WAEC Book Keeping syllabus.

About this syllabus official

Summarised from the examining body's own published syllabus. 19 topics, verified 2026-10-24.

WASSCE 2022-2025 (per WAEC Nigeria's article title; the scanned document prints no years)

Structure (topics, content notes, objectives and scheme of examination) summarised from WAEC's publicly published WASSCE syllabus, with citation and link. The document itself is not reproduced. The examiner-report points are short excerpts from WAEC's publicly published e-Learning Toolkit (Chief Examiners' reports), quoted with attribution and a link to each page for educational commentary.

Source: https://www.waecnigeria.org/sites/default/files/2024-06/BookKeeping%26OfficePractice.pdf

Source: https://www.waecnigeria.org/article/bookkeeping-office-practice-2022-2025-wassce-syllabus

Source: https://www.waeconline.org.ng/e-learning/index.htm

General objectives

• test candidates' knowledge of basic skills required to start a business
• test candidates' ability to apply the rules of bookkeeping and the skills acquired to modern business practices
• prepare candidates for further studies in bookkeeping and accounting
• enable candidates relate positively the knowledge and skills acquired to the development of the national economy

Topics

1. Introduction to Bookkeeping (SS 1-3)

• Bookkeeping: meaning, history, nature, importance and functions
• Bookkeeping: career opportunities and beneficiaries
• Assets and Liabilities: definition, differences, classification and examples
• Business Transactions: meaning, types and parties involved (buyers, sellers and consumers)
• Debtors and Creditors: definition, identification and differences

2. Books of Original Entry (SS 1-3)

• Source Documents: meaning, types, uses and contents
• Books of Original Entry: meaning, types, format, uses and differences
• Preparation of journals (sales, purchases, returns inwards, returns outwards and general journals)

3. Ledger (SS 1-3)

• Ledger: definition, contents, format and uses
• Types of ledger: cash book, personal and impersonal ledgers
• Preparation of ledgers

4. Cash Book (SS 1-3)

• Meaning, purpose, format, contents and differences
• Preparation of Cash Books: single column, double column (contra entry) and three column

5. Principle of Double Entry (SS 1-3)

• Meaning and rule of double entry
• Posting transactions into the ledger

6. Petty Cash Book (SS 1-3)

• Meaning, imprest system and analysis columns
• Posting of transactions

7. Trial Balance and Errors (SS 1-3)

• Trial Balance: meaning, functions and rules
• Preparation of trial balance
• Errors: meaning, types and classification
• Correction of errors and preparation of Suspense Account

8. Financial Statements (SS 1-3)

• Trading Account: definition, purpose, format and preparation of simple Trading Account
• Profit and Loss Account: definition, purpose, format, rules and preparation of Profit and Loss Account
• Preparation of Trading, Profit and Loss Account with adjustments
• Balance Sheet: meaning, contents, format and preparation of a simple balance sheet
• Users of balance sheet

9. Concepts and Conventions (SS 1-3)

• Meaning and types

10. Depreciation (SS 1-3)

• Meaning, methods (fixed installment/straight line, diminishing/reducing balance and revaluation)
• Calculation of simple depreciation charges

11. End of Year Adjustments (SS 1-3)

• Adjustment for prepayments and accruals
• Making adjustments in the appropriate books

12. Bad and Doubtful Debts (SS 1-3)

• Meaning, differences and provision
• Posting to the appropriate books

13. Stock Valuation (SS 1-3)

• Meaning, purpose and methods (FIFO, LIFO and Weighted Average)
• Computation of stock values

14. Accounts of not-for-Profit making Organizations (SS 1-3)

• Receipts and Payments Account: purpose, users and contents
• Preparation of a simple receipts and payments account
• Income and Expenditure Account: purpose, users and contents
• Preparation of simple Income and Expenditure Account

15. Control Accounts (SS 1-3)

• Meaning, types and contents
• Preparation of Total Debtors and Total Creditors' Control Accounts

16. Business Organizations (SS 1-3)

• Meaning, forms (sole proprietorship, partnership, joint stock companies and cooperative societies) and features
• Advantages and disadvantages of each form

17. Sources of Capital (SS 1-3)

• Definition and identification of various sources of capital to business organizations

18. Entity Concept in Entrepreneurship (SS 1-3)

• Meaning, features and relevance to a business

19. Product and Service Marketing (SS 1-3)

• Meaning, types and differences
• Methods of promoting products and services