Associated Press Style can be tricky. Thanks to Kelly Savio for preparing this mini-quiz presentation for high school student journalists.

1. Wait…. What time
is it?

2. It’s AP Style Quiz Time!

3. What numbers do you spell out?

4. Numbers under 10
One, two, three…. 10, 11, 12

5. Do you capitalize
freshman/sophomore/junior/seni
or?

6. No, unless it’s the first word in a
sentence.

7. First or 1st
?

8. First.

9. Tenth or 10th
?

10. 10th
First-ninth, 10th
-100th
, etc.

11. In an address….
Boulevard or Blvd?

12. Blvd

13. Drive or Dr?

14. Drive

15. Road or Rd?

16. Road.
But Street is St. and Avenue is Ave.

17. Put these sentences in correct AP
Style.

18. The 18 year old student said she
planned to vote.

19. The 18-year-old student said she
planned to vote.

20. He’s in his thirties.

21. He’s in his 30s.

22. She’s reading Gone With the
Wind.

23. She’s reading Gone with the
Wind.

24. She loves Neil Diamond’s song,
Sweet Caroline.

25. She loves Neil Diamond’s song,
“Sweet Caroline.”

26. Now please write your height in
AP Style.

27. I am 5-foot-4.

28. Trudy Arriaga is our
superintendent. She is
married. She has a doctorate
degree. How would your write
her name?

29. Trudy Arriaga.
You only call someone “Dr.” if
they are a medical doctor, and no courtesy
title.

30. What if you want to use her
title (superintendent)? Then
how do you write her name?

31. Trick question!
It depends on where you put the title.

32. … said Superintendent Trudy
Arriaga.
In the front, it’s capitalized.

33. …said Trudy Arriaga,
superintendent of the district.
In the back, it’s not.

34. What’s a good rule of thumb for
where to put the title?

35. If it’s a short title, put it in front.
If it’s more than three words,
put it in back of the name.

36. …said Trudy Arriaga,
superintendent of Ventura
Unified School District.

37. …said President Barack Obama.
Notice that these are official titles. You wouldn’t
say something such as:
…said Teacher Dan Fitz-Patrick.

38. Write the following in correct AP
Style:

39. $1,000,000

40. $1 million
This is the case for all millions, billions, etc.

41. Four dollars and five cents

42. $4.05

43. Four dollars

44. $4

45. Six cents

46. 6 cents

47. When do you spell out a state
name?

48. When it’s alone, with no city
accompanying it.

49. When do you abbreviate a state
name?

50. When there’s a city with it.
Although there are exceptions, such as Iowa.

51. How do you abbreviate
California according to AP Style?

52. Calif.
Yes, really.

53. What time does class start (in AP
Style)?

54. 8 a.m.
9:34 p.m., midnight, noon

55. Write your age when you lost
your first tooth in AP Style.
If you can’t remember, guess!

56. 6
Ages are always digits.

57. website? web site?
web-site?
email? e-mail? e mail?

58. website/e-mail
Find her e-mail on our website.

59. Quiz over!
Now that we’ve established that AP Style laughs in
the face of MLA and APA style…. Do you have any
questions?