USPS USPS Error Detection Mail Processor 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A mail piece displays the ZIP code 606l2 instead of 60612. What type of error is present?
- Transposition error
- Character substitution error (Correct answer)
- Missing digit error
- Extra digit error
Correct answer: Character substitution error
The lowercase letter 'l' has been substituted for the number '1', making this a character substitution error.
Question 2: An envelope shows the recipient address as '1425 Elm St' but the barcode corresponds to '1452 Elm St'. What should a mail processor identify this as?
- A barcode-to-address mismatch requiring correction (Correct answer)
- A duplicate mail piece
- A correctly sorted item
- An undeliverable piece
Correct answer: A barcode-to-address mismatch requiring correction
When the printed address and barcode encode different information, the mismatch must be flagged for correction.
Question 3: Which of the following city-state-ZIP combinations contains an error?
- Chicago, IL 60601
- Denver, CO 80202
- Phoenix, AZ 85001
- Houston, TX 73001 (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Houston, TX 73001
Houston, TX ZIP codes begin with 770xx-772xx, not 730xx, which belongs to Oklahoma.
Question 4: A mail processor notices an address reading '225 North Mian Street'. What error detection skill is being applied?
- ZIP code validation
- Street name spelling verification (Correct answer)
- State abbreviation confirmation
- Postage rate calculation
Correct answer: Street name spelling verification
The processor is checking for misspellings in the street name, where 'Mian' should be 'Main'.
Question 5: During processing, a flat-size mail piece has a delivery point barcode but no readable ZIP code printed on the envelope. What is the correct action?
- Reject the piece as undeliverable
- Process using the barcode information only
- Flag the piece for manual review and address verification (Correct answer)
- Return the piece to the sender immediately
Correct answer: Flag the piece for manual review and address verification
When printed address information is missing or unreadable, the piece should be flagged for manual review rather than relying solely on the barcode.
Question 6: An address label reads 'Apt 12B, 900 Oak Ave, Portland, OR 97035'. The correct ZIP for this address is 97205. What category of error is this?
- Apartment number error
- Street name error
- Incorrect ZIP code assignment (Correct answer)
- State abbreviation error
Correct answer: Incorrect ZIP code assignment
The ZIP code 97035 belongs to Lake Oswego, not Portland proper, making this an incorrect ZIP code assignment.
A mail piece displays the ZIP code 606l2 instead of 60612.
What type of error is present?