7th Edition

Test Your APA Style

Knowledge Quiz
The following questions test your knowledge of seventh edition APA Style.
The 45 questions assess APA Style paper format, in-text citations, references, numbers, lists, spelling,
capitalization, and abbreviations. The numbers in parentheses after most questions indicate the sections where
you can find more information about the topic in the seventh edition of the Concise Guide to APA Style (CG) and
the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (PM).
Answer each question by typing your response directly into the text field beneath it. If you need more space, copy
the questions into your preferred word-processing program and answer them there. Then, check for accuracy by
comparing your answers with those from the APA Style team (starting on page 9).

1. What does the abbreviation “APA” stand for?

2. What manual is the official source for APA Style?

3. What manual is the official source for APA Style for undergraduate students and new writers?
4. What is the current edition number of the APA Style manual?

5. What elements are required on an APA Style student title page? (CG § 1.6, PM § 2.3)

6. What information is included in a student author affiliation? (CG § 1.9, PM § 2.6)

7. What element is required in the page header of both student and professional APA Style
papers? (CG § 1.17, PM § 2.18)

8. What element is required in the page header of all professional papers and only for student
papers if requested by an instructor or an institution? (CG § 1.17, PM § 2.18)

9. What line spacing should you use for all text in an APA Style paper? (CG § 1.20, PM § 2.21)
10. What paragraph alignment and paragraph indentation should you use for all text in an APA
Style paper? (CG §§ 1.22–1.23, PM §§ 2.23–2.24)

11. How many heading levels is it possible to use in the text of an APA Style paper? (CG § 1.26, PM
§ 2.27)

12. How many heading levels does a typical APA Style paper contain? (CG § 1.26, PM § 2.27)

13. Which heading levels are written in bold? Which heading levels are written in bold italic? (CG
§ 1.26, PM § 2.27)

14. What should you write on the first line on the first page of text in all APA Style papers? (CG §
1.26, PM § 2.27)

15. What dictionaries should you consult to determine the spelling of words in APA Style papers?
(CG § 5.1, PM § 6.11)
16. What words or phrases are italicized the first time they appear in the text of an APA Style
paper? (CG § 4.15, PM § 6.22)

17. Titles for what kinds of works are italicized in APA Style reference lists? (CG § 4.15, PM § 6.22)

18. APA Style is a “down” style, meaning that words are lowercase unless there is specific
guidance to capitalize them. What types of words are always capitalized in APA Style? Provide
at least three examples. (CG §§ 5.3–5.11, PM §§ 6.13–6.21)

19. What are the two types of capitalization used in APA Style? (CG § 5.7, PM § 6.17)

20. Which type of capitalization is used for the titles of works in reference list entries? (CG § 5.7,
PM § 6.17)

21. Which words do you capitalize when writing the title of a work in a reference list entry? (CG §
5.7, PM § 6.17)
22. How should you introduce an abbreviation in the narrative text of an APA Style paper? Provide
an example. (CG § 5.13, PM § 6.25)

23. When are abbreviations used for units of measurement (e.g., meter, kilogram) in the text?
Provide an example. (CG § 5.15, PM § 6.27)

24. What units of time are abbreviated in the text when accompanied by a numeric value? Provide
at least three examples. (CG § 5.16, PM § 6.28)

25. What Latin term meaning “and others” is used in both narrative and parenthetical in-text
citations? (CG § 5.17, PM § 6.29)

26. What Latin term means “for example” and is used within parentheses? (CG § 5.17, PM § 6.29)

27. In general, what numbers are expressed in words and what numbers are expressed in
numerals in APA Style papers? (CG §§ 6.1–6.2, PM §§ 6.32–6.33)
28. What numbers are always expressed in words in the text of an APA Style paper? (CG § 6.2, PM
§ 6.33)

29. What punctuation mark(s) do you use between items in a list of three or more items? (CG §
4.11, PM § 6.49)

30. What citation system is used in APA Style? (CG § 8.10, PM § 8.10)

31. What is the difference between parenthetical in-text citations and narrative in-text citations?
(CG § 8.11, PM § 8.11)

32. When citing multiple works by different authors in parentheses, in what order should you
place the citations? What punctuation mark should you use between the citations? (CG § 8.12,
PM § 8.12)

33. When citing multiple works by the same author in parentheses, how many times should you
write the author’s name? In what order should you place the citations? What punctuation mark
should you use between the citations? (CG § 8.12, PM § 8.12)
34. When a work has three or more authors, what is the correct format to use for the authors’
names in the in-text citation? (CG § 8.17, PM § 8.17)

35. What does it mean to paraphrase versus directly quote from a work? (CG §§ 8.23, 8.25, PM §§
8.23, 8.25)

36. What is the maximum length (number of words) of a short quotation (i.e., a quotation that is
placed in double quotation marks within the text of a sentence)? (CG § 8.26, PM § 8.26)

37. What format should you use for a quotation of 50 words? (CG § 8.27, PM § 8.27)

38. How do you format a block quotation? (CG § 8.27, PM § 8.27)

39. What chapter in the APA Style manuals provides reference examples? (CG § 9.1, PM § 9.1)
40. What four elements do most references contain? (CG § 9.4, PM § 9.4)

41. What should you write instead of a date in a reference for a work with no date? (CG § 9.17, PM
§ 9.17)

42. When do you need to provide a bracketed description after the title in a reference? (CG § 9.21,
PM § 9.21)

43. What are examples of works for which you would include a bracketed description after the
title in the reference? Provide at least three examples. (CG § 9.21, PM § 9.21)

44. What format do you use for all DOIs in a reference list? (CG § 9.35, PM § 9.35)

45. How do you format an APA Style reference list? Specify its location within the text, including
whether it should begin on a new page, the label it should have, and the line spacing and
paragraph indentation to use. (CG § 9.42, PM § 9.43)
 Answers
1. What does the abbreviation “APA” stand for?
American Psychological Association

2. What manual is the official source for APA Style?

Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, Seventh Edition

3. What manual is the official source for APA Style for undergraduate students and new writers?
Concise Guide to APA Style, Seventh Edition

4. What is the current edition number of the APA Style manual?

Seventh edition

5. What elements are required on an APA Style student title page? (CG § 1.6, PM § 2.3)
Paper title, author name, author affiliation, course number and name, instructor name, and
assignment due date

6. What information is included in a student author affiliation? (CG § 1.9, PM § 2.6)

Name of the department or division of the course to which the paper is being submitted and
name of the college or university attended

7. What element is required in the page header of both student and professional APA Style
papers? (CG § 1.17, PM § 2.18)
Page number (aligned to the right margin)

8. What element is required in the page header of all professional papers and only for student
papers if requested by an instructor or an institution? (CG § 1.17, PM § 2.18)
Running head (aligned to the left margin)

9. What line spacing should you use for all text in an APA Style paper? (CG § 1.20, PM § 2.21)
Double-spacing

10. What paragraph alignment and paragraph indentation should you use for all text in an APA
Style paper? (CG §§ 1.22–1.23, PM §§ 2.23–2.24)
All text is aligned to the left margin, with the first line of every paragraph indented 0.5 in.

11. How many heading levels is it possible to use in the text of an APA Style paper? (CG § 1.26, PM
§ 2.27)
Five heading levels
12. How many heading levels does a typical APA Style paper contain? (CG § 1.26, PM § 2.27)
Two or three heading levels

13. Which heading levels are written in bold? Which heading levels are written in bold italic? (CG §
1.26, PM § 2.27)
• All heading levels are written in bold (Levels 1, 2, and 4 are only bold).
• Levels 3 and 5 are written in bold italic.

14. What should you write on the first line on the first page of text in all APA Style papers? (CG §
1.26, PM § 2.27)
Paper title

15. What dictionaries should you consult to determine the spelling of words in APA Style papers?
(CG § 5.1, PM § 6.11)
Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary (https://www.merriam-webster.com) and APA Dictionary of
Psychology (https://dictionary.apa.org)

16. What words or phrases are italicized the first time they appear in the text of an APA Style
paper? (CG § 4.15, PM § 6.22)
• Key words or phrases, often accompanied by a definition
• Words or phrases from another language and not in the dictionary for the language in which you
are writing

17. Titles for what kinds of works are italicized in APA Style reference lists? (CG § 4.15, PM § 6.22)
• Stand-alone works (books, reports, films, songs, webpages, etc.)
• Periodical titles (journals, magazines, newspapers, blogs, etc.)

18. APA Style is a “down” style, meaning that words are lowercase unless there is specific
guidance to capitalize them. What types of words are always capitalized in APA Style? Provide
at least three examples. (CG §§ 5.3–5.11, PM §§ 6.13–6.21)
• The first word in a complete sentence
• The first word after a colon in a sentence, if what follows the colon is a complete sentence
• Proper nouns and proper adjectives
• Names of racial and ethnic groups
• Names of specific university departments, academic institutions, and academic courses
• Trade names and brand names
• Job titles or positions that precede a name
• Personal names that appear in the names of diseases, disorders, therapies, treatments, theories,
concepts, hypotheses, principles, models, and statistical procedures
• Titles of works and headings within works and their subtitles
 • Titles of tests and measures and their subscales
• Nouns followed by numerals or letters that denote a specific place in a series
• Names of derived variables within a factor analysis or principal components analysis

19. What are the two types of capitalization used in APA Style? (CG § 5.7, PM § 6.17)
Title case and sentence case

20. Which type of capitalization is used for the titles of works in reference list entries?
Sentence case (meaning most words are lowercase)

21. Which words do you capitalize when writing the title of a work in a reference list entry? (CG §
5.7, PM § 6.17)
• First word of the title and any subtitle
• Any proper nouns appearing in the title
• Any nouns followed by numerals or letters

22. How should you introduce an abbreviation in the narrative text of an APA Style paper? Provide
an example. (CG § 5.13, PM § 6.25)
Present both the full version of the term and the abbreviation. Write the full term first, and then place
the abbreviation in parentheses after it.
Example: posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)

23. When are abbreviations used for units of measurement (e.g., meter, kilogram) in the text?
Provide an example. (CG § 5.15, PM § 6.27)
Units of measurement are abbreviated when accompanied by numeric values.
Examples: 8 m, 19 kg

24. What units of time are abbreviated in the text when accompanied by a numeric value? Provide
at least three examples. (CG § 5.16, PM § 6.28)
Hours, minutes, seconds, and any other divisions of the second are abbreviated.
Examples: 24 hr, 5 min, 30 s, 15 ms

25. What Latin term meaning “and others” is used in both narrative and parenthetical in-text
citations? (CG § 5.17, PM § 6.29)
et al.

26. What is the Latin abbreviation for “for example” that is used within parentheses? (CG § 5.17,
PM § 6.29)
e.g., (remember to use periods after each letter and a comma after the abbreviation)
27. In general, what numbers are expressed in words and what numbers are expressed in
numerals in an APA Style paper? (CG §§ 6.1–6.2, PM §§ 6.32–6.33)
• Numbers 0 through 9 are expressed in words.
• Numbers above 10 are expressed in numerals.

28. What numbers are always expressed in words in the text of an APA Style paper? (CG § 6.2, PM
§ 6.33)
• Numbers that begin a sentence, title, or heading
• Numbers in common fractions
• Numbers in universally accepted usage

29. What punctuation mark(s) do you use between items in a list of three or more items? (CG §
4.11, PM § 6.49)
• Use commas, including before the last item, if no items in the list already contain commas.
• Use semicolons, including before the last item, if an item in the list already contains a comma.

30. What citation system is used in APA Style? (CG § 8.10, PM § 8.10)
Author–date citation system

31. What is the difference between parenthetical in-text citations and narrative in-text citations?
(CG § 8.11, PM § 8.11)
• In parenthetical in-text citations, the author name and publication date (or equivalent information)
appear in parentheses.
• In narrative in-text citations, the author name and publication date (or equivalent information) are
incorporated into the text as part of the sentence.

32. When citing multiple works by different authors in parentheses, in what order should you
place the citations? What punctuation mark should you use between the citations? (CG § 8.12,
PM § 8.12)
Place the citations in alphabetical order, and separate them with semicolons.

33. When citing multiple works by the same author in parentheses, how many times should you
write the author’s name? In what order should you place the citations? What punctuation mark
should you use between the citations? (CG § 8.12, PM § 8.12)
Write the author name only once, and place the citations in chronological order by the year of
publication, separated with commas.

34. When a work has three or more authors, what is the correct format to use for the authors’
names in the in-text citation? (CG § 8.17, PM § 8.17)
Include the name of only the first author and write “et al.” in place of the other authors’ names
(unless doing so would create ambiguity).
35. What does it mean to paraphrase versus directly quote from a work? (CG §§ 8.23, 8.25, PM §§
8.23, 8.25)
• A paraphrase restates another’s idea (or your own idea from a previous work) in your own words.
• A direct quotation reproduces words verbatim from another work or your own previous work.

36. What is the maximum length (number of words) of a short quotation (i.e., a quotation that is
placed in double quotation marks within the text of a sentence)? (CG § 8.26, PM § 8.26)
39 words

37. What format should you use for a quotation of 50 words? (CG § 8.27, PM § 8.27)
Block quotation format

38. How do you format a block quotation? (CG § 8.27, PM § 8.27)

• Start the block quotation on a new line.
• Do not use quotation marks around it.
• Indent the whole block 0.5 in. from the left margin, and indent the first line of any additional
paragraphs another 0.5 in.
• Place parentheses containing the author, date, and page number or other location information
(if citing the work in parentheses) or only the page number or other location information (if citing
the author and year in the narrative) after the quotation’s final punctuation.
• Do not put a period after the closing parenthesis of the citation.

39. What chapter in the APA Style manuals provides reference examples? (CG § 9.1, PM § 9.1)
Chapter 10 in the Concise Guide to APA Style and the Publication Manual

40. What four elements do most references contain? (CG § 9.4, PM § 9.4)
Author, date, title, and source

41. What should you write instead of a date in a reference for a work with no date? (CG § 9.17, PM
§ 9.17)
Write “n.d.” (which stands for “no date”) in parentheses.

42. When do you need to include a bracketed description after the title in a reference? (CG § 9.21,
PM § 9.21)
• When it helps identify works outside the peer-reviewed academic literature (i.e., works other than
articles, books, reports, etc.) and thus aids readers in identifying and retrieving the work
• In social media references to indicate attached links or images
43. What are examples of works for which you would include a bracketed description after the
title in the reference? Provide at least three examples. (CG § 9.21, PM § 9.21)
• Social media posts
• Audiobooks
• Gray literature (e.g., press releases)
• Audiovisual works (e.g., films, TV shows, songs, YouTube videos, lecture slides, photographs)
• Software
• Mobile apps
• Data sets
• Manuscripts in preparation
• Dissertations and theses

44. What format do you use for all DOIs in a reference list? (CG § 9.35, PM § 9.35)
Current preferred DOI format: https://doi.org/xxxxx

45. How do you format an APA Style reference list? Specify its location in the text, including
whether it should begin on a new page, the label it should have, and the line spacing and
paragraph indentation to use. (CG § 9.42, PM § 9.43)
• Begin the reference list after the text on a new page.
• Place the section label “References” in bold and centered at the top of the page.
• Double-space the entire reference list (both within and between entries).
• Apply a hanging indent of 0.5 in. to each reference (the first line of the reference is flush left and
subsequent lines are indented 0.5 in.).

© 2021
CITE THIS HANDOUT:
American Psychological Association. (2021). Test your
Last updated February 12, 2021 APA Style knowledge quiz. https://apastyle.apa.org/
instructional-aids/test-APA-Style-knowledge.pdf
More information on APA Style can be found in the Publication Manual of the
American Psychological Association (7th ed.) and the Concise Guide to APA We thank Emily Polacek, of Hinsdale South High School, for
Style (7th ed.). providing the inspiration for this content.