KEYBOARDING PROFICIENCY TEST
GUIDELINES
The purpose of this test is to determine whether a student who has not taken or passed the Keyboarding 5100 course has the keyboarding skills necessary to advance into higher-level computer courses. Districts using this test should ensure the security of the test using the guidelines below plus any additional guidelines the district and business education teachers feel necessary to continue the integrity of the state competencies for the business, marketing, and computer technology education curriculum.
Passing this test DOES NOT GRANT a half credit in keyboarding.
This test is not to be used as an end-of-course test.
1. In order to have validity in allowing the student to go to the next level computer course, the proficiency test must be administered and graded by a certified business education teacher.
2. A student who believes he has the keyboarding skills, techniques, and speed and chooses not to take the Keyboarding course or does not pass Keyboarding may request to take the test based on district policy.
3. A student may take the test a maximum of two times. If the student does not pass the test after two tries, he or she must take the Keyboarding course in order to take higher-level computer courses.
4. The student may take the test after the completion of the seventh, eighth, ninth, tenth, or eleventh grade.
5. The test consists of four sections. If a student does not receive the required credit on each section, he or she may retake the sections failed. The student must receive all 20 points on the timed writing and technique sections, a minimum of 14 points (answer 28 questions correctly) on the written quiz, and a minimum of 28 points on the document production.
6. For the timed writing section, the teacher will select a straight-copy writing consisting of at least three paragraphs from the textbook used in the Keyboarding class. The student cannot receive partial credit for this section. If he or she meets the 30 words per minute minimum with no more than a total of three errors, he or she receives 15 points. Otherwise, the student does not receive any points and will have to take this section again.
7. A time period of 75 minutes should be reserved for the test. The student should be given 10 minutes for Section I—Timed Writing, 20 minutes for Section II—Written Quiz, and 45 minutes for Section III—Document Production.
Only the test administrator(s) and the students taking the test should be in the computer lab during testing.
KEYBOARDING PROFICIENCY TEST
The following documents and forms are included for your use in assessing the proficiency of the student on the keyboarding skills that are necessary to take the next level course in business, marketing, and computer technology education.
Section I—Timed Writings (20 points)
Instructions for Timed Writings
Section II—Written Quiz (20 points)
Written Test
Answer Sheet for the Student
Answer Key (not provided)
Section III—Document Production (40 points)
Documents to be produced
Grading Scale for the documents
Section IV – Technique (20 points)
Final Score Sheet (for recording scores on all three sections)
Section I—Timed Writing (20 points)
The test administrator will give two 3-minute timed writings on straight copy. A minimum of 30 words with a maximum of three errors using correct fingering and technique is required to receive credit for this section of the proficiency exam. If either of the two writings meets the requirement, the student will receive the 20 points.
Section II—Written Quiz (20 points–1/2 point for each correct answer)
Time Allowed: 20 minutes
The following are multiple-choice questions. Please mark the appropriate answer on the answer form given to you by the test administrator.
1. Which of the following is a proper technique when keying?
a. Keyboard on your lap
b. Wrists resting on the keyboard
c. Legs crossed at the knees
d. Slouched in the chair
e. None of the above
2. After a semicolon, space _____ time(s).
a. 1
b. 2
c. 3
d. 4
e. 5
3. To save a new document that has just been keyed,
a. click on the Save icon and give the document a name.
b. click File, Save, and give the document a name.
c. click File, Save As, and give the document a name.
d. any of these.
e. none of these.
4. A BLOCK style letter has
a. all parts beginning at the left margin.
b. indented paragraphs.
c. all parts beginning at center.
d. the date and the closing at center with the rest of the letter beginning at the left.
e. all of the above.
5. The date of a personal business letter must be keyed as
a. 10/31/10.
b. Oct. 31, 2010.
c. 31 October 2010.
d. October 31, 2010.
e. October 31 2010.
6. The body of a report should be ______.
a. single spaced
b. double spaced
c. triple spaced
d. quadruple spaced
e. none of these
7. Which key is used to indent a paragraph?
a. enter
b. shift
c. space bar
d. tab
e. none of the above
8. In a personal business letter, if the first line of the inside address is Ms. Lana Carter, _____ would be an appropriate salutation.
a. Dear Ms. Lana Carter
b. Dear Ladies and Gentlemen
c. Dear Ms. Carter
d. Dear Lana Carter
e. all of the above
9. What homerow finger is used to strike the c key?
a. the f finger
b. the d finger
c. the s finger
d. the j finger
e. none of the above
10. To capitalize the letter a, use the ___.
a. the left shift
b. the right shift
c. caps lock
d. num lock
e. none of the above
11. The letter/inside address is the name and address of the
a. writer/originator.
b. typist.
c. recipient.
d. company.
e. none of the above.
12. The content of the paragraphs in a personal business letter should be ______.
a. single spaced
b. double spaced
c. triple spaced
d. quadruple spaced
e. none of these
13. Word wrap occurs when
a. the user determines where one line of text ends and the next begins.
b. the insertion point goes to the next line automatically at the end of a full line.
c. a word is too long to fit on a line and is deleted.
d. both a and b.
e. both b and c.
14. Between the body of the letter and the complimentary close,
a. single space.
b. double space.
c. triple space.
d. quadruple space.
e. leave the number of spaces necessary for the letter to fit on one page.
15. Vertical centering places copy on the page so that there are equal
a. left and right margins.
b. top and bottom margins.
c. spaces between tab stops.
d. header and footer margins.
e. all of the above.
16. The software default setting for line spacing is
a. zero.
b. single.
c. double.
d. triple.
e. quadruple.
17. The default for paragraph indentions is ____ inch.
a. 0.25
b. 0.5
c. 0.75
d. 1
e. none of the above
18. After a comma, space _____ time(s).
a. 0
b. 1
c. 2
d. either a or b
e. either b or c
19. Which key is used for a series of capital letters, or to make all letters capital?
a. Caps Lock
b. Enter
c. Shift
d. Tab
e. None of the above
20. Which key is used to show the end of a paragraph?
a. Caps Lock
b. Enter
c. Shift
d. Tab
e. None of the above
21. Which of the following is a proper complimentary close?
a. SINCERELY
b. SINCERLY
c. Sincerly
d. Sincerely
e. none of these
22. Which of the following is keyed correctly?
a. He said, "are you taking five vacation days?"
b. He said, "Are you taking 5 vacation days"?
c. He said, "are you taking five vacation days"?
d. He said, "Are you taking 5 vacation days?"
e. None of these
23. Which of the following is keyed correctly?
a. My next birthday is January 5th, 2010.
b. My next birthday is the fifth of January, 2010.
c. My next birthday is January 5, 2010.
d. Either a or b is correct.
e. Either b or c is correct.
24. Which of the following is keyed correctly?
a. "What," she said, "is the password"?
b. "What", she said, "Is the password?"
c. "What," she said, "Is the password"?
d. "What," she said, "is the password?"
e. None of these is keyed correctly.
25. Which of the following is keyed correctly?
a. He lived at 10 Downing Street.
b. He lived at Ten Downing Street.
c. He lived at #10 Downing Street.
d. He lived at Number Ten Downing Street.
e. None of these is keyed correctly.
26. Which of the following is keyed correctly?
a. Approximately ninety percent were answered correctly.
b. Approximately ninety % were answered correctly.
c. Approximately 90 percent were answered correctly.
d. Approximately 90 % were answered correctly.
e. None of these is keyed correctly.
27. Which of the following is punctuated correctly?
a. Phillip used a spreadsheet. Paige used a database.
b. Phillip used a spreadsheet; Paige used a database.
c. Phillip used a spreadsheet, but Paige used a database.
d. All of these are keyed correctly.
e. None of these are keyed correctly.
28. The homerow keys for the numeric keypad are:
a. 123
b. 456
c. 789
d. 0, decimal, enter
e. None of the above
29. Which homerow finger should be used to key the period?
a. the j finger
b. the k finger
c. the l finger
d. the ; finger
e. None of the above
The following section is True/False. Please mark the answer form accordingly.
30. Personal business letters are always double spaced.
31. The home row keys are asdf and hjkl.
32. To see how a document will look when printed, use the print preview feature.
33. The proofreader’s mark for closing a space is #.
34. Default settings are preset conditions in software.
35. Default tabs are set every inch on the ruler.
36. In tables both text and numbers should be aligned at the left.
37. The return address in a personal business letter should be keyed either above the date or below the writer’s name.
38. Justification is the word processing term that means all words end at the same space at the left and right margins.
39. The backspace key is operated by the j finger.
40. The enter key is operated by the ; finger.
Revised September 2009
SECTION II– Answer Key
(Not Provided)
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30. __True __False
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Student Name: ______________
Date: ______________________
Revised September 2009
Revised September 2009
SECTION II– Answer Form
1. _____
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30. __True __False
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Student Name: ______________
Date: ______________________
Revised September 2009
Section III—Document Production (40 points)Time Allowed: 45 minutes
The following 3 documents may be prepared in any order.
A. Report (15 points)
Please key the following report in MLA format.
Lindy Alvarez/Mrs. Karen Schmidt/Computer Literacy II/Current Date
Software Ethics
Everyone who owns a computer uses software for various activities such as word processing, spreadsheets, and games.
That neat game your friend has would be great to add to your collection of games. Of course, you would allow your friend to make a copy of one of your games. Before you copy software, be aware that you and your friend would be breaking the law.
Illegal copying of software is called piracy. When you purchase software, you have the right to use the software only on your computer. New methods of preventing software piracy are being implemented every year. Soon every computer will have a “fingerprint” that will prevent a person from installing software on another person’s computer.
The creators and writers of the software that you purchase in stores own what is called a copyright on their programs. A copyright is a legal right to exclusive publication, distribution, sale, or use of the copyrighted work. Musicians and authors own the same right for songs and books they write. The ease of copying software, even thought it is illegal and unethical, has caused a real problem for the owners of software copyrights. Jane Ellis writes in her book, Don’t Share That Software!, that what seems like a harmless thing to do is costing businesses and consumers millions, perhaps billions, of dollars.
B. Table (10 points)
Key and center vertically on the page the information below. Use “SC Colleges and Universities” as the main heading. “School,” “Location,” and “Mascot” are the columnar headings. Correct all errors. Save the table with the name Table. Print the table.
The Citadel Charleston Bulldogs
Clemson University Clemson Tigers
Furman University Greenville Paladins
South Carolina State University Orangeburg Bulldogs
University of South Carolina Columbia Gamecocks
Winthrop University Rock Hill Eagles
C. Personal Business Letter (15 points)
Key the following letter in Block Style. Supply all missing parts. Correct all errors. Save the letter with the name Personal Business Letter. Print the letter.
123 Doe Street/Los Lobos, CA 99876/Current date/ Ms. Stacey L. Doe/ Computer Specialists, Inc./ 8601 Hedgerow/ Miami, SC 29001/
¶Thank you for agreeing to speak at our FBLA Officer Installation Ceremony on May 19 at 6:30 p.m. in the school’s auditorium. ¶The theme is “FBLA: The Wave of the Future.” Over one hundred officers, members, advisers, parents, and other guests will attend. Since you are a former FBLA national officer, we are asking that you assist in the installation ceremony. A reception will be held following the ceremony. A map to the school is enclosed. ¶We look forward to seeing you on May 19 at 6:30 p.m.
Alexa Proof/ FBLA President
KEYBOARDING PROFICIENCY TEST
SECTION III—DOCUMENT PRODUCTION
GRADING SCALE
Revised September 2009
REPORT Possible Points
(15 points) Points Earned
Margins 2 ___
Line Spacing 2 ___
Heading 2 ___
Date Format 1 ___
Paragraph Indention 1 ___
Title 2 ___
Keying Accuracy 5 ___