Civil Service Clerical Ability Test 2025 – 400 Free Practice Questions to Pass the Exam

In the context of alphabetizing names, the key is to focus on the sequence in which the names are ordered by last name, followed by the first name, and then any additional initials or names. In this case, the last name "Smith" is common to options A, B, and C, which require looking at the first name and initials for further differentiation.

When comparing these, "Smith, Joan J." is alphabetically more significant than "Smith, Joan" and "Smith, J." because it adds an additional initial that further distinguishes it from the others. While all three begin with "Smith," "Joan J." comes after "Joan" and "J." when looking at the whole name; first by first name (i.e., Joan), and if there's still a tie, next by any initials.

However, "Smithers, J." is actually the first in this group due to the last name starting with a "Smithers," which comes after “Smith” in alphabetical order. Therefore, after "Smithers, J.," "Smith, Joan J." is the next one to come in the sequence, which means that it ranks as second correctly when arranged alphabetically.