Handling of numerals, symbols and special characters
This domain tests numerals, symbols and special characters: whether you can select the correct key, use shift properly and preserve the printed forms of figures and signs. These characters are scattered across the keyboard and are frequent sources of substitution faults.
Numerals
- Use the numeral keys for 1 and 0; do not substitute lowercase l or uppercase O.
- Type figures exactly as printed; do not spell them out or insert thousands separators that are not in the copy.
- The decimal point is the period key; keep no space around it.
Symbols and special characters
- Use shift for # $ % & * ( ) _ + @ and similar upper-case symbols; use the shift key opposite the character.
- Distinguish hyphen, en dash and minus sign; type the mark shown in the copy.
- Check shifted number keys carefully: # is shift+3, $ is shift+4, % is shift+5 on a standard keyboard.
Worked example
Copy: Invoice #A-1042 costs $75.50 (approx.) Type shift+3 for #, capital A, hyphen, digits 1042, shift+4 for $, 75.50 with a period and no spaces, then a space, opening parenthesis, approx., full stop, closing parenthesis. If you type “Invoice# A-1042” you have moved the space and added one after the hash; both are faults. The reasoning: the symbol and its spacing are part of the copy, so a correct symbol in the wrong position is still wrong.
Traps
- Confusing 0 and O, or 1 and l.
- Forgetting shift and producing a digit instead of a symbol.
- Adding spaces inside parentheses or before a percent sign.