Clerical Ability
Alphabetizing, Spelling, Data Comparison & Filing (Sub-Pro level)
Alphabetizing Rules
Rule 1: Letter by Letter
Compare words letter by letter from left to right.
Example: APPLE comes before APPLICATION (compare A-P-P-L...)
Rule 2: Nothing Before Something
Shorter words come before longer words when the beginning is the same.
Example: AN comes before AND
Rule 3: Names - Last Name First
File by: Last name, First name, Middle name
Example: CRUZ, Juan M. comes before SANTOS, Ana B.
Rule 4: Prefixes
Treat prefixes (De, Dela, Del, San, etc.) as part of the name.
Example: DE LA CRUZ files under D, not L
Practice: Arrange alphabetically
Santos, Maria | San Juan, Pedro | Sanchez, Ana | Santa Maria, Jose
Answer: San Juan, Sanchez, Santa Maria, Santos
Commonly Misspelled Words
accomodate
accommodate
occured
occurred
recieve
receive
seperate
separate
definately
definitely
goverment
government
occassion
occasion
priviledge
privilege
neccessary
necessary
Spelling Tips
- "i before e except after c": receive, conceive (exceptions: weird, seize)
- Double consonants: accommodate (cc, mm), occurring (rr)
- Silent letters: government (n), Wednesday (d)
Data Comparison
Compare pairs of data and identify if they are the same or different.
Tips for Data Comparison
- Compare character by character
- Watch for transposed numbers (67 vs 76)
- Check punctuation marks carefully
- Don't rush - accuracy is more important than speed
Filing Systems
Alphabetical Filing
Files arranged A-Z by name or subject
Best for: Correspondence, personnel files
Numerical Filing
Files arranged by number (sequential or coded)
Best for: Accounts, case files, confidential records
Chronological Filing
Files arranged by date (newest first or oldest first)
Best for: Reports, memos, correspondence
Geographic Filing
Files arranged by location/region
Best for: Sales territories, regional offices