NCSE flashcards
NCSE · Build recall with a focused review session.
32 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.
- Main idea
- The central point the passage is written to convey, broad enough to cover all paragraphs but narrow enough to exclude topics the passage never addresses.
- Inference versus detail
- A detail is stated directly in the text; an inference is a conclusion the text supports but does not state. Inferred answers need textual evidence, not personal opinion.
- Signal words
- Words such as however, therefore, and similarly that reveal how ideas relate. They mark contrast, cause-effect, or comparison and often locate the passage's key claim.
- Active voice
- Sentence structure in which the subject performs the action, as in the clerk filed the report. It is shorter and clearer than passive voice for most business writing.
- Parallel structure
- Using the same grammatical form for items in a series or list, such as all gerunds or all nouns, so the sentence reads smoothly and unambiguously.
- Subject-verb agreement
- The verb must match the true subject in number, ignoring interrupting phrases. In the box of files is heavy, the singular subject box takes is.
- Percent change
- The difference between new and old value divided by the old value, times 100. Increases and decreases of the same percentage do not cancel out.
- Weighted average
- A mean in which each value is multiplied by its weight before summing, then divided by the total weight. Required when group sizes differ.
- Cross-multiplication
- A method for solving proportions: if a over b equals c over d, then a times d equals b times c. Keep matching units in the same position.
- Order of operations
- The sequence for evaluating expressions: parentheses first, then exponents, then multiplication and division left to right, then addition and subtraction left to right.
- Work rate addition
- When two workers or machines act together, add their individual rates per unit time, then invert the combined rate to find total time.
- Estimation check
- Rounding values to one significant figure before computing gives an approximate answer; a large gap between estimate and result signals a calculation error.
- Letter-by-letter filing
- Alphabetizing by each character in sequence, including spaces, rather than by whole words. This places New Deal before Newark because the space sorts first.
- Nothing before something
- A filing rule stating that a shorter name precedes a longer name beginning with the same words, so Bank files before Bank of America.
- Numeric filing order
- Numbers file as whole units in ascending value, so 9 precedes 10 and 100 precedes 101, rather than digit by digit as text.
- Cross-reference sheet
- A card placed in a file to point to a related name or subject. It directs the searcher to the correct location without duplicating the original record.
- Retention schedule
- A documented list stating how long each record category must be kept and when authorized destruction may occur, based on legal and operational requirements.
- Minutes essentials
- The official record of a meeting: date, attendees, motions with mover and second, decisions, and action items with assigned owners and due dates.
- Active listening steps
- Attend physically, reflect the speaker's content, reflect the feeling, then confirm understanding before responding. Each step is observable and can be practiced.
- Paraphrasing for accuracy
- Restating the customer's issue in your own words and asking for confirmation. It catches misunderstandings early and signals that the concern was heard.
- Escalation trigger
- A condition requiring transfer to a supervisor: the request exceeds your authority, a legal or safety issue exists, or a second resolution attempt has failed.
- Service recovery order
- Acknowledge the error, apologize for its impact, correct the problem, then follow up. Compensation supports the fix but never substitutes for it.
- De-escalation technique
- Lower volume and speaking pace, use neutral language, separate the person from the problem, and offer a choice between two acceptable options.
- Need-to-know principle
- Confidential client information is shared only with people whose duties require it. Identity is verified before any account details are discussed.
- Root cause
- The underlying reason a problem occurs, as distinct from its visible symptom. Removing the root cause prevents recurrence; treating symptoms does not.
- Five Whys technique
- Repeatedly asking why a problem occurred, typically about five times, until the answer stops changing. The final answer usually identifies the actionable root cause.
- Weighted scoring matrix
- A decision tool listing criteria with weights totaling 100 percent, rating each option, then multiplying and summing. The highest total is the most defensible choice.
- Opportunity cost
- The value of the best alternative given up when a choice is made. It belongs in a cost-benefit comparison even though no money changes hands.
- Groupthink
- A group failure in which pressure for agreement suppresses dissent, so alternatives go untested. Assigning a devil's advocate is a standard countermeasure.
- Action item criteria
- A task is trackable only when it names an owner, a due date, and a measurable completion standard. Missing any one of the three makes follow-up unreliable.
- Absolute versus relative reference
- In spreadsheets, A1 shifts when copied, while $A$1 stays fixed. A dollar sign locks the column, the row, or both in a formula.
- COUNT versus COUNTA
- COUNT tallies cells containing numbers; COUNTA tallies all non-empty cells including text. Choosing the wrong one silently changes totals in reports.