Technical Communication:
Writing Tasks, Procedures, and Steps (Read Me First! 6)


Answer the questions in this quiz to see how well you've read and understood the chapter. Feel free to look up answers in the book and retake this quiz until you get all the answers right.

This quiz is based on Read Me First! A Style Guide for the Computer Industry by Sun Technical Publications (Prentice-Hall, 2003). ISBN: 0-13-142899-3.

When you're through, just click on Check answers to check your answers. If you want to start over, just click on Clear & restart.

Your name Your handle (use anything you wish; just repeat it exactly every time)
Which version of this course are you taking?

  1. Which of the following defines the relationship between a task and a procedure?
    A task is made up of one or more procedures.
    A procedure is made up of one or more tasks.

  2. Which of the following defines the relationship between a procedure and a step?
    A procedure is made up of one or more steps.
    A step is made up of one or more procedures.

  3. When you study a product for all possible uses a person might have for that product, which of the following are you doing?
    Audience analysis
    User task analysis
    Usability analysis

  4. When you identify the readers and their skills in relation to a product and your documentation for that product, which of the following are you doing?
    Audience analysis
    User task analysis
    Usability analysis

  5. Which of the following is an example of an optional task?
    If you cannot find the downloaded file, use the Search option.
    To see details about files, click View > Details.
    Directories, also known as folders, are grouping devices that can hold files as specified the user.

  6. Which of the following is an example of an conditional task?
    If you cannot find the downloaded file, use the Search option.
    To see details about files, click View > Details.
    Directories, also known as folders, are grouping devices that can hold files as specified the user.

  7. Which of the following is the best to consult when doing a user task analysis?
    Product managers and engineers
    Users of the product
    Components and features of the actual product

  8. A procedure can consist of which of the following?
    Prerequisites, ordered steps, explanations, cross-references, examples
    Headings, paragraphs, tables
    Multiple paragraphs, explanations, examples, cross-references, prerequisites
    Supplementary information, prerequisites, explanations, examples, cross-references

  9. Ordered lists for a procedure should not exceed:
    7 steps
    8 steps
    9 steps
    10 steps

  10. Which of the following is recommended for the phrasing of software procedure headings?
    Noun phrases, with the noun identifying the topic of the section introduced by the heading.
    Noun-clause or infinitive phrasing.
    Complete sentences, with the subject identifying the topic of the section introduced by the heading.

  11. How should procedure headings be punctuated?
    Period
    Colon
    No punctuation

  12. What should you do when there are several methods to accomplish the same procedure or step?
    Show each method for every step, using subheadings to identify the method.
    Choose the best method in terms of ease of use for each separate step, and show it.
    Choose one method that is best for the audience and use it for every step.

  13. What format should you use for substeps in a sequence?
    Lowercase letters
    Uppercase letters
    Arabic numerals
    Roman numerals
    Bullets

  14. What's the maximum recommended word count for a step?
    7
    10
    14
    20
    24
    27

  15. Which of the following makes the command the focus of the step?
    rm -r the files and subdirectories.
    To remove the files and subdirectories, enter rm -r.
    Files and subdirectories may be removed using the rm -r command.

  16. Which of the following makes the task the focus of the step?
    rm -r the files and subdirectories.
    To remove the files and subdirectories, enter rm -r.
    Files and subdirectories may be removed using the rm -r command.

  17. If there are two ways to accomplish an individual step, what format should you use?
    Bulleted list for the different substeps.
    Lowercase alpha list for the different substeps.
    Lowercase roman-numeral list for the different substeps.
    Plain paragraph format for the different substeps.

  18. Which of the following is the best way to handle a procedure with too many steps?
    Combine pairs of steps until you reach or go under the maximum recommended number of steps.
    Find one or more places to divide the procedure, add and new lead-in, and restart the numbering
    Use branching to force steps into different subsections.

  19. For online documents, how many steps in a sequence is too many?
    More than 5
    More than 7
    More than 9
    More than 10

  20. For other than online documents, how many steps in a sequence is too many?
    More than 5
    More than 7
    More than 9
    More than 10



Information and programs by hcexres@io.com.