Correspondence and Meeting Support
This domain covers the drafting and control of business correspondence and the administrative machinery of meetings: notice, papers, quorum, minutes and follow-up. The exam tests whether output is accurate, appropriately toned and traceable.
Core rules
- Letters carry a letterhead, an unambiguous date, a reference line, the correct addressee and salutation, the body, a complimentary close, a signature block and an enclosures note.
- Email: one topic per message, a specific subject line, a clearly stated action and deadline, cc for information only, and bcc only where concealment is legitimate - never to hide a message from someone entitled to see it.
- Every meeting needs adequate notice, an agenda circulated with supporting papers in advance, a quorum check, and a record of apologies and declarations of interest.
- Minutes record decisions, actions, owners and due dates - not a transcript of discussion. Minutes are confirmed at the following meeting.
- An action log is tracked to closure; an action is not complete because it was discussed.
Worked example
The note reads: 'There was discussion about the printer contract and people felt we should possibly renew.' Converted: 'Decision: renew the printer contract for 12 months. Action: J. Patel to obtain signed agreement by 14 March.' Reasoning: minutes must be unambiguous, assignable and datable; 'people felt' identifies no decision-maker and no owner, so nothing can be followed up.
Traps that cost marks
- Recording opinions as though they were decisions.
- Omitting the owner or due date from an action.
- Using bcc to conceal a message from a manager who should be informed.