WAEC Syllabus for Clerical Office Duties & Textbooks 2024/2025

The WAEC syllabus for Clerical Office Duties is the topic you must study to sit for the examination. It contains the aims and objectives, notes and format for the Clerical Office Duties exam.

Studying the Clerical Office Duties syllabus is necessary for your exam preparation. It will serve as a guide for you to know the topics to read. There are also notes on concepts you should pay attention to learning.

Exam preparations without using the Clerical Office Duties syllabus are like going to the farm without your agricultural tools. You will end up not being productive.

Ensure you begin your exam preparations using the syllabus.

This post contains the Clerical Office Duties syllabus and recommended textbooks of the West African Examination Council (WAEC).

WAEC 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 an office;
2. apply the knowledge acquired on the uses of office equipment and materials and perform basic clerical office duties;
3. communicate effectively;
4. explain basic personal and professional habits and attitudes necessary for the performance of official duties;

The examination is further meant to:

• develop problem-solving skills to deal with clerical and secretarial issues in the office;
• provide the foundation for further courses in business studies.

Scheme of the Examination

There will be two papers, Paper 1 and Paper 2, which will constitute a composite paper and will be taken in a sitting.

PAPER 1: This paper will consist of fifty compulsory multiple choice objective questions to be answered within 50 minutes for 30 marks.

PAPER 2: This paper will be made up of one compulsory case study carrying 22 marks and six other questions out of which candidates will be required to answer any three for 16 marks each.

The case study will be based on office situations and candidates will be required to show understanding of the issues involved. 

The paper will carry a total of 70 marks and will last 2 hours and 10 minutes.

WAEC Clerical Office Duties Syllabus

The Office

1. THE OFFICE
   • Definition of an office
   • Functions
     • Receiving information
     • Recording information
     • Processing/Analysing information
     • Giving information
     • Storing information
     • Safeguarding/Protecting
     • Assets
2. Sections
   • Reception
   • General Office
   • Stores
   • Mail Room/Registry
3. Departments
   • Accounts their
   • Purchasing
   • Sales
   • Personnel/Human Resource
   • Production
   • Legal
   • Administration
   • Transport
4. Office Personnel
   • Office Manager
   • Office Supervisor
   • General Clerks
   • Accounts Clerks
   • Data entry clerks
   • Administrative
   • Assistants
   • Secretaries
     • Company Secretary
     • Private Secretary
     • Stenographer Secretary
     • Receptionist
     • Typist
     • Messenger
5. Professional Image of Office Staff
   • Personal and Business Attributes
   • Social habits, Personal Hygiene and a Healthy Lifestyle
   • Time Management
6. Layout
   • open
   • closed

Organization

1. Principles of Organisation
   • Unity of objectives
   • Span of control
   • Authority and
   • Responsibility
   • Delegation
   • Unity of functions
   • Unity of command
   • Supervision
   • Remuneration
   • Accountability
   • Esprit de corps
2. Organisational Structure
   • Line structure
   • Line and staff structure
   • Staff structure
   • Functional structure
   • Matrix structure
3. Organisational Chart/Organogram

Business Transactions

1. Documents used in Business Transactions
   • Letter of enquiry
   • Price list/Catalogue/Quotation
   • Local Purchase Order
   • Order
   • Proforma Invoice
   • Invoice
   • Delivery Note/Waybill
   • Debit note
   • Credit note
   • Statement of account
   • Cheques/Payment Orders
   • Receipt
   • Purchase Requisition
2. Methods of Payment
   • Cash
   • Cheque
   • Standing order
   • Credit transfer
   • Money transfer
3. Payroll Handling
4. Tax Regimes
   • VAT,
   • Income Tax
   • Communication Service Tax (CST)
   • Property Tax
   • Import/Customs Duty
5. Petty Cash

Banking

1. Types of Bank
2. Types of Account
   • Savings
   • Current
   • Fixed deposit
3. Cheques

Stock Procedure

1. Ordering of Stock
2. Duties of the Storekeeper
3. Requisition Procedure
4. Stock Record and Stocktaking
   • Annual
   • Periodic
   • Perpetual
5. Stock Control
   • Minimum Stock
   • Maximum Stock
   • Re-order level
6. Stock Valuation
   • Cost price
   • Average price
   • Market price
   • Lower price

Office Equipment/Machines

1. General Office Machines/Equipment
   • Computer
   • Photocopier
   • Risograph
   • Collating machine
   • Dictaphone
   • Typewriters
   • Duplicating machines
   • Perforator
   • Calculator
   • Cash Register
   • Pager
   • Fax machines
   • Accounting machines
   • Scanner
2. The Computer and I CT
3. Mail Room Equipment/Materials
   • Letter opening machine
   • Addressing machine (c) Franking machine
   • Shredding machine
   • Scales
   • Pair of scissors, paper knife or blade
   • Stapling machine
   • Staple remover
   • Guillotine

Communication

1. Meaning
2. Forms
   • Verbal
     • oral
     • written
   • Non-verbal
   • Visual
3. Channels of Communication
4. Barriers to Effective Communication
   • Organisational Barriers
   • Physical Barriers
   • Psychological Barriers
   • Socio-Cultural Barrier
5. Business Correspondence
   • Letters
     • Form Letters
     • Circulars
   • Memos
   • Reports
     • Short formal
     • Short informal
     • Periodic /Routine
     • Special
     • Statutory
6. Mail handling
   • Mail Room
   • Incoming and Outgoing mail
   • Incoming and Outgoing mail register
   • Postage book
   • Messenger’s Receipt book
7. Meetings
   • Purpose and kinds of meetings
   • Requirements for a valid Meeting
   • Purpose and kinds of meetings
   • Requirements for a valid Meeting
     • Chairperson
     • Secretary
     • Teller
     • Scrutineer
   • Meeting terminologies
   • Preparation of meeting documents
     • Notice
     • Agenda
     • Minutes

Business English

1. Proofreading and office Abbreviations
2. Spelling, Word division and Punctuation

Filing and Indexing

1. Methods of Classification
   • Alphabetical
   • Numerical
   • Subject
   • Geographical
   • Chronological
   • Alpha-numeric
   • Subject-numeric
2. Systems of filing
   • Lateral
   • Suspension
   • Vertical
   • Horizontal
3. Rules for filing
4. Indexing and Cross-Referencing
5. Electronic filing
6. Central and Departmental filing

Reference Books and Sources of Information

1. Reference Books
   • General reference books
     • dictionary
     • encyclopaedia
     • almanac
   • Places
     • atlas
     • site plan
   • Specialized reference books
     • trade journals
     • post office guide
     • telephone directory
   • Government Publications
     • Hansard
     • White paper
     • Gazette
     • Financial Instructions
     • General orders
2. Sources of Information
   • Personal documents
   • Driving documents
   • Passport
   • Visa
   • Tax clearance
3. Business Information
   • Exchange rates
   • Stock exchange listing
   • Financial bulletins
   • Employment
4. Opportunities

Post Office Services

1. Postal Services
   • Postage stamps
   • Express mail
   • Special mail
   • Poste restante
   • Private mailbag
   • Registered mail
   • Recorded delivery
   • Airmail
   • Business reply service
   • Private mailbox
2. Courier Services
   • Expedited Mail Service (EMS)
   • Delsey, Helbor & Lyn (DHL)
   • Federal Express (FedEx)
3. Agency Services
4. Remittance services
5. Postal Order
6. Money Transfer

Human Relations

1. Internal Relations in the Office
2. Relations with the Public
3. Interpersonal Skills

Health, Safety and Welfare in the Office

1. Health Hazards in the office
2. Accidents in the Office
3. Staff Welfare

Pre-Employment Procedures

1. Advertisement
2. Submission of Letters of application and curriculum vitae
3. The interview

Entrepreneurship and Smallscale Business

Recommended Textbooks

1. Secretarial Duties – John Harrison, Pitman Publishing Ltd.
2. Office Practice for Colleges – Elendu O. Elendu, New Africa Publishing Co. Ltd. Owerri (1985)
3. Case Studies, A Skills-Based – Sheila May, Pitman Approach Publishing Ltd.
4. Office Procedure – John Harrison, Pitman Publishing Ltd.