Domain 1 Knowledge Statements

# Certified Archivist Practice Questions

## Domain 1: Selection, Appraisal, and Acquisition (Knowledge Statements)

### 1. When appraising materials for acquisition, how should an archivist evaluate alignment with the institution’s mission?

A. Ensure materials have high monetary value

B. Determine whether materials support documented collecting priorities

C. Prioritize materials that are already digitized

D. Accept all materials offered by prominent donors

Correct Answer: B

### 2. Which method is most effective for identifying undocumented community records for potential acquisition?

A. Reviewing national archives inventories

B. Checking local news media

C. Conducting field surveys and community outreach

D. Browsing donor registries

Correct Answer: C

### 3. Why is knowledge of historical recordkeeping systems important in appraisal?

A. It helps archives qualify for federal funding

B. It reveals the monetary value of a collection

C. It provides context for how and why records were created and maintained

D. It ensures a collection is easy to digitize

Correct Answer: C

### 4. How does a retention schedule support archival appraisal?

A. It identifies metadata fields for digital preservation

B. It prescribes how long records must be retained before disposition decisions

C. It tracks the number of items in an accession

D. It documents the monetary value of materials

Correct Answer: B

### 5. A collecting policy should guide selection by:

A. Requiring legal review before acquisition

B. Defining what types of materials the repository will accept

C. Focusing exclusively on digital content

D. Ranking donors by financial contributions

Correct Answer: B

### 6. Which of the following is a best practice when soliciting a potential donor?

A. Emphasizing that their materials will be digitized immediately

B. Explaining the long-term value and use of archival preservation

C. Offering to sell the materials to another institution

D. Promising access restrictions beyond policy limits

Correct Answer: B

### 7. What legal instrument is commonly used to formalize the transfer of ownership from donor to archive?

A. Records retention schedule

B. Deed of gift

C. Purchase invoice

D. Collection log

Correct Answer: B

### 8. Which of the following is an example of intrinsic value in archival appraisal?

A. A document’s relevance to a university’s history

B. A signed original letter from a historical figure

C. A PDF version of a court transcript

D. A duplicate photocopy of a policy memo

Correct Answer: B

### 9. What is a key purpose of a reappraisal process?

A. To count items in a series

B. To evaluate whether previously acquired materials still support the repository’s mission

C. To assign Library of Congress subject headings

D. To generate digital surrogates

Correct Answer: B

### 10. Which of the following scenarios best justifies weeding materials from a collection?

A. The materials are over 50 years old

B. The materials are redundant and lack enduring value

C. The donor failed to reply to follow-up emails

D. The archivist prefers other formats

Correct Answer: B

### 11. What is the purpose of a documentation strategy?

A. To enforce digital-only access

B. To file donor correspondence

C. To proactively collect records documenting a theme or issue

D. To prioritize materials based on color coding

Correct Answer: C

### 12. Which characteristic contributes most to the long-term research value of a record?

A. Fragility

B. Authenticity

C. Color scheme

D. Degree of ornamentation

Correct Answer: B