Keyboard Knowledge Quiz
Think you’re a keyboard expert?
Nine quick questions on keyboard history, ergonomics and keeping keyboards clean. See how many you get right.
Test your keyboard knowledge
Choose an answer to see whether you’re right, and why.
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Question 1 of 9
What is a QWERTY keyboard?
- Ergonomic design standard for a keyboard
- A common style of keyboard
- A keyboard designed to be used with only one hand
- A compact keyboard for personal digital assistance devices
Show the answer
Answer: A common style of keyboard
The name QWERTY comes from the first six keys appearing on the top left row of letters on a keyboard.
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Question 2 of 9
Which key is a “home row” key?
- P
- L
- B
- Q
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Answer: L
The home row is the row of keys a touch typist returns to: A, S, D and F for the left hand, and J, K, L and ; (semicolon) for the right.
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Question 3 of 9
Hospitals survey patients about the quality of their stay, including how noisy it was (think of noisy keyboards). What does HCAHPS stand for?
- Hospital Counter Assurance Health Promotion and Systems
- Healthcare Corporation of America Hospital Premium and Savings
- Hospital Candidate Alliance Healthcare Paranormal Survey
- Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems
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Answer: Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems
The HCAHPS (Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems) survey is the first national, standardized, publicly reported survey of patients’ perspectives of hospital care. HCAHPS, also known as the CAHPS Hospital Survey, is a survey instrument and data collection methodology for measuring patients’ perceptions of their hospital experience.
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Question 4 of 9
True or false: a flat keyboard is more ergonomic than one angled upward.
- True
- False
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Answer: True
Typing at a desk makes a neutral wrist hard to keep: as the forearms tire they sag, bending the wrists back, and bent elbows can compress the nerves and restrict blood flow to the hands. Forearms sloping up add load on the upper arms, shoulders and neck, and more than three or four hours in that position leads to muscle fatigue.
Source: Cornell University Ergonomics Web
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Question 5 of 9
Some keyboards need to be Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) compliant. Which continent started the RoHS standard?
- Europe
- North America
- South America
- Asia
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Answer: Europe
RoHS (Restriction of Hazardous Substances), also known as Directive 2002/95/EC, originated in the European Union. It restricts the use of specific hazardous materials in electrical and electronic equipment.
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Question 6 of 9
The modern computer keyboard comes from the typewriter. Who invented the typewriter?
- Thomas Edison
- Nikola Tesla
- Christopher Latham Sholes
- Leonardo da Vinci
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Answer: Christopher Latham Sholes
Christopher Latham Sholes was an American inventor who invented the first practical typewriter and the QWERTY keyboard still in use today. He was also a newspaper publisher and Wisconsin politician.
Source: Wikipedia, Christopher Latham Sholes
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Question 7 of 9
To be terminally cleaned, a Medical Grade™ keyboard must stand up to which bleach ratio?
- 1:1
- 1:10
- 1:25
- 1:100
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Answer: 1:10
A 1:10 bleach solution. Terminal cleaning reduces the risk of hospital-acquired infections; in operating and procedure rooms it covers all exposed surfaces, including computer accessories such as keyboards, mice and touch screens.
Source: AORN’s Guidelines for Perioperative Practice, 2015 edition
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Question 8 of 9
Research at the University of Arizona found the average office desk harbored how many times more bacteria than the average office toilet seat?
- 100 times
- 250 times
- 400 times
- 1000 times
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Answer: 400 times
About 400 times, according to the University of Arizona’s in-office study of desks and the equipment on them. Shared keyboards collect what their users leave behind, so they need regular cleaning.
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Question 9 of 9
Which country does not have its own unique keyboard layout?
- Portugal
- Austria
- Belgium
- Switzerland
Show the answer
Answer: Austria
German is the native language of Austria, which uses the German QWERTZ layout rather than a layout of its own.
How did you do?
- 0–4 correct You fail! Stick with a hammer and chisel for communicating.
- 5–6 correct Not very good. We’re guessing you’re a one-fingered hunt-and-peck typist.
- 7 correct You pass, but we’re guessing you type with two fingers.
- 8–9 correct Congratulations, you’re a keyboarding genius!
Pictures 1, 2, 4 and 7: Man & Machine. Picture 3: iStockPhoto. Pictures 5, 6 and 8: Morgue File.
Keyboards made to be cleaned
From the home row to terminal cleaning: find the keyboard that fits your workstation.