Sample Entrance Exam

Read about the new Word Police training manual, Word Court, by Word Police Commissioner Barbara Wallraff.

Join a conversation on Word Police and Word Court in Atlantic Unbound's reader forum, Post & Riposte.

Read recent Word Court columns from The Atlantic Monthly, and browse the Word Fugitives archive, in The Court Record.

Sample Entrance Exam

Word Police exams consist of questions similar to the ones below. Here beneath each question we've told you which answer is correct, and explained why.

When you are taking an genuine exam, once you've answered all five questions, press the "Submit answers" button to have your responses scored. If you're not sure of the answer to any question, why not take your best guess? (No points are deducted for wrong answers.) You'll need to get at least four answers right to be allowed to proceed. On the next page, you will be asked a final question that you must answer correctly in order to pass the exam.

The genuine exams provide a clue about the intent of the questions that isn't available here -- namely, that each of them is the test for a particular squad or division. The questions on the entrance test for any given squad will have to do with that squad's specialty. So, for example, on the entrance test for the Number Unit, the focus of the questions will tend to be grammatical number (say, "the Word Police is ..." or "the Word Police are ..."?).

Fewer Less Whatever

Fewer is for things that can be counted ("one crime, two crimes ..."; "The fewer crimes the better"). Less is for things that pile up as amounts, not numbers of items, and aren't countable ("There hasn't been much criminal activity lately"; "There's been less criminal activity than usual"). Because crimes falls into the former class of things, fewer is the only correct choice here. (See pages 191-192 in Word Court.)

Between you and him Between he and the Word Police Force Between you and he

Any pronoun that comes after between ought to be one that can be used as a grammatical object (as in "The Word Police want us"), not one that is used as a subject (for example, "We want to join the Word Police"). He is a subjective pronoun, so neither the second nor the third answer can be correct. You can be either kind of pronoun, and him is objective, so "between you and him" is the right answer. (See pages 130-134 in Word Court.)

"It's a dull officer who spends all their time shining their badge." "It's a dull officer who spends all her time shining her badge." "It's a dull officer that spends all its time shining its badge."

An officer can't be plural. Nor is an officer neuter (its). An officer certainly can be female, though, so "... spends all her time ..." is fine. The second answer is the correct one. (See pages 28-32 in Word Court.)

"A Word Police officer must see that poetic justice is done everyday." "A Word Police officer can't concern himself with poetic justice on an every day basis." "A Word Police officer must at least try to see that poetic justice is done every day."

Once again, the real issue here is which of these statements is worded correctly. See those variations of everyday? Everyday, one word, is an adjective, and so when that's the form used, it's supposed to be modifying a noun. Every day is an adverb or a noun phrase. In the first answer, the adjective everyday is being used as if it were an adverb, modifying a verb; and in the second one, the adverb every day is being used as if it were an adjective, modifying a noun. Only in the third answer does the adverbial form match an adverbial function; this answer is correct. (See pages 190-191 in Word Court.)

Yes No

Alright is a very informal spelling. Standard English calls for all right. So no, it's not all right, thank you very much. No, indeed. (See page 153 in Word Court.)

Best Unified Communications Certifications

The need for today’s organizations to share information, along with proliferation of high-speed broadband, has driven the global unified communications (UC) market for the past decade, if not longer. UC streamlines communications so that geologically-dispersed employees can interact digitally as if they’re in the same office, even if they’re located thousands of miles apart.

Centralized administration also makes UC popular with IT managers because it reduces the time and effort needed to support and secure corporate communications of all kinds. Because of a need for specialized skills to make large-scale UC implementations run their best, top UC vendors offer certifications to buttress and boost workforce capability and quality.

Simply Hired lists $91,623 as the average salary for a UC engineer’s role, with highest salaries reported at $139,737. Glassdoor lists UC salaries as high as $166,000 for senior and UC engineer positions. UC engineer salaries declined slightly from previous years with the average down from $94,354 to $91,623 (a dip of just under three percent). While this dip could just represent normal market fluctuations, it is a trend worth watching because they also observed a slight salary decrease last year.

We dug into various job boards to see how many UC jobs are available, specifically targeting jobs that called out one or more of their top five certifications: Avaya ACSS, CCIE Collaboration, CCNP Collaboration, IBM Sametime and MCSE: Productivity.

For IT professionals supporting Avaya products, the ACSS is a must-have credential. The company updated its certification programs in late 2015 and currently offers two separate professional certification tracks:

Sales and Design – this track offers three credentials:

Services – this track is aligned with Avaya engagement solutions and products, so you’ll see two flavors for some of the certifications depending on which solution track (product or engagement solution) is targeted. Avaya currently offers the following Services credentials:

The advanced-level ACSS cert targets more experienced Avaya practitioners both in support specialist and product specialist roles, covering 19 individual credentials. Candidates should possess technical skills sufficient to configure, install and administer Avaya products. Also, they should be well-versed in Avaya product maintenance, and in testing product implementations and troubleshooting issues. Successful candidates typically possess at least two years’ direct experience supporting Avaya products and four years working with the chosen Avaya technology. Each certification is valid for two years.

Requirements to obtain the ACSS certification depend on which credential one chooses to pursue. For information on prerequisite skills, curriculum maps, required training and the number of exams for individual credentials, visit Avaya’s credential program webpage. (Click the Services Credentials tab, then click on the ACSS button to view the full Catalog. Additional program information appears in the Avaya Professional Credential Program Overview.)

Exams administered by Pearson VUE

Cisco offers its CCIE Collaboration certification, which identifies expert skills in unified communications, video and telecom. Only the cream of the crop earns the CCIE, and CCIE Collaboration is no exception.

The expert-level CCIE Collaboration credential recognizes seasoned collaboration and UC architects, as well as voice and video network managers, who design, deploy and troubleshoot enterprise collaboration solutions that are moderately to highly complex. Although the certification requires no prerequisites or specific training, Cisco designed the CCIE Collaboration for individuals with true expertise and lots of relevant experience (three to five years, minimum) with UC solution integration, configuration and troubleshooting.

Like other CCIE certs, the certification has a written qualification test and a hands-on lab exam, both of which are rigorous and often take multiple attempts to pass. Cisco includes emerging technologies in its exams. A great value-add available through the Cisco 360 Learning Program for CCIE Collaboration is remote access to an online environment that contains equipment to practice hands-on for the lab exam.

CCIE credential holders must recertify every two years or it will be suspended. It’s the responsibility of the credential holder to keep track of their individual recertification deadline. You can apply for a one-year extension to complete re-cert requirements, but if you miss that deadline, your certification is lost forever.

Recertification involves passing a single exam. Currently, acceptable recertification exams include any current CCIE written or lab exam, or a current CCDE written or practical exam. Credential holders may also recertify by passing the Cisco Certified Architect (CCAr) interview and board review. Alternatively, credential holders may recertify through participation in the Cisco Continuing Education Program (CEP). To recertify through the CEP, credential holders must earn 100 continuing education credits, pay a $300 administrative fee, and agree to CEP terms and conditions.

Hands-on lab test (Version 2.0), 8 hours.

Lab exam: $1,600 per attempt

CCIE Lab Exam: The Cisco Learning Network maintains a list of self-study resources for the CCIE lab exam.

CCIE Practice Exam: Udemy offers a practice test with weekly-updated mock test as the final prep for the CCIE.

The intermediate-level CCNP Collaboration recognizes network engineers who are well versed in Cisco Voice and UC devices and applications in enterprise networks.

Four exams are required to qualify for the CCNP Collaboration credential. A certified candidate designs, implements, configures, manages and troubleshoots Cisco UC applications, networks and devices. Candidates should have in-depth knowledge of all facets of unified networking, including gateways, IP phones, quality of service (QoS), voice, video and presence applications, and utilities for configuring Cisco routers and switches, in addition to one to three years’ experience with these technologies.

Training is recommended but not required. Cisco offers in-depth training courses, both in the classroom and online, for each exam. Depending on the training provider, classroom live and virtual classroom live courses cost approximately $3,795, while online self-paced courses start at about $1,100. Training courses typically last five days.

The CCNP Collaboration, like all Cisco professional-level certifications, requires recertification every three years. To recertify, you must pass one Cisco test before your cert’s expiration date. Acceptable exams include any current 642-XXX professional-level exam, any 300-XXX professional-level exam, any CCIE written exam, any CCDE written or practical exam, or passing the Cisco Certified Architect (CCAr) interview and board review.

The intermediate-level IBM Sametime administrator credential aims at systems administrators with existing skills and hands-on experience in IBM Sametime 9.0. Candidates must understand architectural considerations when running IBM Sametime within an IBM WebSphere environment. They must also demonstrate their knowledge of Sametime deployment and audio/video configuration within Sametime, along with management, troubleshooting, performance monitoring and optimization techniques.

The certification requires candidates to pass a 78-question multiple-choice exam, to be completed in no more than 105 minutes. IBM emphasizes the need for hands-on experience before tackling this exam, stating that “direct application of the skills learned cannot be substituted” with any of the self-study materials. The test measures a candidate’s knowledge of task performance rather than memorization of features and functions.

In addition to the Certified System Administrator credential, IBM also offers two related certifications:

The IBM Certified System Administrator – IBM Lotus Sametime 8.5 credential is still available for those working in Lotus Sametime 8.5 environments.

While IBM certifications are evergreen and don’t expire, the same cannot be said for technology. Credential holders should plan to move up and recertify on new technology as it becomes available.

The MCSE: Productivity certification targets professionals supporting enterprise-grade hybrid and cloud solutions for Microsoft Office. Key technologies include Microsoft Office 365, Microsoft Office, Exchange, Skype for Business and SharePoint.

To obtain the MCSE: Productivity credential, candidates must first obtain the Microsoft Certified Solutions Associate (MCSA): Office 365, MCSA: Windows Server 2012 or MCSA Windows Server 2016 certification. Then, they must pass one additional test from an approved list. Currently, there are eight different exams to choose from. In addition, Microsoft recommends three to four years of experience.

The Microsoft Certification Program underwent extensive changes in September 2016. Once you earn one of the latest MCSE credentials, you do not have to recertify within three years as was the case in the past. However, by passing an elective test each calendar year, you add an entry to your transcript that indicates your commitment to staying current on technologies and expanding your skillset.

Three or more years of experience recommended.

Exam 70-345: Designing and Deploying Microsoft Exchange Server 2016

Exam 70-339: Managing Microsoft SharePoint Server 2016

Exam 70-333: Deploying Enterprise Voice with Skype for Business 2015

Exam 70-334: Core Solutions of Microsoft Skype for Business 2015

Exam 70-331: Core Solutions of Microsoft SharePoint Server 2013

Exam 70-332: Advanced Solutions of Microsoft SharePoint Server 2013

Exam 70-341: Core Solutions of Microsoft Exchange Server 2013

Exam 70-342: Advanced Solutions of Microsoft Exchange Server 2013

The UC certification landscape is not as crowded as the pool of general networking certs or the increasingly popular cloud and mobile credentials, but UC is on the rise nonetheless. In fact, traditional UC is increasingly offered through the cloud, forcing certifications to take on a new flavor to accommodate the latest technologies and techniques.

In addition to the top five certs covered in this article, many colleges and universities offer courses in unified communications or certificate programs aimed at workforce training. Note that most of those programs incorporate Cisco equipment and applications. Other programs are available, though. They conducted a simple Google search that revealed several interesting choices, including the Information Technology: Network Specialist Concentration at the Pennsylvania College of Technology.

Another consideration is Mitel Networks. Although the company doesn’t offer its own IT career certifications as of this writing, Gartner considers Mitel one of the leaders in the UC market, and the company name appears in job board searches for “unified communications” with great frequency. That means there’s an abundance of open positions that call for Mitel experience and/or knowledge. When evaluating UC certifications, and especially certificate programs through colleges or universities, consider if the required skills and knowledge might transfer to a job working with Mitel technology.

Office of the Registrar

GeneralFinal exams will be generated by the Registrar’s Office according to an test matrix on or about the last day of the add/drop period for the term for any course that has 'Yes' indicated for a Final test in the catalog. The day and time of the first class meeting during the week determine the date and time for each exam. Courses that meet outside the normal university block scheduling will be scheduled within the time block that best fits the schedule without creating conflicts for students.

Exam times are as follows:

While test blocks are three hours long, the genuine length of the test is determined by the instructor.

If examination days are postponed because of weather conditions, the first make-up day is documented on the academic calendar.

Faculty should review their test schedule just after the last day of add/drop. If an test was not generated or changes are needed, please email: scheduling@uml.edu. Requests for final exams, combined exams, etc. will not be accepted after the mid-semester evaluation date for the term in question. Please refer to the academic calendar for specific date information.

Note: Requests for combined exams will not be accepted after the mid-semester evaluation date for the term in question. Please refer to the academic calendar for specific date information.

If a student has three (or more) finals scheduled on the same test day, the student has the right to ask that a make up test (or exams) be scheduled to reduce the number of exams in each day to two. Under these circumstances, required courses1 take priority, so the student should make every effort to arrange the make-up test for a non-required course with the respective instructor. Likewise, if a student has two finals scheduled in the same test period, the required course takes priority; the student should schedule a make-up test for the non-required conflicting course with the respective instructor. If for any reason a mutually agreeable solution between the student and the instructor cannot be achieved, the student should see his or her college dean immediately.

Students – If you have questions regarding any of your final exams, please contact your instructor directly. Instructors should reach out by email to: scheduling@uml.edu if an test update is needed in SiS.

1'Required courses' refers to whichever course is required toward that specific student’s degree pathway.

Exams (including final exams) for fully virtual classes should be administered virtually, as that is the modality which students selected. Exceptions to hold on-campus exams require deans' approval. An email (noting the approval) should be sent by email to: scheduling@uml.edu so that the test location may be updated – exceptions are subject to room availability. If approved, faculty must indicate the alternate test format in their course syllabus and accommodate students who are unable to attend in-person exams.

If a class section is hybrid (includes both an in-person meeting and either an online or virtual meeting pattern), then the final test will be assigned as in-person, but the instructor may request the final test to be virtual/online depending on the modes of instruction of the hybrid section. Hybrid courses also include courses that have more than one component with different modes of instruction (i.e., the lecture portion is virtual, but the recitation is in-person) and the instructor may decide whether or not the final test is in-person in this scenario as well. Any requests for final test updates should be sent by email to: scheduling@uml.edu.

Graduate, Online and Professional Studies sections (section number typically begins with '0') take place on the final on-campus meeting day for that section (usually the week prior to the final test period) – please see the on-campus course dates on Graduate, Online and Professional Studies website for the final meeting date (not to be confused with the course session dates).

If a GPS section is 'matched' (combined) with a day-school section (example ACCT 2010 201 and ACCT 2010 001), the final test will follow day-school guidelines and an test block will be assigned for both sections in SIS.

Classroom reservations for ad hoc needs during the final test period (review sessions, test accommodations, makeup exams, etc.) will be accepted one week prior to the final test period. Please email scheduling for these requests.

Individual makeup exams should be coordinated between the student and instructor as needed and should take place through the UMass Lowell Testing Centers or in a department location (please do not use academic classrooms for individual makeup exams without a confirmed reservation).

If an entire class needs to makeup an test due to an unforeseen circumstance or emergency, the test should be rescheduled by emailing: scheduling@uml.edu. Makeup exams for classes should take place during the regular examination period. 

The university final test makeup dates listed on the university calendar are only to be used for inclement weather or other unanticipated university closure and should not be used as final test dates for individual student or class makeup exams.

Students who are registered with the Disability Services Office and have been approved for an extended time accommodation: if you have two exams scheduled on the same day, you may reschedule one of the exams if it has been confirmed that both exams are scheduled to use the entire 3-hour block. Please refer to the instructions under test Conflicts listed above to do so. For any other accommodation or disability-related question or concern, please contact by email: disability@uml.edu or visit Disability Services website for faculty and student resources.