Title: Reports
Course: Question Banks

Q: Formal reports can be distinguished from informal reports by ________.
- there is no difference.
- formal reports use more complex words.
- the length of the report.
A: the length of the report.

Q: Which of the following statements describes a formal report?
- It must be over one-hundred pages long.
- It contains charts and graphs.
- It is organized by section with headers.
A: It is organized by section with headers.

Q: A formal report organized into sections identifying work done by functional company areas would be most appropriate for which of the following?
- a summary of the Accounting departments’ efforts to review available software packages
- a study run in HR discussing the benefits of a new vacation policy
- a summary of the company’s efforts over the last 6 months to consolidate from 5 to 4 locations involving real estate dealings, HR issues, IT projects, and financial accounting
A: a summary of the company’s efforts over the last 6 months to consolidate from 5 to 4 locations involving real estate dealings, HR issues, IT projects, and financial accounting

Q: Analytical reports and informational reports can be distinguished by ________.
- analytical reports are structured as formal reports.
- both reports contain substantial research and recommendations.
- an informational report is usually a simple, one-topic set of data.
A: an informational report is usually a simple, one-topic set of data.

Q: Which of the following statements is true about expense reports?
- Expense reports require data from multiple sources to provide validity.
- Expense reports are a type of report with a lot of flexibility and do not have required components.
- Expense reports require a breakdown of your business expenses on a company template.
A: Expense reports require a breakdown of your business expenses on a company template.

Q: Which of these topics would be best suited for an informational report versus an analytical report?
- Quarterly results being reported to the Board.
- A review of our executive’s salaries compared to our competitors and those of similar market segments.
- Attendees at our last marketing conference.
A: Attendees at our last marketing conference.

Q: Business reports must take stakeholders into consideration because ________.
- stakeholders have key information that must be included in the report.
- stakeholders can cancel the project.
- stakeholders will be affected by the decisions made based on the report.
A: stakeholders will be affected by the decisions made based on the report.

Q: Stakeholders fall into the following three types:
- active, passive, and neutral.
- loyal, disloyal, and committed.
- direct, indirect, and remote.
A: direct, indirect, and remote.

Q: The outcome of a business report has the least effect on ________.
- direct stakeholders.
- indirect stakeholders.
- remote stakeholders.
A: remote stakeholders.

Q: You learned key competitive information about vendors in consideration for a new project at a trade show. You should write ________.
- a feasibility study.
- an expense report.
- a conference report.
A: a conference report.

Q: You are writing a status report on the work done by your cross-functional team. This status report should NOT include ________.
- an update of progress since the last report.
- a change in the dates of upcoming team meetings.
- a detailed analysis of project feasibility.
A: a detailed analysis of project feasibility.

Q: An informal report would be appropriate for ________.
- market analysis of a new geography the company is considering.
- quarterly financial performance analysis.
- mileage expenses for out-of-town customer visits.
A: mileage expenses for out-of-town customer visits.

Q: Sharing an informal report can be accomplished by ________.
- distributing a printed and bound copy.
- presenting the report at a conference.
- emailing a digital copy.
A: emailing a digital copy.

Q: Corrina needs to send an informal report to a small group of her customers. Which is NOT an appropriate way for her to send her report?
- as an email attachment
- as blog post
- as a memo
A: as a memo

Q: Informal reports shared internally should be in the form of ________.
- a letter.
- a hand-written note.
- a memo or email.
A: a memo or email.

Q: Informal reports need an introduction section to ________.
- inform the reader of the length of the report.
- list the contributors of the report.
- give the reader the “why” of the report.
A: give the reader the “why” of the report.

Q: What are the four sections typically included in an informal analytical report?
- Table of Contents, Support or Reasons, Recommendations, and Conclusion.
- Introduction, Executive Summary, Recommendations, and Conclusion.
- Introduction, Support or Reasons, Recommendations, and Conclusion.
A: Introduction, Support or Reasons, Recommendations, and Conclusion.

Q: Why is the recommendation section of an informal analytical report important?
- to demonstrate the logic of the writer’s reasoning
- to give credit to the report authors for their work
- to show how the data supports the recommendation
A: to show how the data supports the recommendation

Q: Your informal report should be organized based on ________.
- the depth of information in your report.
- the number of sections in your report.
- the needs of the audience.
A: the needs of the audience.

Q: Positive or neutral conclusions would suggest you put the recommendations ________.
- at the end of the report.
- included with the research section.
- at the beginning of the report.
A: at the beginning of the report.

Q: The recommendation section of an informal report that arrives at a negative conclusion should be positioned at the end of the report ________.
- to distract the audience from the recommendation.
- to earn the respect of the audience for the depth of your report.
- to allow the audience to benefit from the research and logic offered to reach the same conclusion as you.
A: to allow the audience to benefit from the research and logic offered to reach the same conclusion as you.

Q: Writing an informal report has three stages which are:
- planning, writing, and publishing
- writing, editing, and distributing
- planning, writing, and revising
A: planning, writing, and revising

Q: What is the most important guideline of the “planning” and “revising” steps of an informal report?
- That everything learned in the research phase is included in the report.
- That the headers are consistent with the content.
- That the writing has stayed true to the original purpose of the report.
A: That the writing has stayed true to the original purpose of the report.

Q: The ________ of writing an informal report takes the most time.
- the planning stage
- the research stage
- the writing stage
A: the writing stage

Q: Informal and formal reports are different because:
- a formal report uses larger words and more complex sentences.
- an informal report is targeted only at close business associates.
- a formal report goes more deeply into a topic and has more structure.
A: a formal report goes more deeply into a topic and has more structure.

Q: The primary purpose of a feasibility report is to:
- report statistical research.
- disclose project outcomes.
- explore new ideas prior to funding or investment.
A: explore new ideas prior to funding or investment.

Q: Formal reports can include business plans, research reports and:
- conference reports.
- expense reports.
- proposals.
A: proposals.

Q: The most important factor in preparing a formal report to be shared is:
- The length of the report.
- What best matches the content of the report.
- What will work best for the recipient of the report.
A: What will work best for the recipient of the report.

Q: The length of formal reports can lead to a large file size; which of the following is the best way to share them?
- an email is the best format for the report
- a podcast is the best method of sharing
- as an attachment or link to/from an email
A: as an attachment or link to/from an email

Q: A formal report should NOT be shared by:
- Mailing the report with a cover letter.
- Attaching the report to an internal email.
- Posting it to the company’s website.
A: Posting it to the company’s website.

Q: Formal reports have a front section that is comprised of:
- Cover page, Table of Contents, and Budget Proposal.
- Table of Contents, List of Contributors, and Problem Statement.
- Cover page, Executive Summary, and Table of Contents.
A: Cover page, Executive Summary, and Table of Contents.

Q: The title page of a formal report should ________.
- list the topics to be covered in the report.
- explain how the report was compiled.
- repeat the information from the cover page and add important details.
A: repeat the information from the cover page and add important details.

Q: Executive Summaries in the front section of a formal report have the express purpose of ________.
- stating the results of the report for MBA-level graduates.
- presenting the financial impact of the report for investors.
- providing a condensed view of the entire report including the conclusions reached.
A: providing a condensed view of the entire report including the conclusions reached.

Q: What is the purpose of the Introduction Section of a formal report?
- to express gratitude for report contributors
- to guide the reader to the author’s conclusion
- to state the reason for the report creation
A: to state the reason for the report creation

Q: The body section of a formal report should include a Problem Statement because ________.
- It pitches the solution right away.
- It demonstrates understanding of the client’s business.
- It describes the reason the report was created.
A: It describes the reason the report was created.

Q: The body of a formal report should ________.
- Include all of the suggested sections to be considered complete.
- Allow the reader to pick and choose what is important.
- Include only the suggested sections that are consistent with the situation.
A: Include only the suggested sections that are consistent with the situation.

Q: Included in the Back Matter section of a formal report is:
- The background of the report research.
- The conclusion of the report.
- Any detailed information that could not fit into the body of the report.
A: Any detailed information that could not fit into the body of the report.

Q: What is the best way to prove that your company has the expertise to execute a Request for Proposal response for third-party training of a client’s employees?
- Describe the training to be delivered in the Body Matter section of your proposal.
- Make the claim that you have the best trainers in the Executive Summary section.
- Include resumes and certifications from your company’s trainers in the Back Matter section of your proposal.
A: Include resumes and certifications from your company’s trainers in the Back Matter section of your proposal.

Q: A formal report should have a Back Matter section that always includes:
- There should always be a detailed explanation of the work that went in to the report.
- There should always be a section for contact information for the contract award.
- There is no standard. Only include what may be needed to provide details to further support your report.
A: There is no standard. Only include what may be needed to provide details to further support your report.

Q: Your formal report should be organized based on ________.
- the depth of information in your report.
- the number of sections in your report.
- the audience.
A: the audience.

Q: Positive or neutral conclusions would suggest you put the recommendations ________.
- be at the end of a formal report.
- be included with the research section of a formal report.
- be at the beginning of a formal report.
A: be at the beginning of a formal report.

Q: The recommendation section of a formal report that arrives at a negative conclusion should be positioned at the end of the report ________.
- To distract the audience from the recommendation.
- To earn the respect of the audience for the depth of your report.
- To allow the audience to benefit from the research and logic offered to reach the same conclusion as you.
A: To allow the audience to benefit from the research and logic offered to reach the same conclusion as you.

Q: There must be more emphasis on the planning phase of a formal report because ________.
- a formal report must meet the expectations of the audience so greater care must be taken.
- a formal report cannot use casual language or writing style.
- a formal report may involve multiple authors and even legal oversight.
A: a formal report may involve multiple authors and even legal oversight.

Q: Proper spacing, paragraph structure, appropriate headings and ________ are to be included in the formatting of a formal report.
- definition of terms
- About the Author
- page numbers
A: page numbers

Q: A formal report needs to be carefully reviewed and revised by ________.
- the author’s manager should review the document and then meet with the author to mandate changes and ensure continuity.
- the author should have the task of reviewing and compiling changes to ensure continuity throughout the document.
- a team of reviewers to individually review and compile edits who then meet and work as a team to ensure continuity throughout the document.
A: a team of reviewers to individually review and compile edits who then meet and work as a team to ensure continuity throughout the document.