Alphabetizing & Filing - Cheat Sheet
Your last-minute revision companion for mastering alphabetizing rules and filing systems - everything you need for the CSE exam
Basic Rules for Names of Persons
Important facts
- Disregard ALL spaces and symbols (hyphens, apostrophes)
- Ang-Sy becomes Angsy, O'Neal becomes Oneal
- Dela Cruz becomes Delacruz
- Spell out ALL abbreviations: Dr. = Doctor, Hon. = Honorable, Atty. = Attorney, St. = Saint
- If surnames are identical, alphabetize by first name
- Names with only initials come BEFORE full names starting with same letter
- Names WITHOUT middle initials come BEFORE those with middle initials
- Shorter names come BEFORE longer names when first letters match
Key definitions
Filing Structure for Persons
Example
Hon. Juan A. Dela Cruz Jr. → Dela Cruz, Juan A. Jr., Honorable
Last Name, First Name, Middle Name/Initial, Suffix, Title
Alphabetizing Priority
Example
Santos, Ana comes before Santos, Ben
Surname first, then first name, then middle name, then suffix, title last
Diagrams to know
- Filing structure hierarchy diagram
- Decision tree for same surname sorting
Business Names and Establishments
Important facts
- Drop ALL symbols from business names
- Spell out ALL abbreviations: Corp. = Corporation, Inc. = Incorporated
- If business contains person's full name, use person filing rules
- Ignore articles: a, an, the, of, and
- Names with initials are separate units: N-C-V Review School
- Spell out ALL numerals: 5th Element = Fifth Element
- Same business names: alphabetize by location/branch
- Government departments: file by main purpose/function
Key definitions
Business Filing Rule
Example
ABC Company stays ABC Company; Juan Dela Cruz Law Firm → Dela Cruz, Juan Law Firm
File businesses as officially written, unless they contain a person's full name
Articles Rule
Example
The Amazing Shop → Amazing Shop
Ignore articles: a, an, the, of, and when alphabetizing
Diagrams to know
- Business name processing flowchart
- Government department filing hierarchy
Special Cases and Exceptions
Important facts
- Hyphenated surnames treated as ONE unit
- Prefixes (De, Dela, Mac, Mc, San, O') kept as written
- Middle initial comes BEFORE middle name with same starting letter
- Titles have LOWEST priority in alphabetizing
- Numbers spelled out: 101 = One Hundred One
- Government agencies filed by main department name first
Key definitions
Title and Name Only
Example
Mayor Binay, St. Mark, Fr. O'Hara
File as written when only title and one name present
Branch Locations
Example
McDonald's Manila before McDonald's Quezon City
Same business name with different locations sorted alphabetically by location
Diagrams to know
- Exception handling flowchart
Must remember
- Last Name ALWAYS comes first for persons
- Disregard ALL spaces and symbols (hyphens, apostrophes)
- Spell out ALL abbreviations without exception
- Initials come BEFORE full names with same starting letter
- Ignore articles: a, an, the, of, and in business names
- Business with person's full name follows person rules
- Titles have LOWEST priority in alphabetizing
- Numbers must be spelled out completely
- Same business names sorted by location alphabetically
- Government departments filed by main purpose
Last minute tips
- When in doubt about symbols, always remove them completely
- If you see Dr., Hon., Atty., St. - immediately think 'spell it out'
- For identical surnames, work through the hierarchy: first name → initial vs full → middle initial → length
- Business names with people's names are tricky - apply person rules to the name part only
- Numbers in names are ALWAYS spelled out - no exceptions
Comparison tables
Person vs Business Filing Rules
| Aspect | Person Names | Business Names |
|---|---|---|
| Structure | Last, First, Middle, Suffix, Title | As officially written |
| Full Name in Business | N/A | Use person filing rules |
| Articles | Not applicable | Ignore: a, an, the, of, and |
| Abbreviations | Spell out all | Spell out all |
| Symbols | Disregard all | Disregard all |
| Numbers | Spell out | Spell out |
Same Surname Resolution Order
| Priority | Rule | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | First name alphabetically | Santos, Ana before Santos, Ben |
| 2nd | Initial before full name | Santos, A. before Santos, Albert |
| 3rd | No middle initial first | Santos, Ed before Santos, Ed H. |
| 4th | Middle initial before full middle | Santos, Ed A. before Santos, Ed Albert |
| 5th | Shorter name first | Santos, Ed before Santos, Edward |
Diagrams
Alphabetizing Rules Overview
Complete overview of all alphabetizing rules showing the hierarchy and relationships between different filing systems
Person Name Filing Process
Step-by-step process for correctly filing person names according to alphabetizing rules
Business Name Filing Decision Tree
Decision tree for determining the correct filing procedure for business and establishment names