COA Records and Information Management 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which retention schedule approach assigns retention periods based on the function a record serves rather than its physical format?
- Format-based scheduling
- Functional retention scheduling (Correct answer)
- Chronological scheduling
- Departmental scheduling
Correct answer: Functional retention scheduling
Functional retention scheduling ties retention periods to the business function or activity the record documents, regardless of its format.
Question 2: When a record is placed on a legal hold, which normal records management activity is suspended?
- Indexing
- Filing
- Disposition (destruction or transfer) (Correct answer)
- Retrieval
Correct answer: Disposition (destruction or transfer)
A legal hold suspends the scheduled destruction or transfer of records that may be relevant to pending or anticipated litigation.
Question 3: What is the primary purpose of a records inventory?
- To destroy outdated files
- To identify and document all existing records in an organization (Correct answer)
- To establish user access permissions
- To convert paper records to digital format
Correct answer: To identify and document all existing records in an organization
A records inventory catalogs all existing records, their locations, formats, and volumes, forming the foundation for a records management program.
Question 4: In alphabetic filing, how is the surname 'MacDonald' typically indexed?
- As MAC DONALD (two units)
- As MACDONALD (one unit, as written) (Correct answer)
- After all names beginning with 'Mc'
- After all names beginning with 'Ma'
Correct answer: As MACDONALD (one unit, as written)
Standard ARMA rules index names as they are written, so 'MacDonald' is treated as one unit: MACDONALD.
Question 5: Which document describes the overall philosophy, objectives, and authority for an organization's records management program?
- Records retention schedule
- Records management policy (Correct answer)
- File plan
- Disposition log
Correct answer: Records management policy
A records management policy establishes the authority, scope, and guiding principles for managing records across the organization.
Question 6: The term 'vital records' in records management refers to records that are:
- Created most frequently
- Essential to resume operations after a disaster (Correct answer)
- Stored in a fireproof cabinet
- Accessed by executives only
Correct answer: Essential to resume operations after a disaster
Vital records are those essential to an organization's ability to continue or resume critical operations following a disaster or emergency.
Question 7: When filing correspondence using the subject filing method, what is the FIRST step?
- Assign a subject heading to the document (Correct answer)
- Alphabetize the subject headings
- Place the document in a folder
- Cross-reference related documents
Correct answer: Assign a subject heading to the document
The first step in subject filing is determining the appropriate subject heading under which the document should be classified.
COA Records and Information Management 2
Which retention schedule approach assigns retention periods based on the function a record serves rather than its physical format?