Terminal-Digit Filing uses which of the following as the primary filing unit?

Terminal-Digit Filing uses which of the following as the primary filing unit?

• A. The first digit
• B. The last digit or set of digits
• C. The entire case number
• D. The filing date

Answer: (B)

Terminal-digit filing organizes records primarily by the ending portion of the case number—the last digit, and often the last one or two digits. The main unit used to sort and place files is that terminal portion, with the remaining digits used to file within that group. This approach helps evenly spread files across digits, making retrieval efficient if you know the ending of the case number. It also keeps growth manageable, since new cases are slotted into the appropriate terminal-digit group rather than forcing all new files into a single sequence. Compared to other methods, using the first digit would bias early numbers and isn’t how terminal-digit filing operates. Filing by the entire case number is straight numeric filing, not the terminal-digit system. Filing by the filing date uses dates rather than the case number’s ending.

Terminal-digit filing organizes records primarily by the ending portion of the case number—the last digit, and often the last one or two digits. The main unit used to sort and place files is that terminal portion, with the remaining digits used to file within that group. This approach helps evenly spread files across digits, making retrieval efficient if you know the ending of the case number. It also keeps growth manageable, since new cases are slotted into the appropriate terminal-digit group rather than forcing all new files into a single sequence.

Compared to other methods, using the first digit would bias early numbers and isn’t how terminal-digit filing operates. Filing by the entire case number is straight numeric filing, not the terminal-digit system. Filing by the filing date uses dates rather than the case number’s ending.