I85PREP
⌘ K
Tamil Nadu HSE Second Year Office Management and Secretaryship study materials
Tamil Nadu HSE Second Year Office Management and Secretaryship study resources

Tamil Nadu HSE Second Year Office Management and Secretaryship practice questions

One question at a time. Build your Tamil Nadu HSE Second Year Office Management and Secretaryship understanding.

First 50 of 200 questions. Each one lists the choices, the correct answer, and an explanation. The checker at the top of this page saves progress in this browser when it is available.

Continue in the practice tool above to load more questions, 50 at a time.

Question 1Office Management: Nature, Functions and Organisation

In office management, which activity belongs to the function usually described as 'communicating' rather than to 'recording'?

  1. Circulating a circular about revised office timings to all departments Correct answer.
  2. Filing paid vouchers in the accounts folder
  3. Entering inward letters in the inward register
  4. Pasting a label on a box of old ledgers

Explanation

Communicating is the function that moves information to the people who need it, so circulating a circular is a communication act. Recording covers creating and preserving written evidence such as registers, files and vouchers. The other three options are all acts of keeping records.

Question 2Office Management: Nature, Functions and Organisation

A firm groups its office work into sections such as purchase, sales and accounts, each headed by a supervisor. Which basis of office organisation has been adopted?

  1. Organisation by territory
  2. Organisation by shift
  3. Organisation by product
  4. Organisation by function Correct answer.

Explanation

When sections are created around the nature of the work performed, the basis is functional organisation. Territory, product and shift bases would create units named after regions, goods or working hours instead. The names purchase, sales and accounts describe functions, so functional organisation is the answer.

Question 3Office Management: Nature, Functions and Organisation

Which of the following best states the primary purpose of an office in a modern business?

  1. To coordinate information and provide services that support the whole enterprise Correct answer.
  2. To sell finished products directly to consumers
  3. To raise capital from investors and lenders
  4. To manufacture goods at the lowest possible cost

Explanation

An office is a service and information centre: it collects, processes and supplies information so that other departments can decide and act. Production, selling and financing are operating functions carried on outside the office's own purpose, though the office assists them. Hence coordination of information and service is the primary purpose.

Question 4Office Management: Nature, Functions and Organisation

Which principle of office organisation requires that each subordinate should report to only one superior?

  1. Span of control
  2. Unity of command Correct answer.
  3. Division of work
  4. Delegation of authority

Explanation

Unity of command means a subordinate receives orders from and reports to a single superior, which prevents conflicting instructions. Span of control concerns how many subordinates one superior can supervise, and division of work concerns splitting tasks. Delegation concerns passing authority downward.

Question 5Office Management: Nature, Functions and Organisation

The office manager of a small trading firm personally approves every purchase indenture and also supervises the typists. Which advantage of a small span of control is being obtained?

  1. Close supervision of subordinates Correct answer.
  2. Faster communication down the line
  3. Fewer levels of authority
  4. Lower salary expenditure on managers

Explanation

A narrow span allows the superior to watch each subordinate closely, which is exactly what close personal approval and supervision provide. Fewer levels, faster downward communication and lower managerial cost are advantages of a wide span with a flat structure. The situation described therefore illustrates close supervision.

Question 6Office Management: Nature, Functions and Organisation

In a large insurance company the office is divided into claims, policy issue and records sections, and each section is further split into small work groups. This arrangement is best described as:

  1. Centralisation of the entire office at one point
  2. Departmentation with sub-division of work Correct answer.
  3. A line-and-staff conflict
  4. Decentralisation of authority to branches

Explanation

Creating major sections and then splitting each into smaller groups is departmentation followed by sub-division of work. Centralisation refers to concentrating authority or activity at one point, not to internal grouping. Line-and-staff conflict and branch decentralisation are different concepts and are not shown here.

Question 7Office Management: Nature, Functions and Organisation

A stationery clerk maintains a stock register and a separate issue register, and the office manager checks both every month. Which control device is the manager using?

  1. Personal observation of clerks at work
  2. Records-based verification of consumption Correct answer.
  3. Oral instruction to the clerk
  4. Budgetary control of the whole office

Explanation

Comparing stock and issue registers to check consumption is control through office records, since the registers supply the evidence for verification. Personal observation would require watching the clerk physically, and oral instruction is direction rather than control. Budgetary control would compare actual spending against a prepared budget for the office as a whole.

Question 8Office Management: Nature, Functions and Organisation

Which feature distinguishes a 'line' office department from a 'staff' office department?

  1. The line department has authority to command operating units in its own chain Correct answer.
  2. The line department is always smaller in size than any staff unit
  3. The line department only advises and never issues orders
  4. The line department has no responsibility for achieving results

Explanation

Line units carry command authority along the chain of command and are accountable for results, while staff units advise and support. Size is irrelevant to the distinction, and a staff unit is the one that advises rather than commands. A line unit is therefore the one that can issue orders within its chain.

Question 9Office Management: Nature, Functions and Organisation

A firm's office is located in a building where rent is high but which is close to the railway station, banks and the registrar's office. Which factor has mainly influenced this choice of office location?

  1. Availability of a large parking yard
  2. Cheap availability of floor space
  3. Proximity to the factory workshop
  4. Nearness to external agencies and transport Correct answer.

Explanation

Easy contact with banks, the registrar and transport links reduces delays in daily office dealings, so nearness to external agencies and transport is the dominant factor here. Cheap floor space is expressly contradicted by the high rent, and the stem mentions neither a workshop nor parking.

Question 10Office Management: Nature, Functions and Organisation

An office uses movable partition screens to divide a large hall into small work cubicles for clerks doing similar repetitive work. Which layout has been adopted?

  1. Private room layout for each clerk
  2. Closed cabin layout for executives
  3. Combined layout with no partitions
  4. Open office layout with landscape screens Correct answer.

Explanation

An open layout keeps one large hall under supervision and uses light screens to give partial privacy, which is what the stem describes. Closed cabins and private rooms would place each employee in a separate enclosed space, and a combined layout would mix open and closed areas rather than partition one hall.

Question 11Office Management: Nature, Functions and Organisation

Which argument is most often advanced in favour of an open office layout?

  1. It eliminates the need for any filing equipment
  2. It gives each employee complete privacy for confidential work
  3. It reduces the noise level in the office
  4. It permits easier supervision and better use of floor area Correct answer.

Explanation

Because one supervisor can see the whole hall and space is not wasted on corridors and walls, an open layout improves supervision and floor utilisation. It actually increases noise and reduces privacy, and it has no bearing on the need for filing equipment.

Question 12Office Management: Nature, Functions and Organisation

The office of a company receives 600 inward letters a day. The manager wants each letter to reach the concerned department on the same day. Which step in the mail-handling routine deserves the greatest attention?

  1. Long-term storage of envelopes
  2. Binding old inward registers
  3. Prompt sorting and distribution after receipt Correct answer.
  4. Monthly review of the postage account

Explanation

Same-day delivery depends on quick sorting and immediate distribution to the departments concerned, so that step is critical. Storage, postage review and binding affect record keeping or cost but cannot speed the movement of the day's mail. Hence sorting and distribution deserve the greatest attention.

Question 13Office Management: Nature, Functions and Organisation

Which of the following is an advantage of centralised filing over departmental filing?

  1. Filing equipment and trained staff are used economically Correct answer.
  2. Duplicate copies of every paper are avoided by each section separately
  3. Each department gets instant access without any requisition
  4. Records of a confidential nature are kept in every department

Explanation

A single central file room avoids duplication of equipment and staff, so scarce resources are used economically. Access under centralised filing normally requires a requisition, which is a drawback rather than an advantage. Confidentiality is usually easier to protect centrally, and duplication is avoided by centralisation itself, not by each section separately.

Question 14Office Management: Nature, Functions and Organisation

A file on 'Tamil Nadu Textile Mills' is placed under the heading 'Textile Mills' with a cross-reference slip under 'Tamil Nadu'. Which filing method is being used?

  1. Numerical filing with an index
  2. Chronological filing
  3. Subject filing with cross-reference Correct answer.
  4. Geographical filing

Explanation

Arranging papers by the subject matter of the correspondence is subject filing, and a cross-reference slip helps a searcher who looks under another heading. Numerical filing uses numbers with an index, chronological filing uses dates, and geographical filing uses places as the primary heading.

Question 15Office Management: Nature, Functions and Organisation

Which quality is most important for an office receptionist who must handle visitors, telephone calls and complaints at the same time?

  1. Skill in operating a duplicating machine
  2. Tact and the ability to remain courteous under pressure Correct answer.
  3. Speed in shorthand writing
  4. Knowledge of double-entry book-keeping

Explanation

A receptionist is the first point of contact and must keep visitors and callers satisfied even when several demands arrive together, so tact and courtesy under pressure matter most. Shorthand, book-keeping and duplicating skills belong to stenographers, accountants and reprographic staff respectively.

Question 16Office Management: Nature, Functions and Organisation

A company decides to place its filing section, typing pool and record room under one office manager instead of leaving them scattered among departments. Which advantage of this step is most direct?

  1. Better coordination of office services Correct answer.
  2. Increase in the sales turnover of the company
  3. Reduction in the number of employees needed in production
  4. Elimination of the need for internal communication

Explanation

Bringing related office services under one manager creates a single point of coordination, which reduces delay and duplication among them. It does not by itself reduce production staff, raise sales turnover, or remove the need for communication, which remains essential.

Question 17Office Management: Nature, Functions and Organisation

In the context of office management, 'delegation of authority' means:

  1. Abandoning the task by the superior without any instructions
  2. Granting a subordinate the power to act in a defined area while the superior remains accountable Correct answer.
  3. Transferring final accountability entirely away from the superior
  4. Shifting work to another department without informing anyone

Explanation

Delegation gives a subordinate authority to act within limits, but the superior who delegated remains answerable for the outcome. Authority moves downward while accountability for the original assignment stays with the delegator. Abandoning a task or silently shifting work is not delegation at all.

Question 18Office Management: Nature, Functions and Organisation

A newly appointed office superintendent finds that the same inward letter is entered in three different registers by three sections. Which principle of office organisation is being violated?

  1. Delegation of authority
  2. Avoidance of duplication of work Correct answer.
  3. Span of control
  4. Unity of command

Explanation

Entering the same letter three times is needless repetition of a single task, so the principle of avoiding duplication of work is breached. Unity of command concerns reporting lines, span of control concerns supervisory load, and delegation concerns authority, none of which is the issue here.

Question 19Office Management: Nature, Functions and Organisation

Which of the following best explains why an office is called the 'nerve centre' of an enterprise?

  1. It gathers information from all departments and supplies it back as the basis for decisions Correct answer.
  2. It controls the physical movement of raw materials in the factory
  3. It employs the largest number of workers in the organisation
  4. It fixes the price of the company's products without consulting others

Explanation

The nerve-centre comparison rests on the office's role in receiving, processing and distributing information that guides decisions throughout the enterprise. Material movement is a store or production concern, pricing is a management decision, and employee numbers are irrelevant to the metaphor.

Question 20Office Management: Nature, Functions and Organisation

An office manager prepares a chart showing that the correspondence clerk reports to the head clerk, who reports to the office manager, who reports to the general manager. This chart is:

  1. A balance sheet of the office's finances
  2. A work-sampling sheet for measuring clerk output
  3. An organisation chart showing the chain of command Correct answer.
  4. A flow chart of the mail-handling process

Explanation

A diagram of positions and their reporting links is an organisation chart, and the vertical links it displays constitute the chain of command. A flow chart traces steps in a process, a work-sampling sheet records observations of activity, and a balance sheet states financial position.

Question 21Office Management: Nature, Functions and Organisation

A growing firm has one office manager controlling eighteen clerks directly and finds that instructions are delayed and mistakes go unnoticed. Which remedy is most consistent with office organisation theory?

  1. Introduce intermediate supervisors to reduce the manager's span of control Correct answer.
  2. Ask the clerks to report directly to the general manager as well
  3. Dismiss half the clerks to restore the previous position
  4. Abolish the office manager's post altogether

Explanation

An excessively wide span overloads the superior, so inserting sectional supervisors creates a manageable span at each level. Reducing staff treats the symptom by cutting capacity, abolishing the post destroys necessary coordination, and dual reporting violates unity of command.

Question 22Office Management: Nature, Functions and Organisation

A firm wants to compare the cost of its centralised typing pool with the cost of typists attached to individual departments. Which piece of information is least relevant to that comparison?

  1. The colour scheme used in the typing room Correct answer.
  2. The output of letters typed per typist per day
  3. The cost of typing equipment and its maintenance
  4. The salaries of typists in each arrangement

Explanation

A cost comparison must weigh salaries, equipment and maintenance costs against output, since these determine cost per unit of work. Decoration such as the colour scheme has no bearing on typing cost. It is therefore the least relevant item among the four.

Question 23Office Management: Nature, Functions and Organisation

Which statement about the relationship between office management and management in general is most accurate?

  1. Office management is concerned only with the purchase of stationery
  2. Office management rejects general management principles as inapplicable to clerical work
  3. Office management is identical to the production function of the firm
  4. Office management applies general management principles to the work of the office Correct answer.

Explanation

Office management takes the general principles of planning, organising, staffing, directing and controlling and applies them to office work. It does not reject those principles, nor is it confined to stationery purchase, and it is distinct from production management.

Question 24Office Management: Nature, Functions and Organisation

A company shifts from a closed-cabin layout to an open layout. Which consequence should the office manager anticipate and plan for?

  1. Automatic reduction in the consumption of stationery
  2. Greater difficulty in keeping confidential discussions private Correct answer.
  3. Complete elimination of supervision problems
  4. A sharp fall in the number of employees required

Explanation

Open layouts expose conversations to everyone in the hall, so confidential matters need separate rooms or other safeguards. Staff numbers, supervision quality and stationery consumption do not change automatically with the layout, though supervision may become easier rather than disappear.

Question 25Office Environment, Layout and Working Conditions

In office layout planning, the principle of 'flow of work' mainly requires that departments be arranged so that:

  1. files move in a continuous forward sequence without backtracking Correct answer.
  2. every employee gets an equal area of floor space
  3. visitors are received before clerical work begins each day
  4. senior officers occupy cabins near the main entrance

Explanation

The flow-of-work principle arranges desks and sections in the order in which documents and decisions actually move, so that papers never travel backwards to an earlier stage. This reduces handling time, avoids congestion at bottlenecks, and shortens the total processing cycle of a transaction.

Question 26Office Environment, Layout and Working Conditions

Which type of office layout places all employees performing the same function, such as all typists or all accounts clerks, together in one room?

  1. Landscaped layout
  2. Private cabin layout
  3. Open-counter layout
  4. Functional layout Correct answer.

Explanation

A functional layout groups staff by the nature of the work they perform, so similar machines, records and skills are concentrated in one area. It supports specialisation and easier supervision of a single activity, though it may lengthen the route a document travels between functions.

Question 27Office Environment, Layout and Working Conditions

A clerk must repeatedly walk from the filing section to the accounts section and back for every voucher. Which layout defect does this indicate?

  1. Insufficient furniture for the clerk
  2. Poor arrangement causing backtracking Correct answer.
  3. Inadequate lighting in the accounts section
  4. Excessive noise from the filing section

Explanation

Repeated to-and-fro movement between two sections shows that related activities have been placed far apart, violating the flow-of-work principle. Relocating the filing racks nearer the accounts desks, or routing vouchers in one direction, would remove the wasted travel.

Question 28Office Environment, Layout and Working Conditions

The main advantage claimed for a landscaped (open) office over a traditional cellular office is that it:

  1. eliminates the need for any supervision of staff
  2. permits flexible rearrangement and better use of floor space Correct answer.
  3. guarantees complete privacy for confidential discussions
  4. reduces the cost of air-conditioning to nil

Explanation

Landscaped offices use movable screens, planters and low partitions instead of fixed walls, so the hall can be reorganised when work changes and a larger proportion of the floor is usable. This flexibility and economy of space are the standard arguments in its favour.

Question 29Office Environment, Layout and Working Conditions

In office lighting, glare is best described as:

  1. uneven distribution of furniture near windows
  2. the reflection of sound waves from hard surfaces
  3. total absence of natural daylight in a room
  4. excessive brightness from a source that strains the eyes Correct answer.

Explanation

Glare is light of such intensity or in such a direction that it causes discomfort or reduces the ability to see the task, for example an unshielded lamp or a bright window behind a computer screen. It is controlled by diffusers, louvres, matte surfaces and correct positioning of lights.

Question 30Office Environment, Layout and Working Conditions

A manager wants to reduce fatigue among clerks doing continuous figure work. Which measure addresses illumination most directly?

  1. Increasing the number of visitors allowed at each desk
  2. Providing diffused light of adequate intensity without glare Correct answer.
  3. Installing a loud ventilation fan near the desks
  4. Shifting the clerks to smaller individual cabins

Explanation

Continuous figure work demands good visual conditions, so the appropriate measure is sufficient, evenly spread and glare-free illumination on the work surface. Diffusers, proper lamp height and matte desk tops keep contrast comfortable and reduce eye strain.

Question 31Office Environment, Layout and Working Conditions

Which condition in an office is most likely to cause errors in copying figures from one register to another?

  1. A carpeted floor in the corridor
  2. Inadequate ventilation causing drowsiness Correct answer.
  3. A numbered rack for incoming mail
  4. A notice board near the entrance

Explanation

Poor ventilation raises carbon dioxide and temperature, producing drowsiness, headache and reduced concentration, which shows up as transcription errors in repetitive figure work. Fresh air, exhaust fans and cross-ventilation are the standard remedies.

Question 32Office Environment, Layout and Working Conditions

The recommended practice for controlling noise in an office where typewriters and accounting machines are used is to:

  1. cover the walls with hard polished tiles
  2. place the machines on sound-absorbing pads and separate them from quiet work Correct answer.
  3. ask employees to speak more loudly so instructions are heard
  4. keep all windows permanently shut and sealed

Explanation

Machine noise is reduced at source by mounting equipment on rubber or felt pads and by locating noisy operations away from work needing concentration. Acoustic ceilings, soft furnishings and screens further absorb sound within the hall.

Question 33Office Environment, Layout and Working Conditions

In an office, the term 'ergonomics' refers to:

  1. the rules governing the filing of correspondence
  2. the accounting of petty cash expenditure
  3. the design of furniture and equipment to suit the worker Correct answer.
  4. the study of office stationery and its consumption

Explanation

Ergonomics matches the physical design of chairs, desks, keyboards and screens to human body dimensions and movement, so that strain and injury are avoided. Adjustable seat height, proper table height and screen position are typical ergonomic measures.

Question 34Office Environment, Layout and Working Conditions

A typist complains of neck and shoulder pain after long hours at a computer. Which ergonomic correction is most appropriate?

  1. Adjusting the screen to eye level with the keyboard close to the body Correct answer.
  2. Placing the monitor far to one side of the desk
  3. Removing the backrest from the chair to allow free movement
  4. Lowering the chair so that the knees are above the hips

Explanation

Neck and shoulder strain usually arises when the screen is too low or too far, forcing the head forward and the arms to reach. Bringing the keyboard near the body and raising the screen to about eye level keeps the spine upright and the shoulders relaxed.

Question 35Office Environment, Layout and Working Conditions

The chief purpose of providing adequate space per employee in an office is to:

  1. increase the rent payable on the premises
  2. justify the appointment of more supervisors
  3. allow free movement and prevent crowding at desks Correct answer.
  4. make the office hall look larger to visitors

Explanation

Adequate floor area per person allows chairs to be pushed back, files to be opened and people to pass without disturbing seated staff, which protects both efficiency and safety. Crowding also raises noise, heat and the risk of accidents.

Question 36Office Environment, Layout and Working Conditions

Which of the following is a principle of good office layout relating to supervision?

  1. Every employee should be hidden behind a partition
  2. Supervisors should sit in a separate building
  3. Files should be kept as far as possible from users
  4. Work stations should be visible to the supervising officer Correct answer.

Explanation

Layout should let a supervisor see the staff and the work flow without leaving the seat, so help can be given quickly and slackness noticed. This is why supervisory desks are usually placed at a point that commands the whole hall.

Question 37Office Environment, Layout and Working Conditions

An office has a single narrow doorway used by staff, visitors and incoming mail trolleys. The most serious consequence for office work is:

  1. greater difficulty in maintaining the attendance register
  2. higher electricity charges for the hall
  3. loss of stationery through pilferage
  4. congestion and delay at the point of entry Correct answer.

Explanation

A single narrow entry serving several streams of traffic creates a bottleneck, causes collisions and delays both staff and the delivery of mail. Layout planning therefore separates visitor access, staff movement and goods handling wherever possible.

Question 38Office Environment, Layout and Working Conditions

Which colour scheme is generally preferred for the walls of a busy office hall?

  1. Light, restful shades that reflect light without glare Correct answer.
  2. Bright red to stimulate speed of work
  3. Alternating dark and white stripes
  4. Deep black to hide dirt and marks

Explanation

Light neutral or pastel shades reflect daylight, reduce the need for artificial light and keep the hall restful to the eye over long hours. Strong colours and harsh contrasts tire the eyes and distract attention from the work.

Question 39Office Environment, Layout and Working Conditions

A firm is shifting from a small room to a large open hall. Which step best preserves confidentiality while keeping the advantages of open layout?

  1. Asking staff to whisper whenever a visitor is present
  2. Providing a separate screened room for confidential interviews and records Correct answer.
  3. Installing glass partitions around every single desk
  4. Banning the use of telephones in the hall

Explanation

Open landscaping cannot protect secrecy in an undivided hall, so the accepted solution is to retain a small enclosed room for confidential discussions and sensitive records. The rest of the hall then keeps its flexibility and economy of space.

Question 40Office Environment, Layout and Working Conditions

According to standard office practice, the normal range of comfortable room temperature for sedentary clerical work is about:

  1. 20 to 25 degrees Celsius Correct answer.
  2. 30 to 35 degrees Celsius
  3. 10 to 14 degrees Celsius
  4. 15 to 17 degrees Celsius

Explanation

Sedentary office work is generally comfortable in the range of roughly 20 to 25 degrees Celsius with moderate humidity, since the body is producing little heat. Temperatures much below this chill the fingers and slow typing, while higher temperatures cause drowsiness.

Question 41Office Environment, Layout and Working Conditions

Which statement about the relationship between office layout and employee morale is most defensible?

  1. Layout has no effect on morale because morale depends only on salary
  2. Morale falls only when the office is moved to a new building
  3. A cramped, noisy layout raises morale by keeping staff close together
  4. A well-planned layout with adequate light, space and quiet supports morale Correct answer.

Explanation

Working conditions such as light, ventilation, space and freedom from noise directly affect comfort and fatigue, and employees read a well-planned office as evidence of management's concern. Morale is therefore influenced by layout, though pay and supervision also matter.

Question 42Office Environment, Layout and Working Conditions

In office layout terminology, a 'work station' means:

  1. the place where a single employee performs the assigned task Correct answer.
  2. the room in which the manager receives visitors
  3. the cupboard in which stationery is stored
  4. the counter where cash is paid to customers

Explanation

A work station is the individual position assigned to one employee, comprising the desk, chair, machine and the space needed to use them. Planning a hall amounts to arranging these stations so that the total flow of work is smooth.

Question 43Office Environment, Layout and Working Conditions

Which of the following best explains why natural ventilation is preferred in office buildings where climate permits?

  1. It removes the need for any furniture in the hall
  2. It provides fresh air and reduces dependence on mechanical cooling Correct answer.
  3. It guarantees silence in the office
  4. It raises the humidity of the room to saturation

Explanation

Windows and ventilators admit fresh air, remove stale air, odours and excess heat, and cut the running cost of fans and air-conditioning. The only caution is to avoid draughts on seated staff and to control noise and dust from outside.

Question 44Office Environment, Layout and Working Conditions

A bank wants tellers to serve customers quickly while keeping cash operations secure and separate. Which layout decision fits best?

  1. Provide a public counter in front and a secure cash room behind Correct answer.
  2. Place all tellers in a closed room away from the public hall
  3. Scatter the teller counters throughout the hall
  4. Shift the cash room to the top floor of the building

Explanation

A front counter facing the public gives quick service, while an adjoining secure room behind it keeps cash and records protected and allows replenishment without crossing the public area. This satisfies both service and security in one arrangement.

Question 45Office Communication and Correspondence

In office correspondence, a letter written by a company to a supplier asking for the price list of stationery items is best classified as which type of letter?

  1. A letter of complaint
  2. A circular letter
  3. An enquiry letter Correct answer.
  4. An application letter

Explanation

An enquiry letter is written to request information, prices, catalogues or terms from another party. Since the company only seeks a price list, the enquiry letter is the correct classification.

Question 46Office Communication and Correspondence

Which part of a formal business letter immediately follows the salutation?

  1. The reference number
  2. The signature of the sender
  3. The complimentary close
  4. The body of the letter Correct answer.

Explanation

The standard order of a formal letter is heading, reference, date, inside address, salutation, body, complimentary close and signature. The body therefore follows the salutation directly.

Question 47Office Communication and Correspondence

A clerk has to send the same notice about a revised office timing to fifty branch offices. Which communication device is most suitable?

  1. A circular Correct answer.
  2. A telegram
  3. A confidential report
  4. A memorandum

Explanation

A circular is a single communication reproduced and sent to many recipients conveying identical information. Sending one notice to fifty branches is the classic use of a circular.

Question 48Office Communication and Correspondence

The short line 'Sub: Supply of office furniture - reg.' in a business letter performs which function?

  1. It lists the enclosures
  2. It records the date of dispatch
  3. It states the subject of the letter Correct answer.
  4. It identifies the addressee's address

Explanation

The subject line summarises the matter of the letter so that the reader knows its purpose at a glance. The abbreviation 'reg.' means 'regarding' and confirms that the subject is being stated.

Question 49Office Communication and Correspondence

Which of the following is an example of an internal office communication?

  1. An office memorandum from the manager to the accounts section Correct answer.
  2. A complaint letter sent to a transporter
  3. An enquiry letter sent to a bank
  4. A quotation sent to a customer

Explanation

Internal communication moves between persons or sections within the same organisation. A memorandum from a manager to a section inside the office is therefore internal.

Question 50Office Communication and Correspondence

In office practice, 'drafting' a reply to a received letter means which of the following?

  1. Filing the received letter in the proper folder
  2. Acknowledging the receipt of the letter
  3. Preparing the rough wording of the reply for approval Correct answer.
  4. Dispatching the reply by registered post

Explanation

Drafting is the stage at which the reply is composed in rough form and put up for the officer's approval. Dispatch and filing are later stages that follow approval and typing.