Domain 2 - Description

# Certified Archivist Practice Questions

## Domain 2: Arrangement and Description (Tasks 4–14: Description)

### 1. What is the primary purpose of a descriptive plan in archival practice?

A. To calculate shelving space

B. To outline exhibit topics

C. To explain the structure, context, and content of materials for accessibility

D. To organize staff schedules

Correct Answer: C

### 2. Archival classification schemes are used to:

A. Group items based on weight and size

B. Determine legal ownership of records

C. Provide intellectual structure to collections through categories or series

D. Rearrange materials in chronological order

Correct Answer: C

### 3. Which tool is most appropriate when adding subject access to archival descriptions?

A. Donor spreadsheet

B. Institutional calendar

C. Controlled vocabularies like LCSH or AAT

D. Social media hashtags

Correct Answer: C

### 4. When describing materials, why must archivists identify access restrictions?

A. To improve search engine optimization

B. To help donors claim tax deductions

C. To ensure legal and ethical compliance in use and handling

D. To prioritize digitization

Correct Answer: C

### 5. Which of the following best describes the format of archival materials?

A. Color and font style

B. Subject matter

C. Physical or digital type, such as correspondence, films, or documents

D. Donor’s profession

Correct Answer: C

### 6. Classifying electronic records by security level or function supports:

A. Shelf inventory management

B. Exhibiting rare items

C. Proper access, retention, and metadata documentation

D. Elimination of low-use collections

Correct Answer: C

### 7. Which of the following is part of authoring a finding aid?

A. Cleaning materials before use

B. Calculating temperature fluctuation in storage

C. Writing biographical/historical notes and scope and content descriptions

D. Tracking donor visitation frequency

Correct Answer: C

### 8. Why is researching the origin and historical significance of materials important?

A. To determine the financial value of a collection

B. To prioritize access to VIP patrons

C. To provide meaningful context in descriptive tools

D. To eliminate duplicates

Correct Answer: C

### 9. Remediation and normalization of metadata are important because they:

A. Simplify exhibit layout

B. Reduce file sizes

C. Improve description clarity, consistency, and accessibility

D. Avoid digitization costs

Correct Answer: C

### 10. Reviewing existing descriptions against current standards like DACS or RDA helps to:

A. Automate preservation workflows

B. Identify ideal shelving orientation

C. Ensure accuracy, interoperability, and compliance with professional best practices

D. Limit public access

Correct Answer: C

### 11. Why should archivists flag content warnings in descriptive materials?

A. To fulfill public relations requirements

B. To comply with exhibit contracts

C. To acknowledge and mitigate the impact of harmful, graphic, or offensive content

D. To avoid editing metadata

Correct Answer: C