Filing: The "Nothing Before Something" Rule
This is the Golden Rule of alphabetizing names. Short names come first before longer names that start with the same letters.
Rule: Short is First
1. Brown, J.
2. Brown, James
3. Browne, A.
4. Browning, P.
Notice that "Brown" stops earlier than "Browne". Since "nothing" follows the 'n' in Brown, it comes before the 'e' in Browne.
Imagine a "Space" is the very first letter of the alphabet (Before A). "Brown " (with space) beats "Browne" (with e).
Filing: Personal Names Format
Always index names in this order: Surname, First Name, Middle Name.
| Name | Indexed As |
|---|---|
| Jose P. Rizal | Rizal, Jose P. |
| Maria Dela Cruz | Dela Cruz, Maria |
| Dr. Juan A. Santos | Santos, Juan A. (Dr.) |
Compound surnames like Dela Cruz, Delos Santos, or San Jose are treated as ONE UNIT. Ignore the space.
Filing: Business & Company Names
Business names are filed as written, EXCEPT for "The" at the beginning.
- The Ayala Corporation → Filed under A (Ayala Corporation, The).
- A.B.C. Stores → Filed under A.
- 7-Eleven → Numbers usually come before Letters.
If a business starts with a number (e.g., "1st Bank"), it is filed BEFORE "A". Digits 0-9 precede A-Z.
Spelling: The "Double Letter" Trap
The CSE loves words with tricky double letters. Memorize these frequent flyers.
CORRECT ✅
- Accommodate (cc, mm)
- Occasion (cc, s)
- Committee (mm, tt, ee)
- Embarrass (rr, ss)
WRONG ❌
- Acommodate
- Occassion
- Comittee
- Embarass
Spelling: The "I before E" Rule
Rule: "I before E, except after C." (Usually).
Belief (No C, so I first)
Relief (No C, so I first)
Receive (After C, so E first)
Deceive (After C, so E first)
"Weird" is weird. "Seize", "Caffeine", "Leisure". Memorize these rule-breakers!
Grammar: Subject-Verb Agreement
Singular Subject = Singular Verb (with S). Plural Subject = Plural Verb (no S).
Ignore the "of items" (prepositional phrase). Focus on the main subject "LIST" (Singular).
Cross out anything between commas or inside phrases like "together with," "as well as," or "along with." They DO NOT affect the verb.
Grammar: Either/Or & Neither/Nor
When using Or/Nor, the verb agrees with the subject CLOSEST to it.
Neither the students nor the teacher IS present.
Neither the teacher nor the students ARE present.
Vocabulary: Context Clues
Don't panic if you don't know the word. Look for synonyms or antonyms in the sentence.
The word "Unlike" signals an opposite. If John is shy, his brother must be the opposite. Gregarious = Sociable/Friendly.
Vocabulary: Power Roots
Decode words by knowing their parts.
| Root | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Bene | Good | Benefit, Benevolent |
| Mal | Bad | Malicious, Malfunction |
| Omni | All | Omnipotent, Omnivore |
| Chron | Time | Chronological |
Reading Comp: Finding the Main Idea
The main idea is usually in the First or Last sentence of the paragraph.
Formula: Topic (Sino/Ano pinag-uusapan?) + So What? (Ano sinasabi tungkol dun?). Combine them to find the main idea.
Reading Comp: Speed Skimming
Do NOT read the whole passage word-for-word first.
-
1
Read Questions First: Know what you are looking for.
-
2
Scan for Keywords: Look for Names, Dates, or Capitalized words from the question.
-
3
Read Surroundings: Read the sentence before and after the keyword.
Confusing Words Pairs
Don't mix these up!
Affect vs Effect
Affect is an Action (Verb).
Effect is the End result (Noun).
Complement vs Compliment
Complement completes something.
Compliment is "I like your dress."
Grammar: Prepositions (In, On, At)
The Triangle of Prepositions for Time and Place.
| Prep | Scope | Example |
|---|---|---|
| IN | General (Big) | In 2024, In Manila |
| ON | Specific (Medium) | On Monday, On Rizal St. |
| AT | Very Specific (Small) | At 5:00 PM, At Jollibee |
Clerical Procedures: Proofreading
Comparing two sets of data (Original vs Copy). Accuracy is key.
Watch out for Letter O and Number 0. Also verify commas and periods. Even a single punctuation difference makes it WRONG.
Office Organization
Basic principles of records management.
Chronological: Best for transactions (Invoices by date).
Geographical: Best for locations (Sales by region).
Subject: Best for content (Research topics).
Clerical Mastered 📋
Speed, accuracy, and perfect grammar.