How the sets are made
Every person, business, school and town in a set is invented, and each set comes from a six-character code, so one link gives a whole class the same questions. The key splits every name into units (key unit, unit 2, unit 3, unit 4) and marks the unit that decides each comparison. Rule sets differ on a few points, so pick yours under Filing rules; the rules print on the worksheet.
Where rule sets differ
| Point | ARMA-style textbook | Older textbook rules | Civil service reviewers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Names printed | As written: Ann B. Lee | As written | Surname first: Lee, Ann B. |
| Ana Ruiz Bakery | As written: Ana, Ruiz | As written | Surname first: Ruiz, Ana |
| The, and, of, & | Units; The goes last | Left out | Left out |
| Inc., St. | As written: Inc, StClair | Spelled out: Incorporated, SaintClair | As written |
| KJR Logistics | KJR is one unit | K, J, R | KJR is one unit |
| Dr., Jr., CPA | The last unit | Only to break a tie | The last unit |
ARMA-style textbook
- Names printed
- As written: Ann B. Lee
- Ana Ruiz Bakery
- As written: Ana, Ruiz
- The, and, of, &
- Units; The goes last
- Inc., St.
- As written: Inc, StClair
- KJR Logistics
- KJR is one unit
- Dr., Jr., CPA
- The last unit
Older textbook rules
- Names printed
- As written
- Ana Ruiz Bakery
- As written
- The, and, of, &
- Left out
- Inc., St.
- Spelled out: Incorporated, SaintClair
- KJR Logistics
- K, J, R
- Dr., Jr., CPA
- Only to break a tie
Civil service reviewers
- Names printed
- Surname first: Lee, Ann B.
- Ana Ruiz Bakery
- Surname first: Ruiz, Ana
- The, and, of, &
- Left out
- Inc., St.
- As written
- KJR Logistics
- KJR is one unit
- Dr., Jr., CPA
- The last unit
Every rule set compares unit by unit, joins surname prefixes (De La Cruz is DELACRUZ), ignores punctuation, and files identical names by city, state, street and house number. You can also change one rule at a time, for example to compare letter by letter.
A worked example
Question 1 of set R8JVW3 (ARMA-style rules, Standard) lists A. Emeka M. Kowalski, B. Prof. Emeka M. Kowalski, C. Emeka Kowalski Hardware and D. Ravi Van der Berg. The business is filed as written, so its key unit is EMEKA and it comes first. The two people named Kowalski share KOWALSKI, EMEKA and M; the one with no title has no unit 4, and nothing comes before something, so A comes before B. Van der Berg is one unit, VANDERBERG, so D is last. Filing order: C, A, B, D. Open set R8JVW3
Questions
What are the alphabetic indexing rules?
Office procedures courses usually teach ten ARMA-based rules: order of units, minor words and symbols, punctuation and possessives, single letters and abbreviations, titles and suffixes, prefixes, numbers, organizations, identical names and government names. Each name is split into units, and names are compared unit by unit.
What does “nothing comes before something” mean?
A shorter unit files before a longer one that starts with the same letters: Lee before Leeds, and J. before Jamal. It works across units too. Ann Lee files before Ann B. Lee, because Ann Lee has no unit 3 at all.
How does terminal digit filing work?
Split the six-digit number into pairs. The last pair is the primary group, the middle pair the secondary and the first pair the tertiary, so 12-34-56 files in section 56, then by 34, then by 12. Middle digit filing starts with the middle pair: 34, then 12, then 56.
Is filing letter by letter or unit by unit?
ARMA-style textbooks and all three rule sets here go unit by unit: New Holland files before Newark, since the unit New is shorter. Letter by letter ignores spaces and puts Newark first (A before H). The civil service reviewers we read do not say which. If your test says letter by letter, switch it on under Change one rule.
How do you file a business named after a person?
ARMA-style rules file it as written: Ana Ruiz Bakery is Ana, Ruiz, Bakery. Philippine civil service reviewers put the surname first: Ruiz, Ana, Bakery. Choose the rule your course or test uses, and the key follows it.
What is on a civil service filing test?
Clerical tests often list four names and ask which would be filed first, second or third, as in the New York State entry-level clerical test guide. Names are usually printed surname first. The Civil service rule set practices that format.
How are government offices filed?
Federal offices start with United States Government, then the department’s own name: the Department of Labor files as United States Government, Labor, Department, of. State, county and city offices start with the place: City of Larkfield Parks Department files as Larkfield, City, of, Parks, Department.
Sources, read October 26, 2026 (rules paraphrased; ARMA’s own rule book is not quoted): Spokane Falls Community College, ARMA filing rules slides; Lofton Staffing, How to file alphabetically; Appendix B, Alphabetizing rules (2009, PDF); FilipiKnow, alphabetical filing reviewer; NYS Department of Civil Service, Entry-Level Clerical Series test guide (PDF); Indian Hills Community College, HIT 125 numbering and filing systems (PDF); Open Exam Prep, IAAP CAP study guide 8.3.