In a terminal digit filing system, the primary number corresponds to which portion of the record number?

• A. The last two digits
• B. The first two digits
• C. The middle two digits
• D. The entire number

Answer: (A)

Terminal digit filing uses the ending digits of a record number as the main index. The primary number is the last two digits. The digits that come before are used for secondary (and sometimes tertiary) organization within that primary group. For example, a record number ending in 56 would have 56 as the primary, with the preceding digits (like 34) serving as secondary and the remaining digits (like 12) as tertiary. This approach helps keep files evenly distributed and makes it quicker to add new records without reorganizing existing ones.