Professional Writing Exam
Practice Tests
Course Introduction
Professional Writing is designed to equip students with advanced skills in crafting clear, effective, and audience-specific written communications for a variety of professional contexts. The course covers principles of business and technical writing, including the development of emails, memos, proposals, reports, and digital content. Students will learn to adapt tone and style according to purpose and audience, employ persuasive strategies, and integrate research ethically and effectively. Emphasis is also placed on the writing process, revision strategies, document design, and contemporary communication technologies to ensure clarity, accuracy, and professionalism in all written interactions.
Recommended Textbook
Business and Administrative Communication 10th Edition by Kitty Locker
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19 Chapters
1426 Verified Questions
1426 Flashcards
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Page 2
Chapter 1: Succeeding in Business Communication
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Sample Questions
Q1) Discuss some of the main costs of communication. Answer: Writing costs money.One main cost of writing is the process of document cycling.In many organizations,all external documents must be approved before they go out.A major document may cycle from writer to superior to writer to another superior and then to writer again,before it is finally approved.Longer documents can involve large teams of people and take months to write.Large organizations handle so much paper that even small changes to their communication practices amount to millions of dollars.Another significant cost of communication is e-mail storage.In addition to the exponential increase in frequency,e-mails are also growing in size.Businesses are storing much of this huge load on their servers.But the cost of the hardware is only some of the storage cost; a larger cost is administering and maintaining the archives.These costs include downtime when storage systems crash and time spent retrieving lost or corrupted messages.
Q2) How quickly a document can be read is determined by the difficulty of the subject matter and by the document's organization and writing style.
A)True
B)False
Answer: True
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Page 3
Chapter 2: Adapting Your Message to Your Audience
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75 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) Which of the following is most likely to be an audience benefit?
A) Features of a product
B) Level of formality in a document
C) Loopholes of a product
D) Tips on how to use a product
E) Steps on how to maintain a product
Answer: A
Q2) Which of the following is an example of a psychographic characteristic?
A) Age
B) Goals
C) Location
D) Education
E) Race Answer: B
Q3) The political environment of an organization can impact an audience's reaction to a message.
A)True
B)False
Answer: True
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Page 4
Chapter 3: Building Goodwill
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Sample Questions
Q1) Captain J's,a popular burger joint in California,recently improved on their quality of burgers by adding more layers of meat and cheese to it.To spread the word about their improved burgers,they distributed fliers to passers-by at streets.Which of the following would best help Captain J's promote their new burgers by creating positive emphasis?
A) "Captain J's now has appetizing burgers on their menu!"
B) "We assume you will like Captain J's new burgers!"
C) "Captain J's now has even better tasting burgers!"
D) "Now you can try out delicious burgers at Captain J's!"
E) "We think you will now like Captain J's tasty burgers!"
Answer: C
Q2) What should one do when one does not know a person's name or gender?
Answer: When one is not aware of one's name and gender,one should omit the salutation and use a subject line in its place.One can also use the reader's position or job title such as "Dear Public Relations Officer." In addition,one can use a general group to which readers belong.For instance,"Dear Branch Manager." On the other hand,if a person knows a person's name but not the gender,one should call the company and ask the receptionist.One can also use the reader's full name in the salutation such as "Dear David Riley."
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Page 5
Chapter 4: Navigating the Business Communication Environment
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Sample Questions
Q1) A _____ refers to an informal source of company information.
A) website
B) grapevine
C) blog
D) floating block
E) tip sheet
Q2) Which of the following is an example of a social signal?
A) Gesturing
B) Talking
C) Narrating
D) Planning
E) Contemplating
Q3) What are some things one should avoid saying in order to prevent blocking communication? Explain.
Q4) Good networkers avoid mirroring postures,behaviors,and emotional states of people because it makes them lose their identity.
A)True
B)False
Q6) How can body language communicate one's feelings? Explain. Page 6
Q5) Explain the trend of environmental concerns in the business environment.
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Page 7
Chapter 5: Planning, Composing, and Revising
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Sample Questions
Q1) What are simple,compound,and complex sentences? Explain.
Q2) It is appropriate to use a longer word in contrast to a shorter word if: A) it is less familiar or lesser known than the shorter word B) it sounds more technical or abstract than the shorter word C) it is more scholarly than the shorter word
D) it has several ambiguous denotations or meanings
E) it is the only word that exactly expresses a meaning
Q3) Patricia Moore has been asked by her project manager to prepare a report on the "Protection of the Green Sea Turtle" campaign that she has been working on.She has just started composing titles for the different sections of her report,and is jotting down important milestones of the campaign.Which of the following process is Moore working on?
A) Editing
B) Writing
C) Brainstorming
D) Proofreading
E) Revising
Q4) Spell-checkers eliminate the hassle of proofreading a document manually.
A)True
B)False
Page 8
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Chapter 6: Designing Documents
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Sample Questions
Q1) Full justification should be used when:
A) one cannot use proportional typefaces.
B) one wants to use as few pages as possible.
C) one wants establish an informal look.
D) one has a huge amount of content to be displayed.
E) one wants to have lines ending in different places.
Q2) List out the guidelines that one needs to follow for page design.
Q3) Charles Kostelnick's _____ level of design refers to choices for entire documents and may comprise of paper size,headers,footers,and the index and table of contents.
A) intra
B) supra
C) extra
D) inter
E) outer
Q4) Large amounts of information are easier to process if they are presented individually instead of in groups of seven.
A)True
B)False
Q5) How can headings be used effectively?
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Chapter 7: Communicating Across Cultures
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Sample Questions
Q1) Lindsay Crawford,who works for a media house in London,is being relocated to a new branch of the company in Austria.Colleagues in office tell her that her new work place has a high-context culture in contrast to her current office.Which of the following should Crawford do that would be most appropriate in such a culture?
A) Be indirect while communicating with her colleagues and superiors
B) Ensure that most communication is made through emails and written documents
C) Avoid giving importance to interactions and building relationships
D) Understand that oral conversations are unimportant and need not be taken seriously
E) Give importance to details because they matter immensely in such cultures
Q2) How do differed views of time affect business communication? Explain.
Q3) The first step in understanding another culture is to be willing to ask questions about preferences and behaviors.
A)True B)False
Q4) A source of growing emphasis on diversity is gender and sexual orientation. A)True B)False
Q5) Describe characteristics of a low-context culture.
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Chapter 8: Working and Writing in Teams
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Sample Questions
Q1) Which of the following tasks does an informational leader undertake?
A) Check if tasks are carried out on time
B) Check and resolve conflicts
C) Evaluate texts and ideas
D) Maintain coordination
E) Check people's feelings
Q2) What are some of the situations that collaborative writing is often prompted by?
Q3) Formation,coordination,and formalization are the three stages in the life of a task team.
A)True
B)False
Q4) Content,method,and process are parts of interpersonal dimensions.
A)True
B)False
Q5) Kenneth Burton is currently working on "Protect the Rainforests" project and is at a stage in the task team which aims at completing 70% of the entire project's work.He understands that this is the longest phase of the campaign and will require a high-level of commitment from all members of the team.Explain which stage of a task team Burton is working on and its key characteristics.
Page 11
Q6) Explain the formation stage in the life of a task team.
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Chapter 9: Sharing Informative and Positive Messages With Appropriate Technology
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Sample Questions
Q1) While responding positively to complaints,one should give the reason for the original mistake only if it reflects credit on the company.
A)True
B)False
Q2) Johanna Roberts works for Hotel Notre-Dame in Paris and has a total of ten years of work experience in the hotel industry.She now wants to strengthen her online networks with working professionals from the same field across Europe so that she can look out for better work opportunities.She wants a social media site which focuses exclusively on work.What should Roberts be using which will help her in this purpose?
Q3) Widgets are tiny software programs that can be dragged,dropped,and embedded into social media sites.
A)True
B)False
Q4) Goodwill endings should focus on the reader's hobbies,family,or personal life.
A)True
B)False
Q5) What are wikis? What are some of their functions and advantages?
Page 12
Q6) What are informative and positive messages? Explain.
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Chapter 10: Delivering Negative Messages
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Sample Questions
Q1) In a negative message,one should ensure that good alternatives are mentioned in the ending.
A)True
B)False
Q2) While apologizing in business communication,one should do so twice,i.e.,once at the beginning of the message and another time at the end of the message.
A)True
B)False
Q3) Which of the following is an example of a negative message?
A) Fundraising brochure
B) Product recalls
C) Job offer letter
D) Approval letter
E) Rack card
Q4) A person should write a buffer only when one is sure that he/she can write a good buffer.
A)True
B)False
Q5) Identify secondary purposes of negative messages.
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Chapter 11: Crafting Persuasive Messages
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Sample Questions
Q1) Which of the following should be used in subject lines for problem-solving messages?
A) Placing the request for action in the subject line
B) Using a negative subject line to emphasize the problem
C) Using a benefit which is likely to help the audience
D) Avoid using a common ground in the subject line
E) Avoid using a neutral subject line
Q2) What are some of the key points to remember while writing performance appraisals? Explain.
Q3) Common errors which weaken arguments in a message are known as logical fallacies.
A)True
B)False
Q4) Melissa Howell works for Footsteps,a child rights organization.She needs to write to a multinational company to request contribution of funds toward their campaign on homeless children in Sudan.How can she fulfill the secondary purposes of her message while writing to the company? Explain.
Q5) What is the importance of emotional appeal in a message?
Q6) Explain reasons why threats do not work in a message.
Q7) When should a persuasive problem-solving message be used?
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Chapter 12: Building Resumes
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Sample Questions
Q1) Which of the following is one of the most popular tools for personal branding?
A) IMDB
B) Wikipedia
C) Gmail
D) Windows Messenger
E) Twitter
Q2) You have one full year to go before you graduate and begin interviewing.Which of the following is the most important step for you to take right row?
A) Select course projects and paper topics that will help you prepare for a job.
B) Attend job seminars and job fairs.
C) Join extracurricular organizations on campus and in the community.
D) Get a job or co-op or internship in your field of interest.
E) Check out the services of your college placement and advising offices.
Q3) A person who has an advanced degree,such as an MBA or JD,may use the headings "Professional Affiliations" and "Community Service" instead of "Activities."
A)True
B)False
Q4) Describe the etiquette of e-mail job-hunting etiquette.
Q5) What sections do résumés commonly include?
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Chapter 13: Writing Job Application Letters
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Sample Questions
Q1) Employers don't want longer letters,but they will read them if the letter is well written.
A)True
B)False
Q2) A solicited job application letter should be specific about what you've done and relate your achievements to the work you'd be doing in this new job.
A)True
B)False
Q3) The last paragraph of a job application letter should suggest possible days and times for an interview.
A)True
B)False
Q4) How can you make your application letter professional?
Q5) The first paragraph of a prospecting letter should say something that intrigues the reader but does not yet reveal that the writer is seeking a job with the company.
A)True
B)False
Q6) What should you do in the last paragraph of a job letter?
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Page 16
Chapter 14: Interviewing, writing Follow-Up Messages, and Succeeding in the Job
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Q1) What are some important points that one should note during or immediately after an interview?
Q2) Frances Woods is a forest preservation expert and needs to attend a videoconference interview with a rainforest conservation organization today.In the past week,she has managed to prepare well for the position she is applying for and undertaken substantial research on the organization.Which of the following should she undertake in the videoconference interview which will help her perform well in it?
A) Ensure she answers questions in a manner which shows she has memorized them well
B) Be thorough with her answers because her employer cannot ask follow-up questions
C) Ensure her answers are over four minutes each which elaborate on all related details
D) Avoid asking the interviewer if they want more information about one's answers
E) Do a practice video ahead of time and check her posture, gestures, and facial expressions
Q3) What are some ways of researching about a company one is going to be interviewed by?
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Chapter 15: Planning and Researching Proposals and Reports
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Sample Questions
Q1) Which of the following is a common method of gathering information through primary research?
A) Library research
B) Government and NGO statistics
C) Previous research reports
D) Online searches
E) Surveys
Q2) Discourse-based interviews:
A) ask questions based upon something the interviewee has written.
B) are formal interviews based on written questions that the interviewee sees beforehand.
C) are interviews that are taped, so the interviewer can concentrate on the interview and not have to take notes.
D) strive to get the interviewee's spontaneous reaction to using a new product.
E) ask users to voice their thoughts as they use a document or product.
Q3) The purpose statement appears in your proposal,but not in your final report.
A)True
B)False
Q4) "How often do you use the parking garages downtown?"
Page 18
Q5) List the characteristics of well-designed survey questions.
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Chapter 16: Creating Visuals and Data Displays
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Q1) Explain how to label and refer to visuals in the text of a document.
Q2) Since part of the scale is missing in truncated graphs,small changes seem like major ones.
A)True
B)False
Q3) List three tips for properly designing a line graph as a visual in a document.
Q4) Color used in visuals may send signals that you do not intend because different cultures associate different meanings with different colors.
A)True
B)False
Q5) List three tips for properly designing a table as a visual in a document.
Q6) Photograph is a popular visual because it can be relied upon to be a true record of a real event.
A)True
B)False
Q7) When is it useful to use visuals in a written document?
Q8) Visuals can be effective tools for ensuring that ideas are presented completely.
A)True
B)False
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Chapter 17: Writing Proposals and Progress Reports
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Q1) The methods section of a proposal for a class research project should clearly indicate how one will get information needed to answer questions posed in the remaining sections of the proposal.
A)True
B)False
Q2) It is important to understand that the audience for a proposal are experts in the subject matter and one should prepare proposals accordingly.
A)True
B)False
Q3) Sarah who works for Animal Aid Foundation is writing a progress report on efforts to rescue elephants,tigers,and monkeys from circuses.Which of the following would most likely be the best subject line for her report?
A) Circus Animals -What we have done so far
B) Animal Cruelty should be banned by you and me
C) Efforts undertaken by us to save animals
D) Efforts by Animal Aid Foundation to rescue circus animals
E) Show that you care - Stand up against animal cruelty in your city
Q4) How important is an executive summary in a business plan?
Q5) Explain with an example,the work schedule section of a proposal.
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Chapter 18: Analysing Information and Writing Reports
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Sample Questions
Q1) Nicole Patterson is writing a report for her company Alpha International with a recommendation to organize a fund-raising campaign.The campaign will strive to aid people whose homes have been destroyed by a recent catastrophic flood.Which of the following titles would be most apt for Patterson's report?
A) Campaign to Help Flood Victims
B) Efforts made by Alpha International
C) Effects of Floods
D) Money Required to Do Our Part
E) Donate to Help Us
Q2) While evaluating sources of data,it is vital to check the currency of all data except technology figures.
A)True
B)False
Q3) The particular to general pattern of organizing information starts with the problem as it affects the organization and then proceeds to a discussion of parts of the problem and solutions to each of these parts.
A)True
B)False
Q4) Explain with an example characteristics of a good and weak executive summary.
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Chapter 19: Making Oral Presentations
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Sample Questions
Q1) Which of the following is the main purpose of using informative presentations?
A) Motivating an audience to act or believe
B) Validating an audience's commitment to goals
C) Stroking an audience's egos to help achieve milestones
D) Informing or teaching an audience
E) Pleasing and entertaining an audience
Q2) Oral style uses more personal pronouns,less varied vocabulary,and more repetition than written styles.
A)True
B)False
Q3) Oral messages are better at presenting several specific details of a law,procedure,or policy compared to written messages.
A)True
B)False
Q4) How are informative presentations different from goodwill presentations? Discuss with the help of examples.
Q5) Explain the 1-2-3 pattern of organizing information with the help of an example.
Q6) List four ways to have a strong end to a presentation.
Q7) Explain with an example the purpose of using a guided discussion.
Page 22
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