted in a technical document.
69: What should you do to avoid plagiarism?
A. Just make sure to copy from obscure sources.
B. Cite sources when using copyrighted material.
C. Obtain permission before using copyrighted material.
D. Use only Government sources.
E. None of the above
70: If you want to write a technical report on how type-1 diabetes is treated, you will probably include:
A. What causes type-1 diabetes
B. Effects of the disease on the offspring of the affected
C. How the disease is treated
D. The kind of technologies available to treat the disease
71: Which of the following works are not protected?
A. Literary works
B. Standard calendars
C. Height and weight charts
D. Motion pictures
72: Which of the following can you include in a Progress Report?
A. What work remains to be done
B. How much time it will take to complete the work
C. How the previous project was progressing
D. The success level of previously undertaken projects
73: Which of the following statements are true if the cell B1 contains the formula =$A$1?
A. The value of cell B1 contains the same number of characters as the value of cell B2.
B. There is an absolute reference to cell A1 so that the formula =$A$1 can be copied to other cells without changing the reference to A1.
C. There is a relative reference to cell A1 so the formula will change each time it is copied to other cells.
D. The value of cell B1 is equal to the value of the function in cell A1.
74: Which of the following sentences/options describes an "index?"
A. Product names and technical terminology that are included in a document
B. A method of accessing the information that is included in the document
C. An ordered list of words and phrases
75: Choose the correct option among the following: You have opened a page through Internet Explorer and want to see that page on your desktop. You should click the __________ menu, click on _________ and then click _________.
A. Send, File, Shortcut to Desktop
B. File, Send, Shortcut to Desktop
C. File, New, Shortcut to Desktop
D. View, Send, Shortcut to Desktop
76: The __________ abstract should include all the important sections of the report.
A. garrulous
B. feasibility
C. descriptive
D. informative
77: Choose the correct pronouns to fill in the blanks. Let ______ all go for a walk except ______, because ______ is so tired.
A. we, she, she
B. us, her, she
C. us, she, she
D. we, her, she
78: Choose the correct prepositions to fill in the blanks. ______ lack of funds, the plan fell ______.
A. For, down
B. From, through
C. For, through
D. For, out
79: Choose the correct preposition to fill in the blank. All the people injured in the accident have been admitted ______ a hospital.
A. in
B. to
C. into
D. inside
80: Which is the standard language used to create Web pages?
A. JavaScript
B. Hypertext Markup Language (HTML)
C. C
D. C++
81: What are screen shots?
A. Graphics of computer screens that are captured to be inserted in a technical document
B. Pictures that are downloaded from the Internet and inserted in a document, for instance, to help illustrate the instruction manual
C. Graphics that are created by a designer as an illustrated step-by-step manual
D. All of the above
82: State whether true or false: A person's work is only recognized as original if it has a copyright notice attached.
A. True
B. False
83: The name for a set of fonts is termed:
A. Typeface
B. Typefront
C. Keyword face
D. Typefont face
84: What are sections used for in a Word document?
A. To divide the document into parts so that each part may be independently printed when the print command is given
B. To divide the document into parts so as to allow certain parts of the document to display data from a table
C. To divide the document into parts so as to allow certain parts of the document to display data from the Internet
D. To vary the layout of a document within a page or between pages and then allow formatting of each part the way you want
85: Abstracts can be of two types — ___________ and ___________.
A. informative, descriptive
B. descriptive, garrulous
C. garrulous, conclusive
D. conclusive, garrulous
86: Which of the following statements is the most correct and most effective way of writing?
A. The Sigma level of the processes in which a company is involved in is an indicator of how the company is faring in their business processes.
B. Companies measure their business performance by the Sigma level of their processes.
C. The best indicator of how a company is faring in their business processes is to see the Sigma level of their processes in which they are involved.
87: How do you insert a sound file in a Microsoft Word 2007 document?
A. Go to the Insert tab -> Select the Object menu option
B. Go to the Insert tab -> Select the Sound menu option
C. Go to the Insert tab -> Select the File menu option
D. By right-clicking on the document and choosing the "Add sound" option
88: Using the thoughts and writings of other people and passing them as your own is known as_______.
A. Altruism
B. Copying
C. Plagiarism
D. Hedonism
E. Imitation
89: What nature of information does a specification document contain?
A. Information used by programmers
B. Information used by amateurs in software programming
C. Information used by a person who wants to build a product or process
D. Information used by geeks and hackers
90: Choose the correct pronouns to fill in the blanks. ______ and ______ have always understood each other although ______ have always been in different camps.
A. You, I, us
B. You, me, ourselves
C. You, I, ourselves
D. You, I, we
91: A legal violation of a copyright could be a(n) ___________.
A. Social matter
B. Criminal matter
C. Political matter
D. Civil matter
E. Academic matter
92: If you would like to enter a part number for a product in Excel, e.g., 6776736, and would like Excel to treat it as text and not a number, what should you do?
A. Place the character T before the number, e.g., T6776736.
B. Place the characters TX before the number, e.g., TX6776736.
C. Enclose the number in parentheses, e.g., (6776737).
D. Apply the Text Format to the cell.
93: Choose the right option(s) to fill in the blank(s). I find it very hard to remember ______ letters entrusted to me. I remember ______ to do so scores of times.
A. posting, to forget
B. to post, to forget
C. to post, forgetting
D. posting, forgetting
94: A PDF file can be viewed if ____________ is installed.
A. Microsoft Office Professional Edition 2003
B. Adobe Acrobat Reader
C. Macromedia Flash MX
D. WinRAR Archiver
95: Can you insert a new table inside a cell of an existing table in a Microsoft Word document?
A. Yes
B. No
96: STC stands for:
A. Society for Technical Communication
B. Society for Technical Contents
C. Standard Technical Contents
D. Standard Technical Communication
97: How can you select all the blank cells in your Excel worksheet?
A. This must be done manually as it cannot be automated through any built-in feature.
B. Choose Edit -> Select -> Blank under the main menu.
C. Choose Edit -> Go To -> Special menu option.
D. Choose Edit -> Go To -> Go To Special dialog box -> Blanks
98: In Microsoft Excel, you select the row headings 10, 11, and 12 and then choose the menu option Insert -> Rows. What will happen?
A. Three new rows will be inserted after row 12.
B. One new row will be inserted after row 12.
C. Three new rows will be inserted after row 9.
D. One new row will be inserted after row 9.
99: A feasibility and evaluation report is an example of:
A. Report topic
B. Report type
C. Report audience
D. Report purpose
100: Which of the following examples of headings is most effective?
A. How Auto Parts can be Assembled
B. How to Assemble Auto Parts
C. Assembling Auto Parts
D. The Assembling of the Auto Parts
List of Technical Writing MCQs...
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Technical Writing MCQs
Вопросы технического письма на русском языке
Preguntas técnicas de escritura en idiomas españoles.
日本語でのテクニカル ライティングの質問
Domande tecniche di scrittura in lingua italiana
Questions de rédaction technique en langues françaises
Questões de Redação Técnica em Língua Portuguesa
Fragen zum Technischen Schreiben in deutscher Sprache
中文（简体）语言的技术写作问题
أسئلة الكتابة الفنية باللغات العربية
Soal-soal Technical Writing dalam bahasa Indonesia
Türkçe dillerinde Teknik Yazma soruları
