Desktop Publishing Performance Test Tips
It is no big secret that reading each question carefully and asking yourself what exactly you must do will guarantee success on this part of the test! Because you are allowed to write in your test booklet, check or cross off each item/action as you complete it. ALWAYS SCROLL THROUGH THE FILE BEFORE BEGINNING TO FAMILIARIZE YOURSELF WITH IT.
Read the sample instructions below. How many things must you do to complete this part of the test correctly?
”Single-space and left align the text in regular 12 point type.”
Although this appears to be one short phrase, you are instructed to do three different things:
• Single Space (the paragraph is probably double spaced);
• Left Align (the paragraph is most likely right aligned) and;
• Format the text in regular 12 point type (it could be bold or italic—regular refers to plain type with no special formatting. Regular text looks like à this--not this, this, or this.
You must highlight text in order to change it. Remember, the computer is not a mind reader! To highlight a:
• single word—double click on the word
(2) title or paragraph—triple click on the title/paragraph or click on one end and drag your mouse while pressing the right mouse button
An easy technique to align text on the left and the right in the same line is to click on the left side of text that should be left aligned and press the backspace key until the words are moved over to the left margin. Once they have been moved, click to the left of the words that are to be right aligned and use the space bar to move them all the way to the right.
All paragraphs should be left aligned . The first line of each paragraph should be indented by pressing the tab key.
Each paragraph should be single spaced. There are three ways you can change line spacing:
• Highlight the paragraph. Go to Format à Paragraph à choose indents and spacing and change spacing to 1 li.
• Highlight the paragraph. Hold your right mouse button down and a popup menu will appear. Choose Format Paragraph and change spacing to 1 li.
• Highlight the paragraph. To single space it, hold down the Ctrl key and press 1 at the top of the keyboard. To double space, hold Ctrl and press 2, etc.
Three different techniques you can use:
• Highlight the paragraph you want to move. Go to Edit à Cut. Click where you want the paragraph to go and go to Edit à Paste.
• Highlight the paragraph you want to move. Hold your right mouse button down and a popup menu will appear. Choose Cut . Click where you want to move the paragraph to move to and hold down the right mouse button again—choose paste from the popup menu.
• Highlight the paragraph you want to move. Press Ctrl and the X key to cut. Click where you want the paragraph to be pasted and press Ctrl and the V key.
Remember to check the alignment of the paragraph once it has been cut and pasted. Occassionally, paragraphs lose their formatting and might become right aligned, etc., which will cause you to lose points when your test is scored. If your alignment is lost, follow the directions above.
• Do not change the font or size unless you are instructed to.
• Remember to space once after a comma (,) and twice after a period.
• The directions will tell you to use Word Wrap . This means that as you type and reach the end of a line, the computer will automatically jump to the next line. The only time you should use the Enter key is if you are starting a new paragraph.
• Remember to indent all paragraphs by pressing the Tab key one time.
• If your words seem to disappear or get “eaten” up, you most likely have the Overtype mode turned on. To turn it off, press the Insert key, located to the left of the numeric keypad or double click the OVR icon in the lower part of the window.
• Spell check your document before printing by going to Tools à Spelling or clicking on the Spell Check icon in the toolbar.