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Attention to Detail Test Practice Course 2026

This course is for job seekers who may take an attention-to-detail or checking test when applying for office, data-entry, warehouse, security or finance jobs. Five short lessons cover test strategy, comparing records, addresses and codes, invoices and schedules, and proofreading, each followed by an untimed topic quiz with explanations. Finish with a timed 30-question final assessment; score 80% or more to earn a Certificate of Completion.

  • Course
  • Canada
  • 89 questions
  • Checked October 13, 2026
  • Fact-checked October 13, 2026

Quick answer

This free course has about 150 minutes of lessons, 5 untimed topic quizzes (89 questions in all) and a timed final assessment of 30 questions drawn at random. Score 80% or more on the final assessment to download a certificate of completion (private, not accredited). Checked against official sources on October 13, 2026.

Start with the lessonsAttention to Detail Course: Lessons: about 150 minutes of reading. Every test question is covered in the lessons.

What you will learn

  • Recognize transposition, omission, duplication and substitution errors and look-alike characters
  • Compare a copy with its source field by field and count the differences
  • Check a batch of records with counts and control totals
  • Check Canadian addresses, postal codes and province symbols against Canada Post's guidelines
  • Check invoices against purchase orders and packing slips, and check schedules for wrong hours, overlaps and gaps
  • Proofread notices and emails for spelling, word choice, consistency and Canadian style

Score 80% or more to download your certificate.

Your study plan

Read each lesson, take its topic quiz (untimed, with explanations), then the timed final assessment. A new mix of questions is drawn every time. Your progress is saved in this browser.

  1. Read the lessons5 lessons, about 150 min
  2. Topic quiz 1: How attention-to-detail tests work17 questions
  3. Topic quiz 2: Comparing records and checking data entry18 questions
  4. Topic quiz 3: Addresses, postal codes and codes18 questions
  5. Topic quiz 4: Invoices, orders and schedules18 questions
  6. Topic quiz 5: Proofreading notices, emails and forms18 questions
  7. Final exam30 questions, 30 min · Score 80% or more

Topic quiz 1: How attention-to-detail tests work

  1. Question 1 of 17

    A test asks you to compare two columns and mark each pair as the same or different. What skill is it mainly measuring?
    Show answer

    Answer: B. Spotting small differences quickly and accurately

    Checking tests measure how accurately you compare information and notice small differences, usually against a time limit.

  2. Question 2 of 17

    What is a transposition error?
    Show answer

    Answer: C. Two characters swap places, such as 5813 typed as 5831

    A transposition swaps two characters that sit next to each other. Here the 1 and the 3 changed places.

  3. Question 3 of 17

    A record shows the code 40712. It was entered as 4072. What type of error is this?
    Show answer

    Answer: C. Omission

    One character (the 1) is missing, so this is an omission. The other digits are in the right order.

  4. Question 4 of 17

    Which pair of characters is a classic look-alike pair that you should check with extra care?
    Show answer

    Answer: A. 0 (zero) and O (capital o)

    Zero and the capital letter O look almost the same in many fonts. Other common pairs are 1 and l, 5 and S, 8 and B, and rn and m.

  5. Question 5 of 17

    A checking test has 30 questions and a 20-minute time limit. About how much time do you have per question on average?
    Show answer

    Answer: D. 40 seconds

    20 minutes is 1,200 seconds, and 1,200 ÷ 30 = 40 seconds per question.

  6. Question 6 of 17

    You need to compare the account number 7302 9914 0586 with a copy. What is the most reliable method?
    Show answer

    Answer: C. Compare it in small groups, one group at a time

    Breaking a long number into small groups (chunking) lets you compare every character without losing your place.

  7. Question 7 of 17

    The instructions say: "Mark A if the two entries are exactly the same and B if they are different." You see "Smith, J.R." and "Smith, J. R." What should you mark?
    Show answer

    Answer: C. B, because the spacing is different

    "Exactly the same" means every character, including spaces and punctuation. One entry has a space after "J." and the other does not.

  8. Question 8 of 17

    What is a substitution error?
    Show answer

    Answer: D. One character is replaced by a different one, such as Brown typed as Browm

    In a substitution, the right number of characters is there, but one of them is wrong: the n became an m.

  9. Question 9 of 17

    The source date is 2026-04-18. Which entry shows a duplication error?
    Show answer

    Answer: B. 2026-04-188

    A duplication repeats a character: the 8 was typed twice. The other entries show a transposition, an omission and a substitution.

  10. Question 10 of 17

    You are unsure about a question and time is running short. What is the best approach?
    Show answer

    Answer: B. Choose your best answer, mark it for review if the test allows it, and move on

    Do not let one question use up your time. In the Public Service Commission's online tests, you can mark a question for review, and marking does not affect your score.

  11. Question 11 of 17

    In the Public Service Commission of Canada's supervised online tests, what happens when the time allowed runs out?
    Show answer

    Answer: B. The computer closes the test

    The Public Service Commission says a timer shows the time left, and the computer closes the test after the allotted time.

  12. Question 12 of 17

    A source sign says "Corner Store". The copy says "Comer Store". What most likely happened?
    Show answer

    Answer: A. The letters r and n were read as the letter m

    Next to each other, r and n can look like m. "Corner" has 6 letters and "Comer" has 5.

  13. Question 13 of 17

    Two people check a list together: one reads the source aloud while the other follows the copy. What is the main benefit?
    Show answer

    Answer: C. Errors one person reads past are more likely to be caught

    A read-back check uses two sets of eyes and ears, so mistakes one person misses are more likely to be caught.

  14. Question 14 of 17

    A unit is listed as "4B" in the source. The copy says "48". What kind of mistake is this most likely to be?
    Show answer

    Answer: B. A look-alike character mix-up between B and 8

    B and 8 look similar, especially in small print or handwriting. The number of characters is the same, so nothing was added or left out.

  15. Question 15 of 17

    Two candidates each answered 30 questions. Ana got 27 right. Ben worked faster but got 22 right. The pass mark is 80%. Who passed?
    Show answer

    Answer: D. Ana only

    Ana scored 27 ÷ 30 = 90%. Ben scored 22 ÷ 30 = about 73%, below 80%. In checking tests, accuracy matters more than speed alone.

  16. Question 16 of 17

    The source name is MARTINEZ. It was entered as MARITNEZ. What type of error is this?
    Show answer

    Answer: D. Transposition

    The T and the I swapped places (MAR-TI-NEZ became MAR-IT-NEZ). Both names have 8 letters.

  17. Question 17 of 17

    The source shows the reference number 3317-0820. Which entry is a transposition of it?
    Show answer

    Answer: B. 3317-0280

    In 3317-0280, the 8 and the 2 have swapped places. The other options are an exact match, an omission and a duplication.

What to know before the test

  • In the Government of Canada's Skills for Success model, Writing includes proofreading and revising your writing for accuracy, meaning and tone.
  • In the Skills for Success model, Reading includes locating key information in various types of documents, such as tables, charts and maps.
  • The Public Service Commission of Canada advises candidates in written tests to read the questions carefully, manage their time and leave time to review their answers.
  • In the Public Service Commission's supervised online tests, a timer shows the time left, the computer closes the test after the allotted time, and marking a question for review does not affect your score.
  • Canada Post asks for addresses in uppercase letters, without the # symbol, with a hyphen between the unit and street number, and with a space (not a hyphen) in the postal code.
  • A Canadian postal code is a six-character code maintained by Canada Post, in the form ANA NAN (A = letter, N = number).
  • Under the Input Tax Credit Information (GST/HST) Regulations, the details required on supporting documents depend on whether the total is under $100, $100 to under $500, or $500 or more.
  • The Language Portal of Canada describes proofreading as a final check for omissions, grammar mistakes and typographical errors.

Frequently asked questions

What is the Certificate of Completion, and what is it not?

It shows that you finished this course and scored at least 80% on the final assessment. It is not an accredited qualification, an employer's test result, a test publisher's score or a government certification.

Are these questions from real employer tests?

No. Every question was written for this course to practise the same kinds of skills. Real tests differ between employers, so read your invitation and the instructions carefully.

How does the final assessment work?

It has 30 questions drawn at random from the course question bank, with a 30-minute time limit, so about 1 minute per question. You need 80% (24 of 30) to pass, and each attempt gives a new mix of questions.

What counts as "the same" in a comparison question?

Unless the instructions say otherwise, two entries are the same only if every character matches, including spaces, punctuation and capital letters.

How should I practise?

Read one lesson, take its untimed topic quiz and read the explanations for anything you got wrong. Do the practical exercises, then try the timed final assessment when you score well on all five topics.

Is the certificate accredited or officially recognised?

No. It is a private certificate of completion for knowledge only. It is not recognised, accredited or approved by any government, licensing body, regulator or educational institution, and it does not replace any licence, certification or training required by law.

Sources

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