Free Practice Quiz Question List

4 Verification and Source Evaluation Online Quiz Questions

Use this free practice quiz with 20 questions to review 4 Verification and Source Evaluation, test your knowledge, and prepare for your next test or exam.

20 questions

True or false

1 point

A source’s financial or personal interest in a claim automatically makes that source unreliable.

A
True
B
False

Fill in the blank

1 point

When breaking a claim into checkable parts, a journalist asks about , what, when, where, and how.

Written response

1 point

What quality of corroboration is missing when several sources all repeat the same original claim?

True or false

1 point

If an image has no metadata, that absence by itself proves the image was falsified.

A
True
B
False

Choose one

1 point

A source makes a claim about a passage in a report. What is the best first step for checking what the report actually says?

A
Rely on a screenshot shared by a source if the quoted passage seems plausible.
B
Seek the original document or a complete, reliable copy.
C
Use a summary from someone who says they read the document.

Choose all

1 point

A journalist is checking whether a video really shows the claimed event and location. Which steps can help verify it? Select all that apply.

A
Try to locate the earliest available version and contact the person who captured or posted it.
B
Treat a high number of reposts as proof that the claimed place and time are correct.
C
Compare landmarks, signs, language, weather, or other details with independent evidence.
D
Examine the full image or video for signs of editing or misleading cropping.

Fill in the blank

1 point

To verify a claim repeated across several posts, trace the information to its rather than treating reposts as confirmation.

Written response

1 point

What term describes information about a document's origin and how it was obtained?

Choose all

1 point

A journalist is corroborating a disputed claim about an event. Which evidence could come from genuinely different routes? Select all that apply.

A
A firsthand account from someone who observed the event.
B
A contemporaneous record relevant to the claim.
C
Several posts that all repeat the same unverified original claim.
D
An independent expert or witness with relevant knowledge.

Open ended

1 point

A neighborhood group posts that a bridge closed after a collision. Describe a verification plan using different kinds of evidence, explain why no single source should be treated as confirming every detail, and state how to report the claim if verification remains incomplete.

Choose one

1 point

A source requests anonymity while making a consequential claim. Which approach best follows the guidance on anonymous sources?

A
Treat an anonymous source as sufficient confirmation if the source sounds knowledgeable.
B
Use anonymity only when justified, explain it to readers, and seek additional confirmation.
C
Reject every claim from an anonymous source without assessing its evidence.

Written response

1 point

What search technique can reveal earlier appearances of an image or show that it appeared in a different context?

Written response

1 point

What type of account can provide direct observations of an event?

Choose one

1 point

A technical specialist comments on what happened at a meeting they did not attend. Which is the most appropriate way to assess the specialist's account?

A
The specialist's credentials establish that the account of the meeting is accurate.
B
The specialist may explain the technical issue but may lack firsthand knowledge of what happened at the meeting.
C
The specialist's account is unusable unless they attended the meeting.
D
The specialist's expertise means no other evidence is needed.

True or false

1 point

A large number of sources provides strong corroboration even when they all depend on one original claim.

A
True
B
False

Choose one

1 point

A person making a claim could gain financially if it is accepted. How should a journalist account for this interest?

A
The source must be dismissed because any financial interest makes a claim false.
B
The source's interest is irrelevant if the source has been accurate before.
C
Consider how the financial interest could shape the account, then weigh the claim alongside checkable evidence.
D
The financial interest proves the source is protecting someone.

Choose one

1 point

A widely shared online post appears on a professional-looking page under a familiar name. What should a journalist do before relying on its claim?

A
Accept the claim because a familiar name and high engagement make it reliable.
B
Check the account's identity and history, the post's date and context, and whether linked evidence supports the claim.
C
Treat the search result's ranking as independent confirmation.
D
Accept the claim if the page looks professional, even if its evidence is unclear.

Choose one

1 point

A source provides a screenshot of a document to support a claim. What is the strongest next step for checking the document?

A
Rely on the screenshot if the quoted passage supports the claim.
B
Ask the source to summarize the document and use that description instead of checking it.
C
Seek the original document or a complete, reliable copy and check its origin and context.
D
Treat a genuine document as conclusive, even if it may be outdated or incomplete.

Choose one

1 point

Several websites repeat the same claim, but each traces back to one original post. What should a journalist do to establish whether the claim is corroborated?

A
Treat the claim as confirmed because several accounts agree.
B
Count each repost as a new independent source.
C
Use the most detailed repost as confirmation of the original claim.
D
Trace the accounts to their original source and seek evidence from genuinely independent routes.

Choose one

1 point

A video is said to show a specific location and time, but that context has not been established. Which verification approach is strongest?

A
Compare landmarks, signs, language, weather, and other details with independent evidence.
B
Assume the stated location is correct if the image's caption names a place.
C
Use metadata as definitive proof of the scene's location and time.
D
Check only the selected frame that best supports the claim.