20 Computer & Information Systems Practice Questions & Answers

Every Computer & Information Systems practice question from the Logistics Technician Practice Test, with the correct answer and a short explanation.

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1. A picker's handheld shows the next task: aisle, bay, level and the quantity to pull. Which system generates that task and keeps the location and quantity record behind it?
- A.The warehouse management system, which keeps the stock location records inside the building✓ Answer
- B.The order management system, which takes customer orders and checks stock availability
- C.The transportation management system, which compares carrier rates and plans delivery routes
- D.The yard management system, which assigns dock doors and tracks trailer detention time
The warehouse management system is the system of record for everything inside the four walls: it holds the location and quantity for each item and converts that data into directed putaway and pick tasks on the handheld. The other systems act outside that boundary, on the customer order, the freight move or the trailer in the yard.
Source: MSSC National Logistics Standards, Using Computers and Information Systems key work activityReport a problem with this question
2. A shipping supervisor must compare carrier rates and build a multi-stop route for tomorrow's outbound loads. Which system is built for that work?
- A.The labour management system, organised around work standards and measured productivity
- B.The warehouse management system, organised around picking and packing inside the building
- C.The transportation management system, organised around carriers and freight in transit✓ Answer
- D.The customer relationship management system, organised around contacts and complaints
Carrier selection, rating, routing, load planning and in-transit tracking are the defining functions of a transportation management system, because they concern freight between facilities rather than product movement inside one. A warehouse system would have no carrier contracts to rate against.
Source: MSSC National Logistics Standards, Using Computers and Information Systems key work activityReport a problem with this question
3. A customer order arrives from the company's website. Which description best fits what the order management system does with it?
- A.It selects the carrier, buys the freight, and books the collection appointment
- B.It records the order, checks stock availability, and releases it for fulfilment✓ Answer
- C.It posts the ledger entries, and closes the month for the finance department
- D.It prints the carton labels, and confirms each carton onto the outbound trailer
An order management system owns the customer order itself: it captures the order, promises or checks inventory, and then hands work off to the warehouse system for pick and pack and to the transportation system for the move. Labelling, freight buying and accounting entries all happen in those downstream systems.
Source: MSSC National Logistics Standards, common software systems used in a logistics operationReport a problem with this question
4. Why is an enterprise resource planning system described as a company's single source of truth?
- A.It scans each pallet at the dock so the counts can never drift apart
- B.It keeps a backup copy of every other system in case a server fails
- C.It replaces the warehouse system by directing each pick and putaway
- D.It holds finance, purchasing, inventory and payroll in one database✓ Answer
An enterprise resource planning system integrates the company's business functions onto one shared database, so a figure entered once is the same figure everyone sees rather than a separate copy in each department. It is a backbone that other systems feed, not a backup, a scanner or a replacement for warehouse execution.
Source: MSSC National Logistics Standards, common software systems used in a logistics operationReport a problem with this question
5. A worker moves a pallet to a different rack location but does not scan the move until the end of the shift. What is the most likely result?
- A.The item record is deleted because the quantity did not change
- B.The pallet label loses its barcode and has to be printed again
- C.The cycle count for that aisle is cancelled until the next shift
- D.The picker sent to the old location reports the stock as missing✓ Answer
The system can only direct work from the data it has been given, so until the move is transacted the record still points at the empty slot and every downstream task is sent there. Delayed transactions create phantom stock, failed picks and unnecessary searches, which is why a physical move must be entered as it happens.
Source: MSSC National Logistics Standards, Inventory Control and material identification key work activityReport a problem with this question
6. Before dropping a pallet into a rack slot, the putaway operator scans a barcode on the rack beam. What does that scan achieve?
- A.It records the weight of the load so the rack is not overloaded
- B.It confirms the pallet went into the slot the system assigned✓ Answer
- C.It marks the rack beam as inspected and safe to use this shift
- D.It reprints the pallet label so the next scan reads more cleanly
A location scan is a verification step: the system compares the code read from the beam with the location it directed the operator to, and rejects the transaction if they do not match. That check is what keeps the location record trustworthy without relying on the operator reading a small label correctly.
Source: MSSC National Logistics Standards, Using Computers and Information Systems key work activityReport a problem with this question
7. Many item numbers and location codes end in a check digit. What is that digit for?
- A.It tells the label printer how wide the bars in the symbol must be
- B.It lets the system detect a number that was mis-keyed or misread✓ Answer
- C.It identifies the shift that last counted the item in that location
- D.It shows how many units of the item the location currently holds
A check digit is calculated from the other digits by a fixed formula, so if any digit is typed or scanned wrongly the recalculated value no longer matches and the entry is refused. It is an error-detection device, not a quantity, an owner or a print setting.
Source: GS1 General Specifications, check digit calculationReport a problem with this question
8. A supplier changes the label on its parts from a linear barcode to a two-dimensional symbol. What does that change in practice?
- A.The symbol can be read from across the dock without using a scanner
- B.The symbol sends out a radio signal that a fixed reader picks up in bulk
- C.The label no longer needs human-readable numbers printed alongside
- D.The smaller symbol holds far more data, such as lot and expiry date✓ Answer
A two-dimensional symbol encodes data in both directions rather than only across a row of bars, so it carries much more information in a smaller area, which is how lot, serial and date can travel on the part itself. It is still read optically and still needs line of sight, exactly like a linear barcode.
Source: GS1 General Specifications, two-dimensional symbol specificationsReport a problem with this question
9. What can RFID do at a dock door that barcode scanning cannot?
- A.Read many tagged cartons at once, with no line of sight needed at all✓ Answer
- B.Read a torn or faded printed label that a laser scanner rejects
- C.Work with no power supply at either the tag or the reader end
- D.Guarantee an exact count, since a tag can never be misapplied
RFID identifies a tag by radio rather than by light, so the reader does not have to see each label and can capture many tags as a pallet passes through the portal. The reader still needs power, a passive tag draws its energy from the reader's field, and a tag applied to the wrong carton still reports the wrong item.
Source: MSSC National Logistics Standards, Using Computers and Information Systems key work activityReport a problem with this question
10. A team is told to apply Electronic Product Code tags to its pallets. What kind of identification is that?
- A.A voice picking standard, read aloud through the picker's headset
- B.A linear barcode standard, read by laser from a printed label
- C.A radio-frequency data standard, read by radio from a pallet tag✓ Answer
- D.A paper manifest standard, read by a clerk from the shipping papers
The Electronic Product Code is the identification standard carried on RFID tags, in the same way that the Universal Product Code is the standard carried by the linear barcode on retail packaging. Knowing which standard belongs to which carrier technology tells a worker what equipment will be needed to read it.
Source: GS1 EPC Tag Data StandardReport a problem with this question
11. A single licence-plate number is scanned onto a mixed pallet at the end of the pack line. What does that number let the system do?
- A.Prove the pallet was weighed and is within the legal load limit
- B.Replace the item numbers so the contents need no separate record
- C.Set the retail price that will be charged for each carton on it
- D.Track the pallet as one unit linked to a list of its contents✓ Answer
A licence-plate identifier is a unique number that the system links to the detail of what is on the pallet, so one scan moves, receives or ships the whole unit and the contents follow it automatically. The detail records still exist underneath; the licence plate is a handle for them, not a replacement.
Source: GS1 General Specifications, Serial Shipping Container CodeReport a problem with this question
12. An advance ship notice from a supplier arrives the day before the truck does. How does the receiving team use it?
- A.Cancel the purchase order, since the goods are already on the road
- B.Pay the supplier's invoice early so the load is released at the gate
- C.Print the bill of lading that the driver hands over at the guard house
- D.Plan labour and doors, then check the delivery against the notice✓ Answer
The advance ship notice tells the receiver what is coming and when, which is exactly what makes it possible to staff the dock and assign doors before arrival, and then to verify the delivery against what was announced. Receiving against a notice turns an unknown truck into a checkable event.
Source: ANSI ASC X12 electronic data interchange transaction standards, ship notice/manifestReport a problem with this question
13. What does electronic data interchange let two trading partners do?
- A.Send order details by telephone to a clerk who writes them on a form
- B.Send price lists to a public web page that any visitor may download
- C.Send scanned paper documents that a clerk at the other end retypes
- D.Send business documents in an agreed format straight between computers✓ Answer
Electronic data interchange is the exchange of business documents in a standard format from one company's computer to another's, which removes the re-keying step and the errors that come with it. Scanning, phoning or publishing a document still leaves a human to retype the data.
Source: ANSI ASC X12 electronic data interchange transaction standardsReport a problem with this question
14. A chilled pick module uses voice-directed picking because the workers wear heavy gloves. What is the advantage there?
- A.The task is spoken through a headset, so hands and eyes stay free✓ Answer
- B.The task is counted by the system, so the picker confirms nothing
- C.The task is chosen by the picker, so orders run in any order wanted
- D.The task is shown by a light at the slot, so no scanning is needed
Voice-directed picking delivers the instruction through a headset and takes the reply by spoken confirmation, so the picker never has to hold a terminal or look away from the pick face. That hands-free, eyes-free working is why it suits gloved, cold or awkward environments.
Source: MSSC National Logistics Standards, Using Computers and Information Systems key work activityReport a problem with this question
15. A supervisor has a spreadsheet listing every pick error for the month and wants to know which aisle produced the most. What is the appropriate use of the tool?
- A.Delete the aisles with few errors so that the file will open quicker
- B.Sort and total the rows by aisle to see where the errors concentrate✓ Answer
- C.Retype the rows into a fresh file so the totals can be added by hand
- D.Email the whole file to every worker and ask each to check their own
A spreadsheet exists to sort, filter and total rows of data, so grouping the errors by aisle answers the question directly and leaves the original records intact. Retyping introduces keying errors, deleting rows destroys evidence, and mass-mailing the file spreads data without analysing it.
Source: MSSC National Logistics Standards, effective use of computer software applicationsReport a problem with this question
16. A receiver realises she keyed a receipt quantity as 120 cases when only 12 cases arrived. What should she do?
- A.Report it at once so the record is corrected and the change traced✓ Answer
- B.Wait for the next cycle count to find and fix the difference for her
- C.Adjust the shelf count quietly so the stock matches what was keyed
- D.Write it on paper and hand it to the next shift at the end of the day
A wrong quantity in the system immediately misstates availability, so it must be corrected through the established procedure while the facts are known, and the correction must be visible rather than hidden. Concealing or delaying an error lets bad data drive orders, replenishment and counts in the meantime.
Source: MSSC National Logistics Standards, Quality Control and documentation of quality problemsReport a problem with this question
17. The warehouse system goes down mid-shift and the handhelds will not connect. What is the correct response on the floor?
- A.Follow the written manual procedure and log the work for later entry✓ Answer
- B.Stop every task until the system returns, whatever the procedure says
- C.Keep moving product and rely on memory to catch the records up later
- D.Restart the network hardware yourself so the handhelds connect again
Facilities keep a documented downtime procedure precisely so work can continue on paper and every transaction can be reconciled into the system once it returns. Working from memory loses data, stopping without checking the procedure wastes capacity, and repairing network equipment is not a floor worker's authorised task.
Source: MSSC National Logistics Standards, Using Computers and Information Systems key work activityReport a problem with this question
18. A worker who is off sick phones a colleague and asks her to log in with his password and close out his tasks. What should she do?
- A.Refuse, because accounts are personal and every action must be traceable✓ Answer
- B.Agree, provided a supervisor is told about the sharing after the shift
- C.Refuse, but close those tasks herself under her own system account
- D.Agree, because the tasks are his own and the work still must be closed
Individually assigned accounts exist so that every system transaction can be attributed to the person who performed it, which is both an IT security requirement and the basis of accountability for inventory moves. Sharing a password destroys that link, and closing another person's tasks under any account records work that was not done.
Source: CTPAT Minimum Security Criteria, cybersecurity and individual account requirementsReport a problem with this question
19. An email that appears to come from a carrier asks a clerk to click a link and re-enter her system password. What should she do?
- A.Open the link and enter an old password to test whether the site is real
- B.Forward the message to the whole shift so that nobody else is caught out
- C.Delete the message quietly, since an unopened email can do no harm at all
- D.Report the message through the site's security procedure without clicking✓ Answer
A message asking for credentials through a link is the standard shape of a phishing attempt, and the only safe handling is to leave the link alone and report it so the security team can warn others and block the sender. Testing the link, forwarding it or silently deleting it either exposes the network or destroys the evidence.
Source: CTPAT Minimum Security Criteria, cybersecurity awareness and incident reportingReport a problem with this question
20. A distribution centre replaces its fixed-path automated guided vehicles with autonomous mobile robots. What changes on the floor?
- A.The robots take over the receiving paperwork the clerks used to key in
- B.The robots follow a guide path and halt until the blocked aisle clears
- C.The robots plan their own path and steer around an unexpected obstacle✓ Answer
- D.The robots need no charging at all, drawing power as they keep moving
An automated guided vehicle follows a fixed guide path and can only wait when that path is blocked, while an autonomous mobile robot senses its surroundings and computes a new route, so it keeps working in aisles shared with people. Both still need charging, and neither takes over clerical data entry.
Source: MSSC National Logistics Standards, Industry 4.0 technologies including autonomous robotsReport a problem with this question

Practice questions based on the MSSC national logistics standards and the published key work activities of the Certified Logistics Associate and Certified Logistics Technician assessments, together with federal general-industry safety requirements and standard warehouse and distribution practice. MSSC, CLA and CLT are marks of the Manufacturing Skills Standards Council; this site is not affiliated with or endorsed by MSSC. Questions here never depend on recalling a regulatory limit, a citation number or an equipment rating — always follow your own facility's written procedures and the data plate on the equipment you use, and confirm current requirements before testing. About the CLA and CLT certifications →

1. A picker's handheld shows the next task: aisle, bay, level and the quantity to pull. Which system generates that task and keeps the location and quantity record behind it?

2. A shipping supervisor must compare carrier rates and build a multi-stop route for tomorrow's outbound loads. Which system is built for that work?

3. A customer order arrives from the company's website. Which description best fits what the order management system does with it?

4. Why is an enterprise resource planning system described as a company's single source of truth?

5. A worker moves a pallet to a different rack location but does not scan the move until the end of the shift. What is the most likely result?

6. Before dropping a pallet into a rack slot, the putaway operator scans a barcode on the rack beam. What does that scan achieve?

7. Many item numbers and location codes end in a check digit. What is that digit for?

8. A supplier changes the label on its parts from a linear barcode to a two-dimensional symbol. What does that change in practice?

9. What can RFID do at a dock door that barcode scanning cannot?

10. A team is told to apply Electronic Product Code tags to its pallets. What kind of identification is that?

11. A single licence-plate number is scanned onto a mixed pallet at the end of the pack line. What does that number let the system do?

12. An advance ship notice from a supplier arrives the day before the truck does. How does the receiving team use it?

13. What does electronic data interchange let two trading partners do?

14. A chilled pick module uses voice-directed picking because the workers wear heavy gloves. What is the advantage there?

15. A supervisor has a spreadsheet listing every pick error for the month and wants to know which aisle produced the most. What is the appropriate use of the tool?

16. A receiver realises she keyed a receipt quantity as 120 cases when only 12 cases arrived. What should she do?

17. The warehouse system goes down mid-shift and the handhelds will not connect. What is the correct response on the floor?

18. A worker who is off sick phones a colleague and asks her to log in with his password and close out his tasks. What should she do?

19. An email that appears to come from a carrier asks a clerk to click a link and re-enter her system password. What should she do?

20. A distribution centre replaces its fixed-path automated guided vehicles with autonomous mobile robots. What changes on the floor?