File management — plan folders, name files before saving
Locate = navigate a planned structure to find a file. Open = load it into the application that created it. Import = bring data made in one application into another (e.g. a CSV into a database), which may need mapping. Save into a planned hierarchical folder structure — a main folder with logically-named sub-folders, planned before saving — and give each file a meaningful name describing its content (and version/date), never a default like "Document1".
File formats — application-specific vs generic
Application-package format = native to one program (.docx, .xlsx, .accdb, .pptx); keeps full features but may not open in different or older software. Generic (open) format = readable by many applications and operating systems (.csv, .txt, .rtf, .pdf, .htm, .jpg, .png). Generic formats are needed when the recipient may not have the same application or OS, or when only the data/content — not the app's advanced features — must be preserved.
File formats — each format's characteristics and use
Each generic format has distinct characteristics: .csv = plain data values only (comma-separated, no formatting); .txt = text only; .rtf = basic formatting (bold/italic/font) most word processors read; .pdf = fixed layout, not for editing; .htm = web-page source code; .css = stylesheet code, separate from the HTML; .jpg = compressed/lossy (smaller, for photos); .png = lossless with transparency (screenshots, logos).
Drawn from real examiner reports.
Cropped screenshot loses the evidence
Marked from screenshot evidence, not the file itself. Marks are lost when the screenshot crops out the folder name, fails to show requested file details (such as image dimensions or file size), or shows the Save-As dialog instead of the finished folder contents. Before capturing, check every requested detail is fully visible and not cut off.
w23 P03 Q1: do not crop out the folder name; display image dimensions/file details.
Wrong format for the stated purpose
Asked to save a file so anyone, on any software can open it, candidates pick an application-specific format (.docx) instead of a generic one (.pdf, .rtf). This defeats the purpose — the recipient may not have compatible software, so the file may not open at all. Match the format to the stated purpose: sharing with an unknown recipient needs a generic format.
Browser view ≠ HTML view
A web page saved in browser view is the rendered page a visitor sees (text, images and layout displayed). One saved in HTML view is the underlying source code (the markup tags), not the appearance. Giving one when the task asks for the other loses marks — read whether it wants how the page looks to a user or its underlying code.
Default file names identify nothing
Leaving a file with its software-generated default name (e.g. "Document1") gives no information about the content, so it cannot be identified or located from its name alone. Use an appropriate, descriptive name — describing the content, plus a version or date where relevant — so the file is recognised and found quickly within its folder.
Plan folders first, not afterwards
Saving files loosely and organising them afterwards risks files being lost, duplicated or hard to locate, and wastes time sorting them later. Plan the hierarchical structure first, so each file goes straight into the correct, logically-named sub-folder as it is created. An "explain why plan first" question wants this benefit, not a definition of the structure.
"Opens on my computer" misses the point
When justifying a generic format, "it opens on my computer" scores nothing — the requirement is that a different recipient or application can open or import the file, not the candidate's own machine. Name the format as generic (or data-only, for .csv) and tie it to the recipient's unknown or different software. The reason must point at who receives the file.
Screenshot the outcome, then print
Create the named structure first (spelling and capitals matter), do the task, then screenshot the outcome — the folder contents, not a dialog — legible without magnifying and uncropped. Add candidate id details before printing, and always print the Evidence Document.
Name the format AND the reason
Match the command word. "State" wants the format only. "Explain/describe" needs a because — the format and the reason (compatibility, fixed layout, data-only). "Compare/recommend" needs the choice tied to the stated requirement. A bare "it opens" fails without the reason.
Match the format to the content
Match the output format to the task: a screenshot → .jpg/.png; a document that must look identical anywhere → .pdf; raw data for a different application → .csv; a web page as a user sees it → browser view; its code → HTML view. Choose per content and purpose.
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