Technical Writing MCQs

Technical Writing MCQs

These Technical Writing multiple-choice questions and their answers will help you strengthen your grip on the subject of Technical Writing. You can prepare for an upcoming exam or job interview with these 100+ Technical Writing MCQs.
So scroll down and start answering.

1: What is the purpose of a FAQ?

A.   To sell the product

B.   To cover up mistakes in the product

C.   To provide a place for users to congregate

D.   To answer the most common questions

2: Which voice should be used for explaining instructional steps?

A.   Active

B.   Passive

C.   First person

D.   Second person

3: What does "SME" refer to?

A.   Systematic math entry

B.   Subject-matter expert

C.   Scientific method exercise

D.   Scientific metric effect

4: Which of the following is the best way to summarize a list of software functions in written documentation?

A.   Charts

B.   In a table

C.   Using Images

D.   Endnotes

5: True or False: Verb tense alignment is not applicable in technical writing.

A.   True

B.   False

6: When writing a technical manual for software, what preliminary meetings are best to attend, if possible?

A.   Editorial review meetings

B.   Management meetings

C.   Software design meetings

D.   Quality assurance meetings

7: What is the most common way to present task-oriented instructions in written documentation?

A.   Step-by-step instructions in numbered lists

B.   Video demos

C.   Step-by-step instructions in bulleted lists

D.   In context-sensitive help

8: True or false? In order to be a technical writer, you must have a technical background.

A.   False

B.   True

9: Where can explanatory information appear?

A.   All of these

B.   Before the instructions

C.   Below a step

D.   After the instructions

10: What is a functional description?

A.   A description that provides typical uses, details, and the purpose of the subject.

B.   A description that provides warranty information on the subject.

C.   A description that provides step-by-step details on using the subject.

11: What portion of a manual addresses issues that can occur with the product?

A.   Troubleshooting section

B.   Tech support section

C.   Addendum section

D.   Appendix section

12: Which of the following uses INCORRECT capitalization?

A.   The test concluded last winter.

B.   The test concluded last Winter.

C.   The tests were performed at Madison Square Garden.

D.   The scientist used a Bunsen burner to heat the compound.

A.   An appendix

B.   Endnotes

C.   A glossary of terms

D.   A cross reference

14: Which of the following is NOT used to markup and/or style technical writing?

A.   XML

B.   WWW

C.   CSS

D.   HTML

15: How many iterations of your original document will a technical writer generally be expected to write?

A.   At least four interations

B.   At least two iterations

C.   It depends on how many times the product changes

D.   At least three iterations

16: Which of the following traits embody the ideal technical writing style?

A.   Parallel sentence structure

B.   All of these

C.   Concise

D.   Authoritative tone

17: In the context of technical writing, what does SME typically stand for?

A.   Source Material Engagement

B.   Subject Matter Expert

C.   Subject Material Error

D.   Subject Matter Error

E.   Source Manager Evaluation

18: What is cross-browser, cross platform compatibility?

A.   Compatibility across multiple technologies, operating systems, and browsers

B.   Compatibility across PCs and Macs

C.   Compatibility across multiple browsers

D.   Compatibility across multiple smart phones and computers

19: If the document relies heavily on technical terms, which of the following should be included?

A.   Footnotes

B.   Glossary of Terms

C.   An appendix

D.   A link to an online technical dictionary

20: What is the purpose of a white paper?

A.   To explain the product

B.   To list the features of the product

C.   All of these

D.   To offer solutions to problems

21: What is the abstract?

A.   A conclusive statement

B.   A brief summary of the article

C.   A theoretical framework

D.   A dataset

22: Technical writing refers to:

A.   All of these

B.   Writing about technology

C.   Providing instructions on how to do something

D.   Explaining tech communication

23: As a general rule of thumb technical writers should use _______.

A.   Passive voice

B.   Active voice

24: Which of the following is the most comprehensive definition of technical writing?

A.   Presenting features and benefits in a difficult manner

B.   Creating a document designed for engineers

C.   Presenting complex information in an understandable manner

D.   Documenting tasks, scenarios, and tools

25: Which of the following is the best wording to appear in end user documentation?

A.   If the program abends…

B.   If the program crashes…

C.   If the program shuts down unexpectedly…

D.   If the program dies...

26: Research is an important element of most technical writing projects?

A.   True

B.   False

A.   Customers want them and read them

B.   They reduce calls to tech support for initial setup

C.   All of these

D.   They're cost effective

28: When documenting an unfamiliar subject, which of the following people would be the best to consult?

A.   Your manager

B.   The subject-matter expert

C.   The programmers

D.   The marketers

29: True or false? It is always best to use complex technical terms because it makes the document more credible.

A.   True

B.   False

30: Which of these are examples of technical writing?

A.   All of these

B.   White papers

C.   Training manuals

D.   Online help files

31: In addition to spelling, grammar, and punctuation, what should a technical writer also check in the document?

A.   Formatting

B.   Consistency

C.   Accuracy

D.   All of these

32: When documenting a piece of software and referring to a particular feature, you should follow the spelling…

A.   ...prescribed by your chosen dictionary.

B.   ...suggested by an applicable style guide.

C.   ...used in the software's user interface.

D.   ...most commonly used by the target audience.

33: How does technical writing differ from expository writing?

A.   A conclusion does not need to be reached

B.   Technical writing does not involve proving arguments

C.   Technical writing uses flowery language, whereas expository does not

D.   Grammar and formatting are not important

34: ______ refers to the veracity of data, while _______ refers to the degree of exactness used in the measurements.

A.   accuracy; precision

B.   reliability; validity

C.   intentional; incidental

D.   precision; accuracy

35: Choose the best technical sentence from the following:

A.   The exercise increased energy expenditures.

B.   The exercise caused the people to use more energy than they might have otherwise used in normal circumstances.

C.   The exercise expedited energy expenditures.

D.   The exercise was increasing energy expenditures.

36: What does p.r.n. Stand for?

A.   As needed

B.   Per rectum

C.   Per registered nurse

37: When adding a safety hazard or warning to technical procedures, which of the following is the BEST answer for where the hazard or warning statement should be inserted?

A.   It is best to insert it at the bottom of the applicable page of the procedure to which it applies.

B.   It is best to insert it in a table with the other hazards or warnings.

C.   It can be inserted either at the step in the procedure where it is likely to occur or in a table with other hazards / warnings.

D.   It is best to insert it at the step in the procedure where it is likely to occur.

38: What level of user will most likely read a technical white paper?

A.   Intermediate to expert users

B.   Rank novices with no prior knowledge

C.   Experts

39: When technical writers talk about "single-source publishing," what do they mean?

A.   It is the system that allows technical writers to write once, then use and re-use and deploy the same content in various formats, and even languages.

B.   Writers convert paper manuals to online formats.

C.   Only one person or department source writes and maintains all the documentation.

D.   Software developers write explanatory documentation into their source codes.

40: MLA, APA and Chicago are all used in writing for what?

A.   Format

B.   Methodology

C.   Citations

41: Which verb tense is most effective in technical writing?

A.   Present progressive

B.   Present

C.   Present perfect

D.   Regular verbs

42: Which of these is NOT a true statement about documents following a linear (paper) model?

A.   They are designed to be read sequentially.

B.   They are designed to be read in their entirety.

C.   The 'optimal' path through the information is not defined by the writer.

43: What is the FOG test?

A.   A test on fog density

B.   A readability test

C.   The test for Forensic Ocular Graphing

D.   A test to make sure your graphs are easily understood

44: What person is primarily responsible for editing a technical manual for style and grammar?

A.   The programming team

B.   All of these

C.   The quality assurance team

D.   The writer

45: What is a secondary source?

A.   The second group of people interviewed

B.   An interpretation of data from a primary source

C.   The second resource referenced

D.   Sources that are less relevant to your paper

46: When dealing with a help guide on a computer, when a user presses F1 from a field, what kind of help does the user usually receive?

A.   All of these

B.   Context-sensitive help

C.   Scenarios

D.   Two or three options to complete the task

47: What does a schematic illustrate?

A.   Detailed instructions of how to use a product

B.   How an object appears from different angles

C.   The way in which something works

D.   The feel of a product

48: How to use capitalize titles if names are given?

A.   I have never met our congressman, Tim Nelson.

B.   I have never met our congressman Tim Nelson.

C.   I have never met our Congressman Tim Nelson.

D.   I have never met our Congressman, Tim Nelson.

49: What grammatical person is most often used in steps?

A.   Implied second person

B.   Second person

C.   Third person

D.   First person

50: Suppose you are citing an author who is citing another author's work. Which author should you cite in your paper?

A.   You do not need to cite either author

B.   You should formally cite the author of the original experiment

C.   You should formally cite both authors

D.   You should formally cite the author you are actually reading