What is the correct filing order for the following four names? (1) Apollo X (2) Apollo XI (3) Apollo II Moon Landing (4) Apollo 12

What is the correct filing order for the following four names? (1) Apollo X (2) Apollo XI (3) Apollo II Moon Landing (4) Apollo 12

• A. 1, 2, 4, 3
• B. 4, 3, 1, 2
• C. 3, 4, 1, 2
• D. 2, 1, 3, 4

Answer: (C)

When sorting titles that share a common prefix, you use the part that follows that prefix as the main key for the filing order. Here, every title starts with Apollo, so the next element after Apollo is the deciding factor. The first item includes a descriptive subtitle Moon Landing, which makes it the most specific entry, so it goes first. For the remaining three, compare their designators after Apollo. An Arabic numeral (12) is treated as a numerical designator that sorts before Roman numerals in this scheme, so Apollo 12 comes next. Between the two Roman-numeral designations, the shorter form comes first, so Apollo X precedes Apollo XI. Putting it all together, the sequence is Apollo II Moon Landing, then Apollo 12, then Apollo X, then Apollo XI.

When sorting titles that share a common prefix, you use the part that follows that prefix as the main key for the filing order. Here, every title starts with Apollo, so the next element after Apollo is the deciding factor. The first item includes a descriptive subtitle Moon Landing, which makes it the most specific entry, so it goes first.

For the remaining three, compare their designators after Apollo. An Arabic numeral (12) is treated as a numerical designator that sorts before Roman numerals in this scheme, so Apollo 12 comes next. Between the two Roman-numeral designations, the shorter form comes first, so Apollo X precedes Apollo XI. Putting it all together, the sequence is Apollo II Moon Landing, then Apollo 12, then Apollo X, then Apollo XI.