A Crash Course in APA—Fifth Edition

QUIZ

This quiz is designed to help you review the skills covered in your APA Manual and the “Crash Course in APA.” It will not be graded. You’ll find an answer key immediately following the quiz. If you have questions about any part of this quiz, please contact your professor and/or the Writing Center staff. Good luck!

1. The headings of a manuscript

1. should be numbered.
2. should be presented in a creative font, like Copperplate Gothic.
3. show how the paper is organized.
4. are at the same level for topics of equal importance.

2. What’s wrong with the following quotation?

Researchers have found that “the best way to lose weight is through eating less and exercising more” (Smith and Jones, 1998).

1. It’s correctly cited.
2. The first letter of the first word of the quote should be capitalized.
3. Smith and Jones should be the subject of the sentence, not “researchers.”
4. The page number is missing.

3. What’s wrong with the following in-text citation?

According to Tebeaux, 1991, technical writing developed in important ways in the English Renaissance.

1. Nothing is wrong with it.
2. The page number is missing.
3. The date should be in parentheses.
4. The word “Renaissance” is misspelled.

4. Which of the following phrases is correctly punctuated?

1. the study, by Williams Smith and Jones (2002).
2. the study by Williams, Smith, and Jones (2002).
3. the study by Williams, Smith, and Jones, (2002).
4. the study by Williams Smith and Jones (2002).

5. What’s wrong with the following reference entry?

Pearson, G. (1949). Emotional disorders of children. Annapolis, MD/Naval Institute

Press.

1. Nothing at all.
2. The title should be underlined, not italicized.
3. A colon is needed between “MD” and the name of the press.
4. The correct abbreviation for Maryland is “Md.”

6. If you don’t understand how to cite a given source,

1. Don’t bother citing it; no one will know the difference.
2. Check with your professor.
3. Check with a Writing Center tutor.
4. Both B and C.

7. When you cite a specific part of a source, provide

1. A page number, if you’re quoting.
2. The year of publication.
3. The authors’ names.
4. All of the above.

8. A level-one heading is

1. A flush-left, italicized, uppercase and lowercase side heading.
2. Centered, italicized, uppercase and lowercase.
3. Centered, uppercase and lowercase.

9. A level-two heading is

1. A flush-left, italicized, uppercase and lowercase side heading.
2. Centered, italicized, uppercase and lowercase.
3. Centered, uppercase and lowercase.

10. A level-three heading is

1. A flush-left, italicized, uppercase and lowercase side heading.
2. Centered, italicized, uppercase and lowercase.
3. Centered, uppercase and lowercase.

Answer Key

All section references correspond to the 5^th edition of the APA Publication Manual.

1. D. The headings of a manuscript are at the same level for topics of equal importance. See section 3.30-3.33.

2. D. The page number is missing. When quoting directly from a source, always give the page number as part of the parenthetical citation. Section 3.34.

3. C. The date goes in parentheses. Section 3.34.

4. B. Commas separate the words “Williams,” “Smith,” and “Jones.”

5. C. A colon is needed between the abbreviation “MD” and the name of the press. Section 4.07.

6. D. Consult with your professor and/or a Writing Center tutor whenever you’re unsure about how to cite a source. By all means, avoid scenario A!

7. D. When you cite a specific part of a source, include a page number (for quoted material), year of publication, and names of authors.

8. C. A level-one heading is centered, uppercase and lowercase. Sections 3.30-3.33.

9. B. A level-two heading is centered, italicized, uppercase and lowercase. Sections 3.30-3.33.

10. A. A level-three heading is flush left, italicized, uppercase and lowercase. Sections 3.30-3.33.