Chap 17 : Word Processing - Mail Merge

 Mail merge: Mail merge is a word processing feature that allows users to personalize
letters with names and addresses from a database.

 Use of mail merge: Mail merge can be used for a number of different tasks. Here
are some examples:
 Writing letters to customers
 to tell them about an upcoming sale or special offer
 to inform them about a change to the business e.g. new phone
number
 Mail shot
 sending out a survey to a large number of people
 competitions
 Invoices: sending reminders of overdue payments to a large number of
customers
 Schools
 students' names and grades into reports
 parents' names and addresses for letters home
 students' names onto certificates
 Personal: addressing envelopes for Christmas cards

 Benefits of mail merge: There are many benefits to be gained from using a mail
merge. They include:
 Easy to make a change to a single letter and for that change to happen in
every letter e.g. change the date
 Once the merge has been set up, thousands of letters can be produced
very quickly
 Much easier to proof read just one letter than thousands of individual
letters
 Letters can be sent to people who meet specific criteria
 A standard letter can be saved and reused
 Letters can be personalized
 The same data source and be reused - reducing the risk of errors

 Disadvantages:
 Letters can lack the personal touch.
 The database that provides the information for the mail merge letter must
be kept up to date if it is going to be useful.
 Exam Hint:
In an exam question, the benefits of mail merge need to be answered within the context
of the scenario you are given. Generally you shouldn't just list the benefits. Instead,
relate them to the mail merge being discussed in the question.

 Exam Tips:
1. Ensure that your name, candidate number and center number are on the bottom
of the completed word document.
2. Remember that NO marks will be awarded for students who fail to provide this
information on any piece of work that is to be printed.

3. You should take steps to ensure that Widows and Orphans have been removed.
4. For Sans Serif Fonts you should use Comic Sans Serif (Unless the question gives
you a specific font)
5. For Serif Fonts you should use Times New Roman (Unless question gives you a
specific font)
6. Tables should be no wider than the column. Resize the table using the handles.
7. Use measurements accurately. For example, if the question wants a 4cm wide
image - make sure it is exactly 4cm.
8. Use the 3 Column Header/Footer and make sure to remove any unused
Header/Footer text boxes.
9. Check that line spaces and paragraphs are consistent throughout the document.
10. Remember to spell check the document at the end to identify spelling mistakes
(Often entered on purpose).
 MCQ – Questions
1. What tab in MS Word you'll use to access Mail Merge options?
a. Home tab
b. Insert tab
c. References tab
d. Mailings tab

2. Mail merge is the process of combining document design with a list to create multiple copies of
document for each entry in the list. The list is called -
a. Main Document
b. Data Source
c. Form Label
d. Database

3. The button temporarily merges your main document and data source so that you can view and test
a. Merge to PDF
b. Finish & Merge
c. Insert Merge Field
d. Preview Results

4. When the Edit Individual Documents option is selected, how does each letter appear in the new
document created after the merge?
a. Separate documents for each letter
b. Separate sections for each letter
c. One letter following another without starting a new page for each letter
d. One letter displaying the information from the first record

5. Which of the following features is used to arrange the records in a data source before merging?
a. Filter b. Sort c. Auto Check for Errors d. Match Fields

6. Which of the following mail merge terms lists the specific information to be inserted in a mail merge
document?
a. Main document
b. Data source
c. Mail merge
d. Merge field

7. Which button on the Mailings tab is used to correlate fields from a data source to fields in a main
document that have different field names?
a. Find Recipient
b. Match Fields
c. Compare Fields
d. Auto Check for Errors

8. Which of the following is not a default field name?

a. Last Name
b. City
c. E-mail Address
d. Social Security Number

9. Which of the following is not a default document type for a mail merge?
a. Letters b. Envelopes c. Memos d. Directory

10. How is the information in a data source organized?

a. Chart b. Matrix c. Table d. Paragraphs

11. What is the name of the column heading for each category in a data source?
a. Data field b. Field c. Field name d. Record
12. When a field name has a space in its title, such as Last Name, how is the merge field displayed in the
mail merge document?
a. LastName
b. Last-Name
c. Last_Name
d. LastName

13. Which of the following mail merge terms combines a document with a list of names and addresses to
produce individualized documents?
a. Main document
b. Data source
c. Mail merge
d. Merge field

14. Which of the following contains the variable data to be merged with the unchanging data?
a. control document
b. data source
c. main document
d. master letter

15. After launching the Mail Merge task pane, the first step is to:
a. identify the data source
b. specify the letter size
c. identify the main document
d. specify the envelope size

16. Which of the following does not appear as a default field in the New Address List dialog box?
a. Title
b. Apartment Number
c. Address Line 1
d. Last Name

17. You have purchased a specific brand of labels to use for a mailing project. During which step of the
Mail Merge task pane would you specify that brand of labels?
a. one b. two c. three d. four

18. To launch the Mail Merge Help dialog box, what option should you select using the Microsoft Word
Office Assistant?
a. Begin Setup
b. Continue Setup
c. Complete Setup
d. Tell me more about Mail Merge

19. The four types of mail merge main documents are ...
a. Form letters, directories, catalogues and envelope
b. Form letters, envelops and mailing labels, directories and lists
c. Basic letters, envelops, labels and list
d. Form letters, envelops, mailing labels and catalogue

20. Which of the following is not a step of the merge process?

a. Preview the merge results
b. Format a main document
c. Format data source
d. Identify the main document