CASS USPS Addressing Standards & Compliance 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A ZIP+4 code appended during CASS processing could not be determined for a valid street address. What is the most likely cause?
- The street name contains special characters
- The address is a new development not yet in the AMS database (Correct answer)
- The city name is abbreviated incorrectly
- The mailer used mixed-case formatting
Correct answer: The address is a new development not yet in the AMS database
New developments and recently built addresses may not yet be reflected in the Address Management System (AMS) database, preventing ZIP+4 assignment.
Question 2: How does CASS certification treat a Secondary Address Unit (SAU) that exists in the database but was not provided in the input address?
- It inserts the SAU automatically from the database
- It flags the address as requiring secondary information (Correct answer)
- It marks the address as undeliverable
- It passes the address without modification
Correct answer: It flags the address as requiring secondary information
When CASS detects that a secondary unit is required but absent, it sets the DPV footnote indicating missing secondary information rather than fabricating the unit.
Question 3: Which suffix would CASS software assign when standardizing the street type 'AVENUE' in an output address?
- AVN
- AVE (Correct answer)
- AV
- AVEN
Correct answer: AVE
The USPS standard abbreviation for 'AVENUE' is 'AVE' as listed in the official suffix abbreviation table in Publication 28.
Question 4: What is the purpose of the LACS (Locatable Address Conversion System) component in CASS processing?
- Converts rural route addresses to city-style street addresses (Correct answer)
- Assigns ZIP+4 codes to PO Box addresses
- Validates secondary unit designators
- Converts abbreviated city names to full spellings
Correct answer: Converts rural route addresses to city-style street addresses
LACSLink converts old rural route and highway contract route addresses to new city-style street addresses when rural areas are urbanized.
Question 5: A mailer's address file shows '1600 PENNSYLVANIA AVE NW, WASHINGTON DC 20500'. Which component is the post-directional?
- 1600
- PENNSYLVANIA
- AVE
- NW (Correct answer)
Correct answer: NW
The post-directional 'NW' follows the street suffix 'AVE' and indicates the directional quadrant of the address within the city grid.
Question 6: Under USPS standards, which of the following is a valid Secondary Unit Designator (SUD) abbreviation?
- UNIT
- FL
- RM
- All of the above (Correct answer)
Correct answer: All of the above
UNIT, FL (floor), and RM (room) are all valid secondary unit designators recognized in USPS Publication 28.
Question 7: When CASS software corrects a five-digit ZIP Code to match the standardized address, this process is referred to as:
- ZIP correction (Correct answer)
- Geographic coding
- 5-digit override
- ZIP normalization
Correct answer: ZIP correction
CASS performs ZIP correction when the input ZIP does not match the correct ZIP for the standardized street address and city.
CASS USPS Addressing Standards & Compliance 3
A ZIP+4 code appended during CASS processing could not be determined for a valid street address.
What is the most likely cause?