Adult Literacy Intermediate Quiz: Reading Policies And Instructions
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Reading Policies And InstructionsQuestion 1 of 10

Library Study-Room Policy

A reservation may be canceled without penalty at least two hours before its starting time. A cancellation made less than two hours before the starting time is counted as a no-show. A room is also released if the group does not arrive within 15 minutes after the reservation begins. Two no-shows within 60 days result in a 30-day suspension of reservation privileges.

Mei had one no-show 45 days ago. Today, she cancels a 3:00 p.m. reservation at 1:30 p.m.

What consequence should Mei expect under the policy?

No penalty, because she canceled before the reservation's starting time.
One warning, because late cancellations do not count as no-shows.
A 30-day suspension, because this is her second no-show within 60 days.
A 60-day suspension, because each no-show adds 30 days to the penalty.
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Adult Literacy Intermediate Quiz

Adult Literacy Intermediate Quiz: Reading Policies And Instructions

Practice Reading Policies And Instructions in Adult Literacy Intermediate with focused quiz questions that help you check what you know, review explanations, and build confidence with test-style prompts.

What this quiz covers

This quiz focuses on Reading Policies And Instructions, giving you a quick way to practice the rules, question types, and explanations that matter most for Adult Literacy Intermediate.

How to use this quiz

Try each quiz question before looking at the correct answer. Use the explanations to review missed ideas, then come back to similar questions until the pattern feels familiar.

All questions

Question 1

Library Study-Room Policy

A reservation may be canceled without penalty at least two hours before its starting time. A cancellation made less than two hours before the starting time is counted as a no-show. A room is also released if the group does not arrive within 15 minutes after the reservation begins. Two no-shows within 60 days result in a 30-day suspension of reservation privileges.

Mei had one no-show 45 days ago. Today, she cancels a 3:00 p.m. reservation at 1:30 p.m.

What consequence should Mei expect under the policy?

  1. No penalty, because she canceled before the reservation's starting time.
  2. One warning, because late cancellations do not count as no-shows.
  3. A 30-day suspension, because this is her second no-show within 60 days. (correct answer)
  4. A 60-day suspension, because each no-show adds 30 days to the penalty.
Explanation: When a policy has multiple rules and a timeline, your job is to track each rule separately and apply them in order — like a checklist. Here, you need to determine (1) whether today's cancellation counts as a no-show, and (2) whether any penalty triggers. Today, Mei cancels at 1:30 p.m. for a 3:00 p.m. reservation. That's exactly 90 minutes before the start — which is less than two hours. The policy clearly states that canceling less than two hours before the reservation's start time counts as a no-show. So today's cancellation is her second no-show. Her first was 45 days ago, which falls within the 60-day window. Two no-shows within 60 days triggers a 30-day suspension — making C the correct answer. A is tempting because Mei did cancel before the reservation started, which sounds responsible. But the policy doesn't just require canceling early — it requires canceling at least two hours early. Reading the exact threshold is critical. B invents a "warning" category that doesn't exist anywhere in the policy. Never assume a policy has steps it doesn't describe. D misreads the penalty structure entirely — the policy specifies a single 30-day suspension for two no-shows; it says nothing about penalties stacking or adding per offense. A useful strategy: when a policy question involves time thresholds, write out the numbers explicitly. Here, "at least two hours before 3:00 p.m." means by 1:00 p.m. at the latest — and 1:30 p.m. misses that cutoff. Doing that quick calculation prevents the trap in choice A.

Question 2

Apartment Emergency Instructions

If you smell gas, do not turn lights or appliances on or off. Leave the building immediately. From outside, call the gas company's emergency number, then call the property emergency line. Do not return until emergency workers say it is safe. For a major water leak, shut off the nearest water valve if you can do so safely, then call the property emergency line.

Evan smells gas in his kitchen at night. His phone is charging in the bedroom.

What should Evan do first and next?

  1. Leave without operating switches, then call the gas company and property line from outside. (correct answer)
  2. Unplug his phone, switch off the kitchen light, and call the property line from indoors.
  3. Shut off the nearest water valve, leave the building, and wait for the property manager.
  4. Open the windows, inspect the appliances, and call only if the smell becomes stronger.
Explanation: When a passage gives you step-by-step emergency instructions, your job is to match those exact steps — in order — to what the character should do. Don't add steps, skip steps, or substitute a different emergency procedure. The passage is explicit: if you smell gas, do not operate any switches or appliances, leave immediately, and then call from outside. That's precisely what answer A describes — Evan leaves without touching any switches, then makes the required calls from a safe location. Notice that the passage lists the gas company first, then the property line, and A reflects that sequence. This is the correct answer. B is dangerous and directly contradicts the instructions. Unplugging a phone and switching off a kitchen light both involve operating electrical switches or appliances — exactly what the passage forbids. Calling from indoors also violates the instruction to call from outside. This choice represents a natural but incorrect instinct to "grab your phone first." C confuses two separate emergencies. Shutting off the nearest water valve is the instruction for a major water leak, not a gas smell. Applying the wrong procedure to the wrong emergency is a classic reading trap — always match the scenario to the correct set of instructions. D has Evan inspecting appliances and waiting to see if the smell worsens. The passage gives no such conditional step. Gas emergencies require immediate action, not investigation. Study tip: On questions involving emergency procedures, underline the exact sequence in the passage. Then check each answer choice word by word — one wrong step disqualifies the entire option, even if the rest seems reasonable.

Question 3

Food-Allergy Order Procedure

Orders involving a reported food allergy are printed on purple tickets. Before preparing such an order, wash your hands, put on new gloves, and use cleaned utensils and a cleaned work surface. Ingredients from open containers may be used only if no shared utensil has touched them. A manager must check the completed order before it is served.

After making a regular sandwich, Malik receives a purple-ticket order for a salad. The salad ingredients are in open containers, and the same serving spoon was used earlier for a dish containing nuts.

Which action best follows the complete procedure?

  1. Change gloves, use the same spoon carefully, and serve the salad after checking it himself.
  2. Wash his hands, change gloves, wipe the spoon, and serve the salad without manager review.
  3. Wash his hands, use new gloves and clean tools, avoid affected ingredients, and obtain a manager check. (correct answer)
  4. Use the open ingredients with a new spoon, keep his current gloves, and request a manager check.
Explanation: When a procedure lists several steps, every single step must be followed — skipping even one makes the whole process incomplete. Questions like this test whether you can match a real situation to a multi-part rule, so train yourself to mentally check each requirement against each answer choice. The Food-Allergy Order Procedure requires four things: wash hands, use new gloves, use cleaned utensils and surfaces, and get a manager check before serving. Malik also faces a specific warning: the shared spoon has touched nuts, meaning those open containers are now off-limits. Answer C covers every requirement — washing hands, putting on new gloves, using clean tools, avoiding the contaminated ingredients, and getting a manager to review the completed order before it leaves. Nothing is skipped. Answer A fails immediately because Malik checks the order himself rather than requesting a manager review, and using the same spoon — even carefully — violates the clean-utensils rule. Answer B gets the hand-washing and gloves right but makes two critical errors: wiping the spoon is not the same as using a cleaned utensil, and it skips the mandatory manager check entirely. Answer D keeps Malik's current gloves from the previous regular order, which breaks the new-gloves requirement, even though it correctly calls for a manager check and a new spoon. A good strategy here is to treat procedural questions like a checklist: count the total number of required steps first, then eliminate any answer that drops even one. On workplace-procedure questions, partial compliance is never good enough — if an answer gets three out of four steps right, it's still wrong.

Question 4

Visitor Entry Policy

Employees should preregister visitors by 4:00 p.m. on the previous business day. An unregistered visitor may still enter if the host is present and a department manager approves the visit. Adult visitors must show photo identification, wear a visitor badge, and remain with their host. Visitors under age 16 do not need identification but must stay with an approved adult.

Rosa forgot to preregister an adult repair technician. A department manager approves the visit by telephone, and the technician has photo identification. Rosa, the host, is working off-site and cannot come to the building.

Why can the technician not be admitted under the exception?

  1. The technician was not registered by 4:00 p.m., and late visitors are never permitted.
  2. The manager approved by telephone rather than giving approval in person at the entrance.
  3. The technician is an adult, so identification cannot replace advance registration.
  4. The host is not present, although manager approval and identification are available. (correct answer)
Explanation: When a workplace policy has a main rule and an exception, your job is to check whether every condition of the exception is satisfied — not just most of them. The exception here has three requirements for an unregistered visitor: (1) the host must be present, (2) a department manager must approve the visit, and (3) the adult visitor must show photo identification. In this scenario, manager approval is confirmed and the technician has valid ID — two out of three conditions are met. However, Rosa is working off-site and cannot be present. Because the host's presence is explicitly required, the exception fails entirely, and the technician cannot be admitted. That's why D is correct. A is a trap for students who focus only on the preregistration deadline. The policy does not say late or unregistered visitors are never permitted — it provides a clear exception. The issue isn't the missed deadline itself; it's that the exception's conditions aren't fully met. B introduces a detail the policy never mentions. The policy requires manager approval but says nothing about whether that approval must be given in person. Telephone approval is not ruled out anywhere in the passage, so this is not the reason for denial. C misreads the policy. Identification is a separate adult requirement, not a substitute for registration. The passage never says identification can or cannot replace registration — those are two different rules. Strategy tip: When a passage lists multiple conditions for an exception or rule, treat it like a checklist. If even one condition is unmet, the exception does not apply — and that missing piece is almost always the answer.

Question 5

Travel Reimbursement Instructions

Submit an expense report within 10 calendar days after returning from a business trip. Each expense over $25 must have an itemized receipt. A credit-card slip showing only the total is not itemized. If an itemized receipt is unavailable, attach a missing-receipt form signed by your manager. Mileage claims must also include a mileage log.

Andre returned on June 1 and submits his report on June 11. His report includes a $28 meal, but he has only a credit-card slip showing the total.

What must Andre do for the $28 meal to be considered properly documented?

  1. Submit the credit-card slip alone, since the total amount is clearly shown and the report was filed on time.
  2. Attach an itemized receipt or a manager-signed missing-receipt form to document the meal. (correct answer)
  3. Include a mileage log with the report, since expenses over $25 require supporting travel records.
  4. Resubmit the report after June 11 with a note explaining that no itemized receipt was available.
Explanation: When a workplace document gives you specific rules about paperwork, your job is to match each situation to the exact rule that applies. Here, the instructions lay out a clear chain: expenses over $25 need an itemized receipt, a credit-card slip showing only the total does not qualify as itemized, and if no itemized receipt exists, a manager-signed missing-receipt form is required instead. Andre's $28 meal falls over the $25 threshold, and his credit-card slip explicitly fails the policy's definition of acceptable documentation. That means he has exactly two valid paths forward: obtain an itemized receipt, or attach a missing-receipt form signed by his manager. Choice B captures both options precisely, making it the correct answer. Choice A is tempting because Andre did file on time, but the instructions never say that filing on time excuses missing documentation. Timeliness and proper receipts are separate requirements — meeting one doesn't cancel the other. Choice C confuses the rules: mileage logs apply to mileage claims, not to meal expenses. Attaching a mileage log wouldn't help Andre's meal documentation at all. Choice D is wrong on two counts — resubmitting after June 11 would make the report late (it must be filed within 10 days of June 1), and submitting without documentation still doesn't fix the receipt problem. A useful strategy: when a passage lists multiple rules, slow down and match each rule to the specific situation in the question. Don't let details from one rule (like the mileage log) drift into a different situation where they don't belong.

Question 6

Delayed-Opening Notice

When a delayed opening is announced, nonessential on-site employees must not enter the building before the announced opening time. They should report at that time, and the missed hours will be excused. Essential employees must report at their usual time unless a supervisor directly releases them from duty. Employees already assigned to remote work begin at their usual time unless a power or internet outage prevents them from working.

The office announces a 10:00 a.m. opening. Tasha is a nonessential on-site employee whose normal shift begins at 8:00 a.m.

What is Tasha required to do?

  1. Enter at 8:00 a.m. because her regular shift begins before the delayed opening.
  2. Report at 10:00 a.m.; the two missed hours are excused under the notice. (correct answer)
  3. Remain home all day unless her supervisor personally asks her to report.
  4. Begin remote work at 8:00 a.m. even though she was assigned to work on-site.
Explanation: When a workplace policy question appears on the exam, your job is to match the specific employee's category to the exact rule written for that category — don't mix up rules that apply to different groups. The notice creates three distinct employee categories: nonessential on-site, essential, and remote workers. Tasha fits squarely into the first group. The rule for nonessential on-site employees is clear: do not enter before the announced opening time, report at that time, and missed hours are excused. Since the delayed opening is 10:00 a.m., Tasha must arrive at 10:00 a.m., and her two missed hours (8:00–10:00 a.m.) are automatically excused. That makes B the correct answer. Choice A gets it backwards. Tasha's regular 8:00 a.m. shift start is irrelevant once a delayed opening is announced — the whole point of the notice is to override normal schedules for nonessential employees. Choice C is a distortion of the essential-employee rule, which does involve supervisor release from duty. Tasha is nonessential, so that rule doesn't apply to her, and nothing in the notice says nonessential employees stay home all day. Choice D invents a remote-work requirement that the notice never assigns to Tasha. Remote-work rules apply only to employees already assigned to remote work — Tasha is an on-site employee. A useful strategy: in policy-reading questions, always identify which category the person belongs to first, then read only the rule for that category. Mixing rules across categories is exactly the trap these questions are designed to set.

Question 7

Equipment-Certification Policy

Employees should apply to renew equipment certification at least 30 days before it expires. An employee may continue operating the equipment while a renewal is pending only through the expiration date printed on the current certificate. Beginning the next day, the employee must be assigned other duties until the renewed certificate is issued. A supervisor may change work assignments but may not waive the certification rule.

Jon's certification expires on Friday. He submits his renewal application on Thursday. On Monday, the renewal is still pending, and his supervisor asks him to operate the equipment because the department is short-staffed.

What does the policy require on Monday?

  1. Jon may operate the equipment because he applied before the current certificate expired.
  2. Jon may operate it only if his supervisor remains nearby throughout the assignment.
  3. Jon must stop all work because employees with pending renewals cannot enter the workplace.
  4. Jon must perform other duties until the renewed certificate has been issued. (correct answer)
Explanation: When a workplace policy sets specific conditions for who can do what and when, your job is to apply those conditions carefully — especially when a question introduces pressure (like being short-staffed) that might seem to justify bending the rules. The policy here is precise: an employee with a pending renewal may operate the equipment only through the expiration date on the current certificate. Jon's certificate expires Friday. By Monday, that date has passed, which means his window to operate under the pending renewal has closed. The policy then states clearly that beginning the next day — which is Saturday in this case — the employee must be assigned other duties until the renewed certificate is issued. Monday is well past that threshold, so Jon must be doing other work, regardless of staffing pressures. That makes D the correct answer. A is a tempting trap because Jon did apply before his certificate expired — but the policy doesn't reward timely filing with unlimited operating rights. The permission to operate while pending ends on the expiration date itself, not when the renewal is approved. B introduces a supervisor-supervision condition that appears nowhere in the policy. The passage explicitly states supervisors can change assignments but cannot waive the certification rule — so a supervisor's presence doesn't create an exception. C overstates the restriction dramatically. The policy doesn't say employees with pending renewals must leave the workplace entirely — only that they must be reassigned to other duties. As a study strategy, watch for answer choices that add conditions the passage never mentions (like B) or that stretch a real rule into something extreme (like C). Policies test whether you read what's actually written.

Question 8

Monday Large-Item Collection

Residents must schedule collection online by 5:00 p.m. Wednesday. No more than three approved items may be collected from one address. Place the items at the curb after 6:00 p.m. Sunday but before 7:00 a.m. Monday, and attach the scheduling confirmation to one item. Televisions and other electronics are not accepted and must be taken to the electronics drop-off center.

Luis has scheduled a collection for a sofa, a chair, a mattress, and a television.

Which action would bring Luis's collection into compliance with the instructions?

  1. Put out all four items Sunday evening and attach the confirmation to the television.
  2. Put out three items Monday morning and leave the television beside his regular trash.
  3. Put out the sofa, chair, and mattress during the stated hours and take the television to electronics drop-off. (correct answer)
  4. Put out the sofa, chair, and television during the stated hours and save the mattress for later.
Explanation: When a question gives you a set of rules and asks what someone must do to "comply," your job is to find the answer that satisfies every rule at once — not just some of them. The notice has three key rules: (1) no more than three items per address, (2) items must be placed at the curb between Sunday after 6:00 p.m. and Monday before 7:00 a.m., and (3) televisions and electronics are not accepted — they must go to the electronics drop-off center. Luis scheduled four items, including a television, so he's currently breaking two rules. To comply, he needs to reduce his curbside items to three and remove the television from the collection entirely. Choice C is correct because it does both things: it puts out exactly three approved items (sofa, chair, mattress) during the stated hours and routes the television to the electronics drop-off center, where it belongs. Choice A fails on two counts — it puts out all four items (exceeding the three-item limit) and includes the television, which isn't accepted at all. Choice B puts items out Monday morning, which violates the timing rule (items must be out before 7:00 a.m. Monday, but the notice implies Sunday evening placement), and leaving the television by regular trash ignores the drop-off requirement entirely. Choice D swaps the mattress for the television, but the television still can't be collected curbside regardless of what other items are included. When following multi-rule instructions, check your answer against every rule before choosing. A common trap is finding an answer that fixes one problem while ignoring another.

Question 9

Liquid-Spill Instructions

First, warn anyone near the spill. If it can be done safely, stop nearby equipment. Next, notify the shift supervisor and place warning cones around the area. Only employees with spill-response training may clean an unknown liquid. Other employees must remain nearby to direct people away until trained help arrives.

Darius notices an unknown liquid near a machine that is already turned off. A coworker is walking toward the spill. Darius has not received spill-response training.

Which response best follows the instructions?

  1. Warn the coworker, notify the supervisor, place cones, and keep people away while waiting for trained help. (correct answer)
  2. Clean the liquid immediately, notify the supervisor afterward, and then place cones around the dry area.
  3. Restart the machine to test it, warn the coworker, and clean the spill if the machine works.
  4. Leave to find trained help without warning the coworker or marking the area first.
Explanation: When a question gives you a set of workplace instructions and then describes a scenario, your job is to match the person's actions step-by-step against those instructions — even when the scenario slightly changes the situation (like equipment already being off). Let's walk through what the instructions actually require: warn people nearby, stop equipment if safe, notify the supervisor, place warning cones, and keep untrained employees away from the spill until trained help arrives. Darius is untrained, a coworker is approaching, and the machine is already off — so the "stop equipment" step is already handled. Choice A is correct because Darius does everything the instructions call for in his situation: he warns the coworker, notifies the supervisor, places cones, and stays nearby to redirect people while waiting for someone with spill-response training. Every required step is covered. Choice B fails immediately because it has an untrained employee — Darius — cleaning the spill himself. The instructions are explicit that only trained employees may clean an unknown liquid. Notifying the supervisor after cleaning also reverses the required order. Choice C introduces restarting a machine that was already off, which the instructions never call for and could actually create a new hazard. It also delays the required warning and wrongly assumes Darius can clean the spill himself. Choice D is dangerous because it skips the most urgent first steps — warning the approaching coworker and marking the area — before going to find help. Someone could walk into the spill in the meantime. Strategy tip: On procedure-based questions, mentally check each answer against every instruction requirement. The correct answer will satisfy all steps; wrong answers usually skip one, reverse the order, or assign a task to the wrong person.

Question 10

Shift-Swap Policy

Employees who want to exchange shifts must submit a swap form at least 48 hours before the earlier shift begins. Both employees must sign the form. A supervisor must approve the swap before either schedule changes. Until approval is given, each employee remains responsible for the employee's original shift. Missing an original shift without approval will be recorded as an unexcused absence.

Nina is scheduled for Tuesday at 4:00 p.m. On Sunday at noon, she and Omar submit a signed form to exchange shifts. By Tuesday morning, the supervisor has not responded.

What should Nina do under the policy?

  1. Work Omar's shift because both employees signed the form on time.
  2. Report for her original shift unless the supervisor approves the swap. (correct answer)
  3. Miss her original shift because the supervisor did not reject the form.
  4. Ask Omar to work both shifts until the supervisor reviews the form.
Explanation: When a workplace policy spells out a multi-step process, every step must be completed before anything changes. Here, the policy requires three things: a form submitted 48 hours in advance, both signatures, and supervisor approval. Nina and Omar meet the first two conditions, but the third — approval — never arrives. That missing step is the heart of this question. Because the policy states clearly that "each employee remains responsible for their original shift" until approval is given, Nina must report for her Tuesday 4:00 p.m. shift. That makes B the correct answer. The swap is pending, not approved, and pending is not the same as permitted. A is tempting because Nina and Omar did everything employees are supposed to do — they signed the form and submitted it on time. But the policy doesn't give employees the power to finalize a swap; only the supervisor can do that. Completing your part of the process doesn't complete the whole process. C misreads silence as permission. The supervisor's lack of response is not a rejection, but it is also not an approval. The policy requires a positive approval, not the absence of a denial. Assuming inaction means "go ahead" would put Nina at risk of an unexcused absence. D is simply not something the policy allows or suggests — it would be unfair to Omar and has no basis in the written rules. A useful strategy: when a policy describes a multi-step approval process, always ask whether every step is complete — not just the steps you control.