CLERICAL OFFICE DUTIES
WAEC SYLLABUS ON CLERICAL OFFICE DUTIES
OBJECTIVES
The objectives of the examination are to test candidates’ ability to(1) understand the principles and procedures in performing clerical duties in anoffice;
(2) apply knowledge acquired on the uses of office equipment and materials andperform basic clerical office duties;
(3) communicate effectively;
(4) explain basic personal and professional habits and attitudes necessary for theperformance of office duties;
The examination is further meant to:
(1) develop problem solving skills to deal with clerical and secretarial issues in theoffice;
(2) provide the foundation for further courses in businessstudies.
SCHEME OF THE EXAMINATION
There will be two papers, Paper 1 and Paper 2, which will constitute a composite paperand will be taken at a sitting.
PAPER 1:
This paper will consist of fifty compulsory multiple choice objectivequestions to be answered within 50 minutes for 30 marks.
PAPER 2:
This paper will be made up of one compulsory case study carrying 22marks and six other questions out of which candidates will be required toanswer any three for 16 marks each. The case study will be based onoffice situations and candidates will be required to show understanding ofthe issues involved. The paper will carry a total of 70 marks and will last2 hours 10 minutes.DETAILED SYLLABUS
| TOPICS | CONTENTS | NOTES Candidates should be able to: |
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1. THE OFFICE | (1) Definition of an office | |
(2) Functions(a) Receiving information(b) Recording information (c) Processing/Analysinginformation (d) Giving information (e) Storing information (f) Safeguarding/ProtectingAssets | ||
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(3) Sections(a) Reception (b) General Office (c) Stores (d) Mail Room/Registry | identify the important roles playedby each of these sections in anorganization; | |
(4) Departments(a) Accounts their (b) Purchasing (c) Sales (d) Personnel/HumanResource (e) Production (f) Legal (g) Administration (h) Transport | examine the linkages among thedepartments, sections and functions; identify the interrelationship amongheads of departments; | |
(5) Office Personnel(a) Office Manager (b) Office Supervisor (c) General Clerks (d) Accounts Clerks (e) Data entry Clerks (f) AdministrativeAssistants (g) Secretaries (i) Company Secretary (ii) Private Secretary (iii) Stenographer Secretary (h) Receptionist (i) Typist (j) Messenger | outline the relationship among officepersonnel in terms of their duties/functions in the office; identify the differences between thedifferent types of secretaries and statetheir duties; | |
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(6) Professional Image of OfficeStaff(a) Personal andBusiness Attributes (b ) Social habits, PersonalHygiene and healthyLifestyle (b) Time Management | give a detailed explanation of the personaland business attributes of office staff; identify the importance of good socialhabit and personal hygiene; explain time management as well asidentify time management skills and timewasters in the office; | |
(7) Layout(a) open (b) closed | give the factors that determine choice ofoffice layout and reasons for planning anoffice; state the advantages and disadvantages ofopen and closed office layout. | |
2 ORGANISATION | (1) Principles of Organisation(a) Unity of objectives (b) Span of control (c) Authority andResponsibility (d) Delegation (e) Unity of functions (f) Unity of command (g) Supervision (h) Remuneration (i) Accountability (j) Esprit de corps | explain of the principles of organisationand how they can be applied in anorganization; |
(2) Organisational Structure(a) Line structure (b) Line and staff structure (c) Staff structure (d) Functional structure (e) Matrix structure | ||
(3) OrganisationalChart/Organogram | draw an organizational chart and state itsuses, advantages and disadvantages; | |
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3. BUSINESS TRANSACTIONS | (I) Documents used in Business Transactions(a) Letter of enquiry (b) Price list/Catalogue/Quotation (c) Local Purchase Order (d) Order (e) Proforma Invoice (f) Invoice (g) Delivery Note/Waybill (h) Debit note (i) Credit note (j) Statement of account (k) Cheques/PaymentOrders (l) Receipt (m) Purchase Requisition | identify the documents, their purposes andwhen to use them; complete the documents; |
(2) Methods of Payment(a) Cash (b) Cheque (c) Standing order (d) Credit transfer (e) Money transfer | describe the various methods of paymentused in business as well as state theiradvantages and disadvantages; | |
(3) Payroll Handling | explain the termnologies - wagessalaries, gross pay, net pay, allowances,basic pay and PAYE; know the metthods of determiningworkers’ pay - piece rate, time rate,commission, flat rate, overtime andbonus expain and prepare payroll forthe payment of wages and salaries ofstaff with given information; | |
(4) Tax Regimes(a) VAT, (b) Income Tax (c) CommunicationService Tax(CST) (d) Property Tax (e) Import/Customs Duty | identify and explain the various types oftaxes and their importance; | |
(5) Petty Cash | expain the terms petty cash and imprestsystem and complete the petty cash book. | |
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4. BANKING | (1) Types of Bank | know the functions of Commercial,Development, Merchant, Rural/Community Banks and the Central Bankgive examples of the various types ofbanks; | (2) Types of AccountSavings Current Fixed deposit | state the features of the various accounts; | (3) Cheques | give the definition, types, features of avalid cheque, parties to a cheque as wellas the reasons for dishonouring cheques.explain a crossed cheque, various ways ofcrossing a cheque and the effect of the crossing. |
We provide educational resources/materials, curriculum guide, syllabus, scheme of work, lesson note & plan, waec, jamb, O-level & advance level GCE lessons/tutorial classes, on various topics, subjects, career, disciplines & department etc. for all the Class of Learners | ||
5. STOCK PROCEDURE | (1) Ordering of Stock | explain the term ‘stock’, the importance ofstock keeping in business and describe theprocedure for ordering stock from themanufacturer or supplier; | (2) Duties of the Storekeeper | state the duties of the storekeeper and therequirements of a good stock system; | (3) Requisition Procedure | describe the store requisition procedure; | (4) Stock Record andStocktaking(a) Annual (b) Periodic (c) Perpetual | explain stock, methods of stocktaking,stock records, types of stock records , thedifferent methods of stocktaking anddescribe the use of various documents.(Bin card, tally card, purchase order etc.); | (5) Stock Control(a) Minimum Stock (b) Maximum Stock (c) Re-order level | (6) Stock Valuation(a) Cost price (b) Average price (c) Market price (d) Lower price | explain the meaning and methods of Stockvaluation; |
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6. OFFICE EQUIPMENT/ MACHINES | (1) General OfficeMachines/Equipment(a) Computer (b) Photocopier (c) Risograph (d) Collating machine (e) Dictaphone (f) Typewriters (g) Duplicating machines (h) Perforator (i) Calculator (j) Cash Register (k) Pager (l) Fax machines (m) Accounting machines (n) Scanner | mention and explain factors to beconsidered when purchasing officemachines/equipment; identify different officemachines/equipment, their uses as well asthe advantages and disadvantages of usingmanual and electric machines; describe how to maintain office machines/equipment; | (2) The Computer and ICT | give the meaning, components, types,peripheral devices, functions, uses,advantages and disadvantages ofcomputers; explain the basic terms used incomputing, functions of the Internet,Intranet and the Worldwide web as wellas mention service providers. | (3) Mail RoomEquipment/Materials(a) Letter opening machine (b) Addressing machine (c) Franking machine (d) Shredding machine (e) Scales (f) Pair of scissors, paper knife or blade (g) Stapling machine (h) Staple remover (i) Guillotine |
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7. COMMUNICATION | (1) Meaning(a) Verbal i. oral ii. written (b) Non-verbal (c) Visual | describe the different forms ofcommunication with examples andidentify their advantages anddisadvantages. |
(3) Channels ofCommunication | identify the differences between vertical,horizontal and diagonal communication | |
(4) Barriers to effective Communication(a) Organisational Barriers (b) Physical Barriers (c) Psychological Barriers (d) Socio-Cultural Barrier | explain and give examples of the variousbarriers to communication. | |
(5) Business Correspondence(a) Letters i Form Letters ii Circulars (b) Memos (c) Reports i Short formal ii Short informal iii Periodic /Routine iv Special v Statutory | state the parts, formats, and uses of eachtype of business correspondence. identify types of reports, the purposes,characteristics and format of each. | |
(6) Mail handling(a) Mail Room (b) Incoming and Outgoingmail (c) Incoming and Outgoingmail register (d) Postage book (e) Messenger’s Receiptbook | state the procedure for handling incomingand outgoing mail and complete thevarious books used in the process. | |
(7) Meetings(a) Purpose and kinds ofmeetings (b) Requirements for a validMeeting (c) Purpose and kinds ofmeetings (d) Requirements for a validMeeting i Chairperson ii Secretary iii Teller iv Scrutineer | state the duties of the officials. | |
| (e) Meeting terminologies | mention and explain meetingtermnologies such as notice, quorum,agenda, resolution, ad-hoc committee,minutes, motion, ex-officio, castingvote etc. | |
| (f) Preparation of meetingdocuments i Notice ii Agenda iii Minutes | draft meeting documents from giveninformation | |
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8. BUSINESS ENGLISH | (1) Proofreading and office Abbreviations | state the importance and purpose ofproofreading. correct errors in passages, expand officeabbreviations and use them correctly. |
(2) Spelling, Word division and Punctuation | know the basic rules for spellings, worddivision and punctuation. | |
9. FILING AND INDEXING | (1) Methods of Classification(a) Alphabetical (b) Numerical (c) Subject (d) Geographical (e) Chronological (f) Alpha-numeric (g) Subject-numeric | explain filing, features of a good filingsystem and reasons for filing. understand the rules for the various filingmethods together with their advantagesand disadvantages. |
(2) Systems of filing(a) Lateral (b) Suspension (c) Vertical (d) Horizontal | explain how each system operates andidentify the advantages and disadvantagesof each system. | |
(3) Rules for filing | state the general rules for filing. | |
(4) Indexing and Cross-Referencing | identify the types/forms of indexing andimportance of indexing | |
(5) Electronic filing | explain electronic filing and state itsadvantages and disadvantages e.gmicrofilming/micrographics | |
(6) Central and Departmental filing | compare central and departmental filingand list their advantages anddisadvantages. | |
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10. REFERENCE BOOKS AND SOURCES OF INFORMATION | (1) Reference Books(a) General reference books i dictionary ii encyclopaedia iii almanac (b) Places i atlas ii site plan (c) Specialized reference books i trade journals ii post office guide iii telephone directory (d) Government Publications i Hansard ii White paper iii Gazette iv Financial Instructions v General orders | mention information that could beobtained from each reference book. |
(2) Sources of Information(a) Personal documents (b) Driving documents (c)Passport (d) Visa (e)Tax clearance | identify the various sources of informationwith examples, e.g.
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(3) Business Information(a) Exchange rates (b) Stock exchange listing (c) Financial bulletins (d) Employment Opportunities | ||
We provide educational resources/materials, curriculum guide, syllabus, scheme of work, lesson note & plan, waec, jamb, O-level & advance level GCE lessons/tutorial classes, on various topics, subjects, career, disciplines & department etc. for all the Class of Learners | ||
11. POST OFFICE SERVICES | (1) Postal Services(a) Postage stamps (b) Express mail (c) Special mail (d) Poste restante (e) Private mail bag (f) Registered mail (g) Recorded delivery (h) Airmail (i) Business reply service (j) Private mail box | explain the use of each postal service. |
(2) Courier ServicesExpedited Mail Service (EMS) Delsey, Helbor & Lyn (DHL) Federal Express (FedEx) | state the features and benefits of courierservices. | |
(3) Agency Services | mention and explain agency servicesprovided by the post office. | |
(4) Remittance servicesPostal Order Money Transfer | ||
12. HUMAN RELATIONS | (1) Internal Relations in the Office | explain internal relations and publicrelations and identify ways of improvinghuman relations. |
(2) Relations with the Public | state factors that promote public relationsand ways of improving interpersonalskills. | |
(3) Interpersonal Skills | ||
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13. HEALTH, SAFETY AND WELFARE IN THE OFFICE | (1) Health Hazards in the office | identify and explain health hazard in theoffice; state the types of health hazards in theoffice and how they could be prevented; |
(2) Accidents in the Office | state the types and causes of accidents aswell as measures to prevent them; | |
(3) Staff Welfare | identify welfare services and benefitsavailable to office staff and theadvantages associated with them. | |
14. PRE-EMPLOYMENT PROCEDURES | (1) Advertisement | design an advertisement;write application letters with curriculumvitae; |
(2) Submission of Letters of application and curriculum vitae | ||
(3) The interview | know how to prepare for an interview. | |
15. ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND SMALLSCALE BUSINESS | Entrepreneurship and Smallscale Business | explain the term “entrepreneur” and givethe general characteristics of anentrepreneur; explain small scale business and identifythe characteristics of a small scaleenterprise; identify the importance of small scalebusinesses in the society/country. |
| S/No | TITLE OF BOOK | AUTHOR | PUBLISHER |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Secretarial Duties | John Harrison | Pitman Publishing Ltd. |
| 2. | Office Practice for Colleges | Elendu O. Elendu, New | Africa Publishing Co. Ltd. Owerri (1985) |
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| 3. | Case Studies, A Skills-Based - Approach | Sheila May | Pitman Publishing Ltd. |
| 4. | Office Procedure | John Harrison | Pitman Publishing Ltd. |