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23 Address & Record Checking Practice Questions & Answers

Every Address & Record Checking practice question from the Postal Exam 474 (USPS) Practice Test, with the correct answer and a short explanation.

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  1. 1. Compare the two entries below and classify them using the standard four-way key. Correct List: 4187 Harlow Ridge Dr, Kestrel Bend, OH 45812 List to Be Checked: 4187 Harlow Ridge Dr, Kestrel Bend, OH 45812

    • A.ZIP Code Only
    • B.Both
    • C.No Errors✓ Answer
    • D.Address Only

    Compared element by element — house number 4187, street name Harlow Ridge, street type Dr, city Kestrel Bend, state OH, ZIP 45812 — every field is character-for-character identical, so the correct classification is No Errors. A clean pair is a legitimate answer roughly half the time; expecting an error in every item is what causes candidates to invent differences that are not there.

    Source: USPS Virtual Entry Assessment (VEA 474) — Check for Errors: four-option key (A No Errors / B Address Only / C ZIP Code Only / D Both); address elements per USPS Publication 28 §2.1Report a problem with this question

  2. 2. Compare the two entries below and classify them using the standard four-way key. Correct List: 1432 Sable Fork Ln, Marnley, TX 78241 List to Be Checked: 1423 Sable Fork Ln, Marnley, TX 78241

    • A.Both
    • B.ZIP Code Only
    • C.Address Only✓ Answer
    • D.No Errors

    The third and fourth digits of the house number are transposed: 1432 becomes 1423 (…3-2 versus …2-3). The ZIP Code 78241 is identical in both entries, so the defect lies in the address line only. Mid-string transpositions are the single most-missed error type because the first and last digits still match, and the eye accepts the number as a whole shape.

    Source: USPS Virtual Entry Assessment (VEA 474) — Check for Errors: four-option key; house number is part of the delivery address line, USPS Publication 28 §2.1Report a problem with this question

  3. 3. Compare the two entries below and classify them using the standard four-way key. Correct List: 908 Quill Hollow Ave, Ardenmoor, PA 19063 List to Be Checked: 908 Quill Hollow Ave, Ardenmoor, PA 19053

    • A.No Errors
    • B.Address Only
    • C.Both
    • D.ZIP Code Only✓ Answer

    The address line is identical in every field, but the fourth digit of the ZIP Code changes from 6 to 5: 19063 versus 19053. Because only the ZIP differs, the item is classified ZIP Code Only. Scanning a five-digit ZIP as two chunks (190 | 63) rather than as one number makes a single interior digit change far easier to catch.

    Source: USPS Virtual Entry Assessment (VEA 474) — Check for Errors: four-option key; ZIP Code is scored as a separate column from the addressReport a problem with this question

  4. 4. Compare the two entries below and classify them using the standard four-way key. Correct List: 2250 N Fenmore St, Halbrook, IN 46714 List to Be Checked: 2250 S Fenmore St, Halbrook, IN 46741

    • A.Both✓ Answer
    • B.ZIP Code Only
    • C.No Errors
    • D.Address Only

    Two separate fields are wrong. The leading directional changes from N to S, which under postal addressing standards designates a completely different street segment, and the last two ZIP digits are transposed, 46714 becoming 46741. Because one defect is in the address and one is in the ZIP, the answer is Both — finding the first error is not a reason to stop reading.

    Source: USPS Publication 28 §2.1 (directionals are a distinct address element); VEA 474 Check for Errors four-option keyReport a problem with this question

  5. 5. Compare the two entries below and classify them using the standard four-way key. Correct List: 7719 Bellhaven Ct, Tessmoor, GA 30512 List to Be Checked: 7719 Bellhaven St, Tessmoor, GA 30512

    • A.No Errors
    • B.Both
    • C.ZIP Code Only
    • D.Address Only✓ Answer

    The street suffix changes from Ct to St. A suffix is a required address element, not decoration: Bellhaven Ct and Bellhaven St can be two different streets in the same delivery area, so the address is wrong even though the number and name match. The ZIP 30512 is unchanged, so only the address is defective.

    Source: USPS Publication 28 §2.1 and Appendix C1 (Street Suffix Abbreviations — suffix is a required element)Report a problem with this question

  6. 6. Compare the two entries below and classify them using the standard four-way key. Correct List: 615 Larkspur Trace, Windomere, CO 80423-1178 List to Be Checked: 615 Larkspur Trace, Windomere, CO 80423-1187

    • A.Address Only
    • B.Both
    • C.ZIP Code Only✓ Answer
    • D.No Errors

    The five-digit ZIP 80423 matches, but the four-digit add-on is transposed in its last two positions: 1178 versus 1187. The add-on is part of the ZIP Code, so the item is ZIP Code Only, not No Errors. Errors planted at the very end of a string are missed most often because attention relaxes once the opening digits check out.

    Source: USPS Publication 28 §2.3 (ZIP+4 = five-digit ZIP plus four-digit add-on, both part of the ZIP Code)Report a problem with this question

  7. 7. Compare the two entries below and classify them using the standard four-way key. Correct List: 3045 Cavender Row Apt 4B, Norlington, MI 48377 List to Be Checked: 3045 Cavender Row Apt 4D, Norlington, MI 48377

    • A.ZIP Code Only
    • B.No Errors
    • C.Address Only✓ Answer
    • D.Both

    The secondary unit number changes from Apt 4B to Apt 4D. The secondary designator and its number are part of the delivery address, so a one-letter change routes the mail to a different household in the same building. The ZIP 48377 is untouched, making this Address Only.

    Source: USPS Publication 28 Appendix C2 (Secondary Unit Designators) — secondary unit is part of the delivery address lineReport a problem with this question

  8. 8. Compare the two entries below and classify them using the standard four-way key. Correct List: 12250 Sorrelwood Bend Ste 210, Palmarch, FL 33176-4820 List to Be Checked: 12250 Sorrelwood Bend Ste 210, Palmarch, FL 33176-4820

    • A.Address Only
    • B.ZIP Code Only
    • C.Both
    • D.No Errors✓ Answer

    Every field matches: house number 12250, street Sorrelwood Bend, suite Ste 210, city Palmarch, state FL, and the full ZIP+4 33176-4820 including the add-on. Length and the presence of a suite and an add-on make an entry look error-prone, but a long string that verifies chunk by chunk is still No Errors.

    Source: USPS Virtual Entry Assessment (VEA 474) — Check for Errors: four-option key; ZIP+4 format per USPS Publication 28 §2.3Report a problem with this question

  9. 9. Compare the two entries below and classify them using the standard four-way key. Correct List: 640 Quintara Field Rd, Brayhurst, MI 49006 List to Be Checked: 640 Quintara Field Rd, Brayhurst, MN 49060

    • A.Both✓ Answer
    • B.ZIP Code Only
    • C.Address Only
    • D.No Errors

    Two fields differ. The state abbreviation goes from MI to MN — a look-alike pair that shares its first letter — and the last two ZIP digits are transposed, 49006 becoming 49060. The state belongs to the address portion and the ZIP is scored separately, so the classification is Both.

    Source: USPS Publication 28 Appendix B (Two-Letter State Abbreviations); VEA 474 Check for Errors four-option keyReport a problem with this question

  10. 10. Compare the two entries below and classify them using the standard four-way key. Correct List: 331 Willow Oak Ridge, Cardmoor, SC 29486 List to Be Checked: 331 Willow Oaks Ridge, Cardmoor, SC 29486

    • A.Address Only✓ Answer
    • B.ZIP Code Only
    • C.No Errors
    • D.Both

    A single letter is added to the street name: Willow Oak Ridge becomes Willow Oaks Ridge. Singular-versus-plural changes are treated as genuine street-name errors because the street name must be transcribed exactly; the ZIP 29486 is unchanged, so the answer is Address Only.

    Source: USPS Publication 28 §2.1 (street name must be transcribed exactly as it appears in postal records)Report a problem with this question

  11. 11. Compare only the two ZIP Codes below. Correct List: 60417-2986 List to Be Checked: 60417-2968 Where is the difference?

    • A.In the four-digit add-on only✓ Answer
    • B.In both the five-digit ZIP and the add-on
    • C.The two ZIP Codes are identical
    • D.In the five-digit ZIP only

    The five-digit portion 60417 is the same in both. In the add-on, the last two digits are transposed: 2986 versus 2968. Comparing a ZIP+4 as two independent chunks — five digits, then four — localizes the error immediately instead of forcing a nine-character read.

    Source: USPS Publication 28 §2.3 (ZIP+4 structure: five-digit code and four-digit add-on)Report a problem with this question

  12. 12. Compare only the two ZIP Codes below. Correct List: 30281-4405 List to Be Checked: 30821-4405 Where is the difference?

    • A.In the five-digit ZIP only✓ Answer
    • B.In the four-digit add-on only
    • C.In both the five-digit ZIP and the add-on
    • D.The two ZIP Codes are identical

    The third and fourth digits of the five-digit ZIP are swapped: 30281 versus 30821. The add-on 4405 is identical in both. Because the first two digits and the final digit still agree, the pair looks the same at a glance — which is exactly why an interior transposition must be checked digit by digit.

    Source: USPS Publication 28 §2.3; VEA 474 Check for Errors — ZIP compared as a separate scored elementReport a problem with this question

  13. 13. Compare only the two ZIP Codes below. Correct List: 27604-1158 List to Be Checked: 27614-1185 Where is the difference?

    • A.In the four-digit add-on only
    • B.In the five-digit ZIP only
    • C.The two ZIP Codes are identical
    • D.In both the five-digit ZIP and the add-on✓ Answer

    Two independent defects are present: the fourth digit of the five-digit ZIP changes from 0 to 1 (27604 versus 27614), and the last two digits of the add-on are transposed (1158 versus 1185). Stopping at the first discrepancy would produce the wrong classification, so both chunks must always be finished.

    Source: USPS Publication 28 §2.3 (five-digit ZIP and four-digit add-on are separate components)Report a problem with this question

  14. 14. Exactly one element differs between these two entries. Which element is it? Correct List: 4410 Pemberly Ave NW, Highvale, KS 66214 List to Be Checked: 4410 Pemberly Ave NE, Highvale, KS 66214

    • A.The directional suffix✓ Answer
    • B.The house number
    • C.The street name
    • D.The ZIP Code

    The trailing directional changes from NW to NE — only the second letter moves. In cities laid out on a quadrant grid, NW and NE are different quadrants, so the same house number and street name can exist in both; a single letter therefore sends the mail miles away. The number 4410, the name Pemberly Ave, and the ZIP 66214 all match.

    Source: USPS Publication 28 §2.1 (postdirectional is a distinct, required address element)Report a problem with this question

  15. 15. Exactly one element differs between these two entries. Which element is it? Correct List: 1207 Thistlewood Blvd Ste 300, Overmill, AL 35242 List to Be Checked: 1207 Thistlewood Blvd Apt 300, Overmill, AL 35242

    • A.The secondary unit designator✓ Answer
    • B.The city name
    • C.The secondary unit number
    • D.The street type

    The unit number 300 is the same in both; what changed is the designator itself, Ste (suite) becoming Apt (apartment). Designators are standardized abbreviations with distinct meanings, so swapping one for another is a real address error even when the number is identical. Blvd, Overmill and 35242 all match.

    Source: USPS Publication 28 Appendix C2 (Secondary Unit Designators — APT and STE are distinct standardized designators)Report a problem with this question

  16. 16. Exactly one element differs between these two entries. Which element is it? Correct List: 6335 Calderon Springs Dr, Neuharbor, UT 84095 List to Be Checked: 6335 Caldaron Springs Dr, Neuharbor, UT 84095

    • A.The spelling of the street name✓ Answer
    • B.The street type
    • C.The state abbreviation
    • D.The house number

    The fifth letter of the street name changes from e to a: Calderon becomes Caldaron. An interior vowel swap barely alters the word's overall shape, which is why comparing by silhouette fails and letter-by-letter reading of unfamiliar proper names is required. The number 6335, the type Dr, and the state UT are unchanged.

    Source: USPS Publication 28 §2.1 (street name must match postal records exactly, including spelling)Report a problem with this question

  17. 17. In which of the following pairs are the two entries exactly alike?

    • A.3390 Oakvale Ter, Brinsley, KY 40219 / 3390 Oakvale Ter, Brinsley, KY 40219✓ Answer
    • B.77 W Corley Pass, Ashgrove, NM 87109 / 77 E Corley Pass, Ashgrove, NM 87109
    • C.512 Marrowfield Ln, Dunhaven, OR 97418 / 512 Marrowfield Ln, Dunhaven, OR 97481
    • D.1801 Verdant Hollow Ct, Selby Park, WI 53129 / 1801 Verdant Hollow Ct, Selby Park, WI 53192

    Only the Oakvale Ter pair matches in every character. The others each hide one defect: 97418 versus 97481 transposes the last two ZIP digits, W Corley Pass becomes E Corley Pass (directional swap), and 53129 versus 53192 transposes the final two ZIP digits. Eliminating options as soon as one difference appears is faster than fully verifying each pair.

    Source: USPS Virtual Entry Assessment (VEA 474) — Check for Errors; address elements per USPS Publication 28 §2.1Report a problem with this question

  18. 18. Check whether the customer information on the screen matches the record on file. Record on file: Marisol Q. Estevan, 2288 Harrowgate Ln, Deepford, VA 24019 Record on screen: Marisol O. Estevan, 2288 Harrowgate Ln, Deepford, VA 24019

    • A.The ZIP Code contains an error
    • B.The name contains an error✓ Answer
    • C.The street address contains an error
    • D.The two records match exactly

    The middle initial changes from Q. to O. Q and O are near-identical glyphs distinguished only by the tail, so this is a classic look-alike-character error. The street line 2288 Harrowgate Ln, the city Deepford, the state VA and the ZIP 24019 are all identical, which isolates the defect to the name field.

    Source: USPS Virtual Entry Assessment Candidate Guide — 'Checking for Accuracy' exercise (verify whether customer information matches USPS records)Report a problem with this question

  19. 19. Check whether the customer information on the screen matches the record on file. Record on file: Devon T. Ashcombe III, 76 Grantham Mill Rd, Fallowmere, NH 03062 Record on screen: Devon T. Ashcombe III, 76 Grantham Mill Rd, Fallowmere, NH 03062

    • A.The two records match exactly✓ Answer
    • B.The name contains an error
    • C.The street address contains an error
    • D.The ZIP Code contains an error

    All four comparison details agree: the full name including the generational suffix III, the street line 76 Grantham Mill Rd, the city and state Fallowmere NH, and the ZIP 03062 with its leading zero. A generational suffix and a leading-zero ZIP are common error sites, so verifying them and finding them intact supports a confident match.

    Source: USPS Virtual Entry Assessment Candidate Guide — 'Checking for Accuracy' exercise; name suffix and ZIP formatting per USPS Publication 28 §2.1 and §2.3Report a problem with this question

  20. 20. Check whether the customer information on the screen matches the record on file. Record on file: Priya N. Ramachandran, 5019 Bramblewick Ct, Loamside, DE 19713 Record on screen: Priya N. Ramachandran, 5019 Bramblewick Ct, Loamside, DE 19731

    • A.The two records match exactly
    • B.The street address contains an error
    • C.The ZIP Code contains an error✓ Answer
    • D.The name contains an error

    The name and the entire street line are identical; the last two ZIP digits are transposed, 19713 becoming 19731. Because the long, unusual surname draws attention early, the reader tends to relax by the time the ZIP appears at the end of the line — which is precisely where this error is planted.

    Source: USPS Virtual Entry Assessment Candidate Guide — 'Checking for Accuracy' exercise (identify whether there is an error in the customer information)Report a problem with this question

  21. 21. Compare the two entries below and classify them using the standard four-way key. Correct List: 7744 Emberline Pass, Stonecrest Vale, OK 73142 List to Be Checked: 7444 Emberline Pass, Stonecrest Vale, OK 73142

    • A.Both
    • B.ZIP Code Only
    • C.No Errors
    • D.Address Only✓ Answer

    The run length of the repeated digits changes: 7744 has two 7s and two 4s, while 7444 has one 7 and three 4s. Repeated-digit strings are read as a texture rather than as individual characters, so a shifted run boundary is easy to miss. The ZIP 73142 is unchanged, making this Address Only.

    Source: USPS Virtual Entry Assessment (VEA 474) — Check for Errors: four-option key; house number per USPS Publication 28 §2.1Report a problem with this question

  22. 22. Rule for this item: a standard USPS abbreviation of the same word (North/N, Avenue/AVE) is NOT counted as an error; only a change to the underlying information counts. Classify the pair using the standard four-way key. Correct List: 1690 North Kestrel Avenue, Vanmoor, MD 20874 List to Be Checked: 1690 N Kestrel Ave, Vanmoor, MD 20847

    • A.Both
    • B.No Errors
    • C.ZIP Code Only✓ Answer
    • D.Address Only

    North to N and Avenue to Ave are the standard USPS abbreviations of the same elements, so under the stated rule they carry the same information and are not errors. The real defect is in the ZIP, where the last two digits are transposed: 20874 becomes 20847. Format differences must be separated from information differences before classifying.

    Source: USPS Publication 28 Appendix B and C1 (standard directional and suffix abbreviations denote the same element); VEA 474 Check for Errors four-option keyReport a problem with this question

  23. 23. Exactly one element differs between these two entries. Which element is it? Correct List: 9028 Thornquist Landing, Brackenfield, MT 59718-6304 List to Be Checked: 9028 Thornquist Landing, Brackenfield, MT 59718-6034

    • A.Nothing — the entries are identical
    • B.The house number
    • C.The ZIP+4 add-on code✓ Answer
    • D.The street name

    The house number 9028, the street Thornquist Landing, the city and state, and the five-digit ZIP 59718 all match; inside the add-on the second and third digits are swapped, 6304 versus 6034. This is the classic end-of-string miss: after a long clean read the eye treats the final block as already verified. Reading the add-on as pairs (63 | 04 versus 60 | 34) exposes it.

    Source: USPS Publication 28 §2.3 (four-digit add-on is part of the ZIP+4 code and must match exactly)Report a problem with this question

Practice questions modeled on the objective sections of the USPS Virtual Entry Assessment 474. The actual assessment also includes a non-scored personal-experience/personality portion that has no correct answer and is not practiced here. The Coding & Memory section belongs to the retired Exam 473, not the VEA 474 — it is included as transferable accuracy practice only. Not affiliated with or endorsed by the United States Postal Service. Study the official careers materials at usps.com/careers. USPS Careers →