Aims and Objectives
No published Aims and Objectives.
Scheme of Examination
There will be two papers, Paper 1 and Paper 2, which will constitute a composite paper and will be taken at a sitting.
PAPER 1:
Will consist of fifty multiple-choice objective questions, all of which should be answered within one hour for 50 marks.
PAPER 2:
Will consist of a question on a simple case study and six other essay-type questions. Candidates will be required to answer the question on the case study and any four of the other questions. The paper will carry 100 marks and last for 2 hours and 10 minutes.
Detailed Office Practice Syllabus
THE OFFICE
- Definition of the office
- Functions of the office
- Layout of the office
- Principles of office organization
- Span of control
- Unity of control
- Unity of function, etc
- Office procedures
- Sections of the office
DEPARTMENTS IN AN ORGANIZATION
- List of departments in an organization
- Functions of each department in an organization
- Organizational chart
OFFICE EQUIPMENT
- Meaning of office equipment
- Types of office equipment.
Manual:
- Typewriter
- Perforator
- Stapling machine
- Duplicating machine,etc.
Electrical:
- Typewriter
- Photocopier
- Shredding machine,
- Computer,
- Scanning machine,
- Facsimile machine, etc.
- Uses of office equipment.
- Care of office equipment
THE RECEPTION
- Meaning of the reception
- Duties of the receptionist
- Documents handled by a receptionist
- Qualities of a receptionist
- Procedures for handling telephone calls
OFFICE DOCUMENTS
- Meaning of office documents
- Types of office documents
- Administrative
- Sales
- Stores
- Purchasing
- Uses of office documents
- Preparation of office documents
OFFICE CORRESPONDENCE
- Meaning of office correspondence
- Types of office correspondence
- Memos
- Business letters
- Notice of meetings
- Minutes of meetings
- Reports
- Circulars
- Types of mail
- Personal mail
- Official mail
- Urgent mail
- Confidential mail
- Classification of mail
- incoming mail
- Outgoing mail
- Procedures for handling incoming and outgoing mail.
FILING
- Definition of filing
- 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
COMMUNICATION
- Definition of communication
- Importance of communication
- Types of communication
Verbal
- Oral
- Written
Non verbal
- Visual
- Audio
- Audio-visual
- Methods/Media of communication
- Print (newspapers, magazines, directories, handbills, flyers, etc.)
- Electronic (radio, television, audio and video conferencing, etc)
- Communication service providers
- NIPOST
- NITEL
- Media houses
- Satellite stations
- The internet
- Global System of Mobile Communication (GSM)
MEETINGS
- Definition of meeting
- Purpose of meeting
- Types of meeting
- Statutory meeting
- Emergency meeting
- Board meeting
- Management meeting
- Annual General Meeting,
- Staff meeting
- Committee meeting.
- Procedure for conducting a meeting
- Opening prayer
- Agenda
- Chairman’s opening remarks
- Reading of the last minutes
- Correction ( if any)
- Adoption of the last minutes
- Matters arising from the last minutes
- Main business
- Any other business (AOB)
- Chairman’s closing remarks
- Adjournment/ closing
- Closing prayer
- Meeting Terminologies
- Agenda
- Adoption
- A O B.
- Adjournment, etc.
- Roles of the chairman/secretary
- Writing the minutes
REPORT WRITING
- Meaning of report
- Types of report – Formal
- Short report
- Long report
- Investigative report
- Routine/Periodic
- Parts of a report.
- Importance of report writing
INFORMATION
- 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.
SUGGESTED READING TEXT
- Modern Office Practice for Vocational Business Students By Amadin, M.S.
Download Complete PDF
The full Office Practice topic list is in text above. Use the buttons below to download the official WAEC PDF for offline use — one file for school candidates (WASSCE) and one for private candidates (GCE).
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Office Practice WAEC syllabus the same for SSCE and GCE candidates?
Yes. WAEC uses the same Office Practice syllabus for both SSCE (school) and GCE (private/external) candidates, so the topics, aims and scheme of examination are identical.
What does the Office Practice WAEC syllabus contain?
The Office Practice syllabus sets out the aims and objectives, the scheme of examination (papers, duration and marks) and the detailed list of topics and subtopics that your exam questions are drawn from.
Is the Office Practice syllabus the same in Nigeria, Ghana, Sierra Leone, The Gambia and Liberia?
Yes. WAEC standardises the Office Practice syllabus across all member countries, so candidates in Nigeria, Ghana, Sierra Leone, The Gambia and Liberia study the same content.
Can I download the Office Practice WAEC syllabus as a PDF?
Yes. You can download the complete Office Practice WAEC syllabus as a PDF using the SSCE and GCE download buttons above. The PDF works offline for both internal (SSCE) and external (GCE) candidates.
Is this the latest Office Practice WAEC syllabus for 2026?
Yes. This is the current Office Practice syllabus, covering the May/June, Nov/Dec and Jan/Feb WASSCE cycles. It was last reviewed on January 2, 2026.
How should I use the Office Practice syllabus to prepare for WAEC?
Work through every topic in the detailed syllabus above, match each topic to past questions, and use the aims and objectives to understand the skills examiners reward. Cover the whole syllabus, since WAEC sets questions from across all topics.