Secretarial Practice and Office Administration
Secretarial practice and office administration tests the secretary's role as custodian of records, meetings and office systems. The exam expects procedure, confidentiality and accuracy rather than general personality description.
Role and office systems
A secretary receives, sorts and routes information; drafts correspondence; maintains files; schedules appointments; and supports meetings. Good office administration uses a filing classification (alphabetical, numerical, subject, chronological), a bring-up or reminder system, and secure retention. Incoming mail is opened, date-stamped, sorted and routed; confidential mail goes only to the addressee. E-office systems need access control, backups and audit trails.
Meetings and company law basics
- Notice: an AGM needs 21 clear days' notice; the day of service and the meeting day are excluded.
- First AGM: within 9 months from the close of the first financial year.
- Later AGM: within 6 months from the close of the financial year, with not more than 15 months between two AGMs.
- Agenda: order of business; minutes: a record of decisions, not a transcript.
- Quorum: the minimum members or directors who must be present before business is valid. A resolution records a decision; minutes record it accurately and are signed as required.
Worked example
A company's first financial year ends on 31 March 2025. Its first AGM must be held by 31 December 2025 (nine months later). If it is held on 20 December 2025, the next AGM for the year ending 31 March 2026 must be held by 30 September 2026 and within 15 months of 20 December 2025.
Traps
Do not count the notice day or meeting day in '21 clear days'. Minutes are not verbatim notes. An agenda is not a resolution. Quorum is checked before the meeting starts, not after. Confidentiality is breached by casual copying or shared passwords.