Following Directions Quiz
Questions: 16 · 10 minutes
1. A procedure states: “Complete A before either B or C, and complete C after B.” Which order follows the procedure?
B, A, C
A, C, B
A, B, C
C, A, B
2. Which instruction is the most specific and measurable?
Submit the completed report as a PDF by 3:00 p.m. Friday.
Send the report promptly in a suitable format.
Complete the report carefully when time allows.
Try to deliver the report near the end of the week.
3. While following assembly directions, you notice a strong chemical smell that the instructions do not mention. What is the most appropriate action?
Continue while checking whether the smell becomes stronger.
Finish the current section, then report the smell.
Skip the current step and continue with the next part.
Stop, move away if needed, and seek appropriate safety guidance.
4. A supervisor asks you to send a report “soon,” but other tasks also have deadlines. What best supports accurate follow-through?
Send it whenever your other work is finished.
Ask for a specific deadline or priority.
Assume “soon” means by the end of the week.
Choose a deadline yourself without mentioning it.
5. Before declaring a multi-step assignment complete, what is the strongest final check?
Confirm that the task took about as long as expected.
Check whether the finished work looks similar to previous assignments.
Compare the finished work with every requirement and condition in the directions.
Review only the steps that were difficult or unfamiliar.
6. You receive a new task with six written steps. Before starting, what is the most reliable first action?
Read all six steps to understand the full task and its conditions.
Start the first step immediately and read each later step when reached.
Scan only for the deadline and any words in bold.
Complete the easiest-looking step before reviewing the sequence.
7. After receiving detailed spoken instructions, which response best checks whether you understood them accurately?
Say that everything sounds clear, even if you are uncertain about one step.
Begin immediately and ask questions only after making an attempt.
Repeat only the final deadline exactly as stated.
Summarize the key steps in your own words and confirm them.
8. The directions say, “Do not begin the test until the timer rings.” The materials are ready, but the timer has not rung. What should you do?
Wait for the timer to ring before beginning.
Begin reading the first question without answering it.
Start now because preparation is complete.
Begin only the questions that look time-consuming.
9. You are interrupted halfway through a detailed procedure. When you return, what is the most reliable way to resume?
Restart at the step you remember most clearly.
Continue from your best estimate of where you stopped.
Move to the next major section to avoid repeating work.
Check the procedure and identify the last verified completed step.
10. Two current instructions appear to conflict, and either interpretation would change the final result. What is the best response?
Follow the instruction that is easiest to complete.
Pause and ask the appropriate person which instruction takes priority.
Use whichever instruction was listed first.
Combine parts of both instructions without mentioning the conflict.
11. Why can a checklist improve accuracy during a long, multi-step task?
It allows the steps to be completed in any order.
It reduces reliance on memory and makes completed steps visible.
It removes the need to understand why conditions apply.
It guarantees that the original directions contain no errors.
12. What does this instruction require: “Do not archive the file unless your supervisor approves it”?
Archive the file unless approval is denied in writing.
Archive the file first, then request approval.
Without approval, do not archive the file.
Approval is needed only to restore the archived file.
13. The instruction reads, “If your draft exceeds 500 words, attach a one-paragraph summary.” Your draft is 620 words. What should you do?
Shorten the draft to exactly 500 words.
Submit the draft alone because the summary is optional.
Replace the draft with a one-paragraph summary.
Submit the draft with a one-paragraph summary attached.
14. A form says, “Use blue or black ink, except use red ink for corrections.” You need to correct an entry. Which ink follows the instruction?
Blue only
Red
Either blue or black
Black only
15. The directions say, “Circle the title, underline the date, and then submit the page.” After circling the title, what should you do next?
Underline the date.
Submit the page.
Circle the date.
Underline the title.
16. A notice states, “Only employees with badges may enter the laboratory.” Which conclusion follows from the wording?
Every person with a badge is permitted to enter.
An employee may enter without a badge when escorted.
An employee without a badge does not meet the stated entry condition.
Employees need badges only after entering the laboratory.