Clerical Ability and Filing Flashcards
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Read the first 12 Clerical Ability and Filing flashcards as text
Which of the following names would be filed FIRST in an alphabetical filing system?
Answer: Oakley, Susan
In alphabetical filing, apostrophes are ignored. 'Oakley' (O-A-K) comes before 'Oberman' (O-B-E) and the O' names when sorted letter by letter.
A clerk receives a document dated March 15, 2024, but it was supposed to be filed by subject rather than date. The document concerns 'Employee Benefits - Health Insurance.' Under which primary heading should it be filed?
Answer: Employee Benefits
When filing by subject, the primary heading is the broadest topic category. 'Employee Benefits' is the main subject, with 'Health Insurance' as a subheading.
When proofreading the following pairs of numbers, which pair contains a DISCREPANCY? Pair A: 4829163 / 4829163 Pair B: 7736501 / 7736501 Pair C: 9154827 / 9154287 Pair D: 3362718 / 3362718
Answer: Pair C
Pair C contains a discrepancy: 9154827 vs 9154287. The digits '82' and '28' are transposed.
A filing system uses the following codes: A = Administrative, F = Financial, P = Personnel, L = Legal. A document about an employee's salary dispute that has gone to arbitration should be cross-referenced under which codes?
Answer: P, F, and L
A salary dispute in arbitration involves Personnel (employee matter), Financial (salary), and Legal (arbitration) — all three codes apply for cross-referencing.
Which of the following represents the correct chronological filing order, from OLDEST to NEWEST?
Answer: Jan 15, 2024; Feb 28, 2024; Mar 1, 2024; Apr 2, 2024
Chronological order from oldest to newest: January 15, February 28, March 1, April 2 — each date follows sequentially through the calendar year.
A clerk needs to file documents for the following businesses. Which should be filed SECOND in alphabetical order? 1. The Daily Grind Coffee Shop 2. D & B Consulting Group 3. Dakota Plains Energy 4. D'Angelo's Restaurant
Answer: Dakota Plains Energy
Ignoring articles ('The') and punctuation, and treating '&' as 'and': Daily Grind (D-A-I), Dakota Plains (D-A-K), D and B (D-A-N-D), D'Angelo's (D-A-N-G). Dakota Plains is filed second.
In a numeric filing system, file #10472 has been misfiled. Between which two consecutive files should it be placed?
Answer: #10471 and #10473
In a numeric filing system, files are arranged in strict sequential order. File #10472 belongs between #10471 and #10473.
A clerk is tasked with coding incoming mail. The following codes are used: 1 = Urgent, 2 = Standard, 3 = Informational Only. A letter from a state agency requesting a response within 48 hours regarding a compliance matter should receive which code?
Answer: Code 1 - Urgent
A compliance matter with a 48-hour response deadline is urgent. The short turnaround time and regulatory nature make Code 1 (Urgent) the correct classification.
When comparing the following address pairs for accuracy, which pair is IDENTICAL? A. 1247 Elm Street, Apt 3B / 1247 Elm Street, Apt 3D B. 892 W. Washington Blvd / 892 W. Washington Blvd C. 3561 N. Lakeshore Dr. / 3561 N. Lakshore Dr. D. 14209 SE 42nd Avenue / 14209 SE 24th Avenue
Answer: Pair B
Only Pair B is identical. Pair A differs in apartment letter (3B vs 3D), Pair C has a spelling difference (Lakeshore vs Lakshore), and Pair D has transposed street numbers (42nd vs 24th).
A government office uses color-coded file folders: Red = Confidential, Blue = Active Cases, Green = Closed Cases, Yellow = Pending Review. A case that has been resolved but is awaiting final supervisor sign-off should be placed in which color folder?
Answer: Yellow - Pending Review
Although the case is resolved, it still requires supervisor sign-off, which means it is pending review. The Yellow folder is correct until the review is complete.
Which of the following groups of index cards is arranged in CORRECT alphabetical order?
Answer: MacArthur, MacDonald, McBride, McDonald
In standard filing, 'Mac' and 'Mc' prefixes are filed exactly as spelled. Letter by letter: MacArthur (M-A-C-A), MacDonald (M-A-C-D), McBride (M-C-B), McDonald (M-C-D).
A records retention schedule requires: Tax records 7 years; General correspondence 3 years; Personnel files 5 years after separation; Contracts 6 years after expiration. Which document created in 2018 can be destroyed FIRST?
Answer: A general memo written in 2018
The general memo has the shortest retention period (3 years), making it eligible for destruction in 2021 — the earliest of all four options.
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