Clerical Accuracy and Record Keeping
What the questions test
Clerical items ask you to compare names, numbers, and dates for exact matches, file items alphabetically or numerically, spot transcription errors, and follow correct correction procedures. Speed matters less than exactness.
Concepts to know
For alphabetizing, compare letter by letter; a shorter name precedes a longer one that begins with the same letters (Ann before Anna). 'Mc' and 'Mac' are generally filed as spelled. Hyphens, apostrophes, and spaces are usually ignored in ordering but must still match exactly when you are checking a transcription. Numeric filing goes digit by digit from the left, so leading zeros matter: 0071 is not 0710. Dates should follow the format required by the record; do not silently convert. To correct a record, follow procedure - never erase or obliterate an original entry; strike through, initial, date, and note the correction.
Traps
- Near-identical names: Jon/John, Smith/Smyth, Brown/Browne.
- Transposed digits: 3451 versus 3415.
- Easily confused characters: 1/7, 6/9, 0/O, b/p, and letter reversals.
- Missing or extra hyphen or apostrophe in a surname.
- Sorting by first name instead of last name.
- Choosing the 'corrected' record that altered the original entry improperly.
Worked example
Compare 482-1937 with 482-1973. Read in chunks of three or four from the left: 482 matches, 193 versus 197 differs at the fourth digit. Rule of thumb: make one pass for meaning and a second pass character by character (or right to left) for exactness. On match questions, verify every character before marking 'same.'