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Editing Proficiency Exam By William Abel. Editing Tests
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Editing Tests • Editing tests like any proficiency tests measure a potential employees understanding. Editing tests are important tools employers use to identify competent potential employees. I created my own editing test and presented it to my Business and Technical Editing class. My classmates had one hour to complete the test. The test sought to gauge their understanding of a three particular topics and determine their overall editing abilities. • COPY EDITINGI looked to determine the test takers ability and to identify their understanding of sentence structure, spelling, word usage and punctuation. • NEWS EDITINGI developed a list of questions that gauge a test takers understanding of current affairs and general information. • HEADLINEWRITINGI asked test takers to write headlines and subheads that accompany two articles that I had written. I also asked them to edit the articles in order to make them publishable.
Copy Editing • I created this test after researching a number of editing tests I found online. The copy editing tests I found in my research displayed very similar questions. The first section of the test I created, asked for the test takers to determine appropriate word choices. I found in my research that most test takers often cannot correctly differentiate simple word choices. Words choices such as: • Affect vs. Effect • Disinterested vs. Uninterested • Kate and I vs. Kate and me vs. Kate and myself • Who vs. Whom • After grading this section of the completed tests presented to me I found that most test takers were very knowledgeable about how and when to use these words. This part of the test I found least likely to determine the competency of an editor. The overall score of group of tests in this section was 85%. The true and false nature of this section did not display a potential editor’s critical thinking skill. I determined this section was just an introduction for what was to follow. • The grammar and punctuation section of the tests presented me looked to further determine the test takers ability to revise simple sentences. A test takers ability to rewrite sentences and make them more concise is a core requirement for a good editor. My research showed, employers use this section to judge whether potential editors have the ability to stay on message while delivering revisions that are more grammatically correct.
Copy Editing Cont. • When correcting the editing test presented to me, I found the class struggled to clearly and accurately make sentence revisions. Most of the difficulties were found in simple formatting. Titles of books and television programs and how one presents them in print, where most errors were made in the editing tests. Formatting issues are easily corrected with research and careful proofreading. I do not believe formatting issues can completely determine an editor’s competency. • Clear revisions and concise editing I find are the true measure of an editor. Most test takers looked to correct clear errors and applied minimal revisions. Their attempt to fix errors spoke to their potential and gave the first glimpse into how the test taker approaches a potential editing issue. • Editors must be cognizant of the message put forth by the author. An editors need to correct and fix formatting issues can often change the theme and message of a piece. When grading the test I found that most of the test takers struggled to present clear revisions. Two test takers displayed a keen understanding of revisions. They displayed critical thinking skills that set their contribution apart from the others. They delivered the revised sentences needed and kept on message.
News Editing • This section of editing test I found only serves to determine the understanding of specific social topics of potential employees. The greater understanding of social issues determines how well rounded the test takers are. My research found this section of an editing test often creates a baseline; it also settles the potential editing candidate down and readies them for the final section. Although the news editing section has minimal importance, it does give the facilitator of the test a better personal understanding of the interests of the test taker. • I determined that the test takers proficiencies in this area were very high. The variety of questions asked spanned from world history through popular culture. The questions test takers got right were posed to enlighten a potential employer of the interests and strengths of the candidates. The group of tests I graded was 89% correct. One particular question was answered wrong by most test takers. Which displayed perhaps an error in the question itself.
Headline Writing • The many editing tests I have researched over the past month used this particular section to make the final determination of a candidates editing competence. Critical thinking plays a vital role in headline writing. Test takers were asked create headlines and subheads from articles written. The test takers were also asked to make revisions to the written article. This section looked to blend all of the previous sections into one final project. • Test takers were asked to provide headlines to fit a particular character counts. This proved very difficult for all the test takers. Many of the headlines written had nothing to do with the article itself. The test takers place more importance in satisfying the character count rather than creating an appropriate headline that matched the article. • The ability to make an article more readable and concise is not easily done. The class struggled to clearly demonstrate their editing ability. Most looked to correct simple errors and make short revisions. Two test takers applied editing skills that made the written article more concise and strengthen the content. They rewrote most of the article rather than correcting content.
Findings • Editing test offer potential employees a real time assessment of their editing abilities. Those looking for editing jobs often offer portfolios to possible employers. Editing tests offered, often determine a candidate’s ability to think and edit quickly on a deadline. These tests alongside a candidate’s portfolio, can give employers a greater understanding of the candidate themselves, as well as a greater understanding of their personal interests. • Like any test there are drawbacks. My Business and Technical Editing class was asked to take another editing test a separate student created. Through my research I found when creating an editing test, one used the same grammatical and punctuation errors. They also would ask current affairs questions that ranged globally, as well as popular culture questions most should know. I looked to not trick the test taker but to further understand the test taker through a range of deeper questions that determine what their interests are.
Findings Cont. • When creating my editing test, I added a section that asked the test takers to correct famous lines written by a few of the greatest authors in the history of the world. William Shakespeare, Thomas Jefferson and Edgar Allan Poe assisted me in my project. The eagerness to correct something I assumed would cause my class mates to correct famous passages by these great authors. The passages by today’s standards are grammatically incorrect but proved another point. • The evolution of grammar and the application of grammatical standards by today’s standards, create uncertainty within the editing community. Spelling tenses and modifiers can be corrected. Word usage, punctuation and typesetting are left to an editors interpretation of grammar rules, I would venture to say can be more aptly identified and targeted by potential employers. These employers can target candidates that are a better fit their writing staff, by determining an editor’s grammatical preferences.
Strengths vs. Weaknesses • Strengths of Editing Tests • Determines a candidates grammatical competency • Highlights potential strengths and weakness of a candidate • Allows potential employers a greater personal understanding of a candidates personality • Weaknesses of Editing Tests • Candidates assume that errors exist in editing test and call for a test taker to over analyze • Grammar itself is ever evolving and is often left to the interpretation of the editor • One hour editing test can often give potential employers a false positive when choosing the most appropriate candidate
Conclusion • I find editing a tedious and thankless task. Authors and journalist alike often liken an editor to a proctologist. I found that editors and their need to correct something often squeeze the life out of a written work. Great editors however , have the ability to breathe fresh perspective and insight into a written work. It is important that every great writer finds an equally talented editor. One that matches their talent and shares their grammatical philosophy. Editing test help in finding that person.
Sources Consulted • Editing tests: • Doyne, Shannon. "The learning Network." Test Yourself | Editing Practice. The New York Times, 06 Septemebr 2013. Web. 2 Dec 2013. <http://learning.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/09/06/test-yourself-editing-practice-sept-6-2013/?_r=2>. • "Grammar Test 1." Daily Writing Tips. Daily Writing Tips, 02 Dec 2013. Web. 2 Dec 2013. <http://www.dailywritingtips.com/grammar-test-1/>. • "Grammar Mastery Test." Grammar Book. Grammar Book, 02 Dec 2013. Web. 2 Dec 2013. <http://www.grammarbook.com/grammar_quiz/grammar_mastery.asp>. • "School of Journalism and Mass Communication." Editing Quiz. University of Kansas , 02 December 2013. Web. 2 Dec 2013. <http://www.journalism.ku.edu/bremner-editing-quiz>. • "Wannabe Editors: Can You Pass a Proofreading Test?." Subversive Copy Editer . The Subversive Copy Editor Blog, 03 Dec 2013. Web. 2 Dec 2013. <http://www.subversivecopyeditor.com/blog/2013/03/wannabe-editors-can-you-pass-a-proofreading-test.html>.
