WAEC Office Practice syllabus.

About this syllabus official

Summarised from the examining body's own published syllabus. 13 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

• knowledge of the office, its functions and daily operations
• ability to apply the knowledge and skills acquired to efficiently perform clerical duties in the modern office
• ability to apply their knowledge and skills to set up and operate a modern office

Topics

1. The Office (SS 1-3)

• Definition of the office
• Functions of the office
• Importance of the Office
• Layout of the office: open and close office layout; advantages and disadvantages
• Factors to consider in office planning and layout
• Office Organization: meaning, objectives and structure
• Office personnel and responsibilities
• Principles of office organization: (a) span of control, (b) unity of control, (c) unity of function, etc.
• Sections of the office and functions

2. Departments in an Organization (SS 1-3)

• Departments in an organization
• Functions of various departments in an organization
• Structure of an Organization
• Organizational chart

3. Office Equipment (SS 1-3)

• Meaning of office equipment
• Types of office equipment: manual (typewriter, perforator, stapling machine, duplicating machine, etc.)
• Types of office equipment: electronic (typewriter, photocopier, shredding machine, computer, scanning machine, facsimile machine, etc.)
• Uses of office equipment
• Care of office equipment

4. The Reception (SS 1-3)

• Meaning of the reception
• The receptionist: qualities of a receptionist; responsibilities of the receptionist
• Documents handled by a receptionist
• Procedure for relating with visitors
• Procedure for handling telephone calls

5. Office Documents (SS 1-3)

• Meaning of office documents
• Types of office documents: administrative (nominal roll, calendar of events, etc.)
• Types of office documents: sales documents (invoice, receipt, debit note, credit note, delivery note, price list, consignment note, order, catalogue etc.)
• Types of office documents: stores (requisition form, bin card / stock record card, stock record / inventory book)
• Types of office documents: purchasing (cheque book, receipt, letter of enquiry, order, invoice, price list, catalogue, advice note, consignment note etc.)
• Preparation of office documents
• Uses of office documents

6. Office Correspondence (SS 1-3)

• Meaning of office correspondence
• Types of office correspondence: memos (internal and external), business letters, notice of meetings, minutes of meetings, reports, circulars

7. Office Procedures (SS 1-3)

• Meaning of office procedures
• Importance of office procedures
• Methods of making payment: cash, cheque, postal orders, money order, money transfer, standing order, credit transfer and electronic transfer
• Differences between wages and salaries
• Roles of wages and salaries office: calculating wages and salaries, recording wages and salaries, making appropriate deductions from wages and salaries etc.
• Methods of paying wages: time rate, piece rate, profit sharing, commission, premium system bonus
• Imprest account: meaning and preparation

8. Mail (SS 1-3)

• Types of mail: personal, official, urgent, confidential
• Classification of mail: incoming mail; outgoing mail
• Procedure for handling incoming and outgoing mails
• Methods of mail delivery: by post, by hand, by electronic media and by courier service

9. Filing (SS 1-3)

• Definition of filing
• Methods of filing: centralized and departmental
• Systems of filing: vertical, lateral, electronic
• Classifications of filing: alphabetical, chronological, numerical, geographical, alpha-numerical, subject
• Purposes of filing
• Steps involved in filing
• Filing equipment
• Types of files

10. Communication (SS 1-3)

• Definition of communication
• Importance of communication
• Types of communication: verbal (oral, written); non verbal (visual, audio, audio-visual)
• Advantages and disadvantages of types of communication
• Means of communication: traditional (drum, town crier, gong)
• Means of communication: modern, print (letters, newspapers, magazines, directories, handbills, flyers, bulletin, notices, etc.)
• Means of communication: modern, electronic (radio, television, cable, gram, telephone, telegram audio, video conferencing, etc.)
• Communication service providers: NIPOST, NITEL, media houses, satellite stations, the internet, courier services, Global System of Mobile Communication (GSM)

11. Meetings (SS 1-3)

• Definition of meeting
• Purposes of meeting
• Types of meeting: statutory, emergency, board, management, Annual General Meeting, staff, committee
• Procedure for conducting a meeting: opening; adoption of the agenda; reading and adoption of minutes of the previous meeting; matters arising; main business; any other business (AOB); chairman's closing remarks; adjournment/closing
• Meeting terminologies: agenda, adoption, AOB, adjournment, etc.
• Roles of the Chairman and the Secretary
• Minutes: meaning and preparation

12. Report Writing (SS 1-3)

• Meaning of report
• Types of report (formal and informal): short, long, investigative, routine, periodic
• Parts of a report
• Procedures for report writing
• Importance of report writing

13. Information (SS 1-3)

• Definition of information
• Types of information
• Uses of information
• Sources of information
• Storage of information
• Qualities of good information: timeliness, accuracy, speed of delivery, usability, etc.