01
Choose one
1 point
An official says, “We responded promptly.” Which follow-up asks for a specific, checkable detail about the timing?
Free Practice Quiz Question List
3 Interviewing and Sources Online Quiz Questions
Use this free practice quiz with 20 questions to review 3 Interviewing and Sources, test your knowledge, and prepare for your next test or exam.
20 questions
02
True or false
1 point
A reporter is recording an interview. It is still useful to take notes as a backup and mark details that may need checking.
- A
True
- B
False
03
Written response
1 point
What type of question invites an interviewee to give an account without suggesting the answer the reporter expects?
04
Fill in the blank
1 point
Before an interview, define what the story needs to and what the interviewee can .
05
Choose one
1 point
A reporter must ask about a sensitive decision. Which approach best balances directness with fairness?
- A
Open with a misleading, less serious question so the interviewee is more comfortable.
- B
Avoid asking about the issue because courtesy means not making the interviewee uncomfortable.
- C
Explain the relevant concern plainly and give the interviewee a fair opportunity to respond.
- D
Accuse the interviewee of wrongdoing before asking for their account.
06
Choose all
1 point
A reporter is deciding what practices to use while taking interview notes. Select all practices recommended for making the notes accurate and useful.
- A
Record key facts and exact wording that may need checking or may be quoted.
- B
Clearly distinguish direct quotations from paraphrases.
- C
Treat a recording as infallible and rely on it instead of taking notes.
- D
Note observations separately from interpretations.
07
True or false
1 point
A closed question can help confirm a specific fact, but it usually needs a follow-up to supply context.
- A
True
- B
False
08
Written response
1 point
If a key point in an interview answer is unclear, what should the reporter do instead of guessing?
09
Fill in the blank
1 point
If an interviewee goes off topic, politely the conversation. If an answer contains a claim, seek independent .
10
Choose one
1 point
An interviewee gives a long answer that does not address whether the department received a report before a decision. What should the reporter do next?
- A
Calmly restate the question and identify what remains unanswered.
- B
Argue with the interviewee until they acknowledge the question.
- C
Switch to an unrelated topic to avoid tension.
- D
Assume the answer implies the information the reporter needs.
11
Choose all
1 point
An interviewee says, “The policy was effective.” Select all follow-ups that would help clarify or examine the claim without bundling multiple issues into one question.
- A
Ask what the interviewee means by “effective.”
- B
Ask three separate questions about the policy, its cost, and its opponents in one turn.
- C
Ask what records support the claim.
- D
Ask whether the interviewee agrees that the policy was a success.
- E
Ask what changed as a result of the policy.
12
Open ended
1 point
After an interview, a reporter has a recording, notes, and a claim that has not yet been verified. Describe a practical follow-up plan that preserves details and distinguishes what was learned from what still needs checking.
13
Choose one
1 point
An interviewee declines to answer a relevant question. Which response best follows the guidance for handling the refusal?
- A
Keep pressing until the person gives an answer, even if the exchange becomes an argument.
- B
Accurately note the refusal and continue reporting without turning the exchange into an argument.
- C
Treat the refusal as confirmation that the claim is true.
- D
Omit the unanswered question from the notes.
14
Choose one
1 point
A reporter is preparing to interview a person connected to a developing story. Which approach best prepares the reporter to ask informed questions while remaining open to new information?
- A
Prepare a fixed script so the interviewee cannot take the conversation in a new direction.
- B
Identify what the story needs to establish, research the interviewee’s role, and note gaps that need clarification.
- C
Rely on the interviewee to explain the topic, avoiding research that could influence the questions.
- D
Draft questions that show the reporter already knows the answers.
15
Choose one
1 point
A reporter has prepared an outline, but an answer raises a relevant issue that was not on the list. What is the best next step?
- A
Read every prepared question in order, even when an answer raises an important new issue.
- B
Avoid planning questions so the conversation remains entirely spontaneous.
- C
Use an outline of essential topics, then adapt follow-ups to what the interviewee says.
- D
Ask several questions at once so the interview covers more ground.
16
True or false
1 point
If a reporter makes an audio recording, taking notes is unnecessary because the recording will preserve all useful information.
- A
True
- B
False
17
Written response
1 point
A reporter notes that an interviewee “paused before answering” and keeps this separate from any conclusion about the person’s honesty. What category of note is this?
18
Choose one
1 point
An official says, “We responded promptly.” Which follow-up asks for one specific detail about the response?
- A
“You responded promptly, didn’t you?”
- B
“Would you agree that a prompt response was important?”
- C
“What action was taken in response?”
- D
“Why should anyone believe that you responded promptly?”
19
Choose one
1 point
An interviewee responds at length but does not address whether a department received a report before making a decision. How should the reporter proceed?
- A
Calmly restate the question and specify what remains unanswered.
- B
Argue with the interviewee until they admit they have avoided the question.
- C
Drop the question to preserve a comfortable atmosphere.
- D
Change the subject and assume the earlier answer addressed the issue.
20
Written response
1 point
After an interviewee makes a claim, a reporter seeks independent support for it rather than treating the interview alone as proof. What is this checking process called?