Business Documents, Correspondence and Reprography
Business Documents, Correspondence and Reprography tests document types, correct layout, proofreading and reproduction methods. Expect questions that ask you to identify the right document for a transaction or correct a faulty letter.
Core rules
- A business letter uses a formal salutation and complimentary close; a memorandum is internal and uses To, From, Date and Subject, with no salutation. A notice informs; a circular is sent to many recipients.
- An agenda lists items in order before a meeting; minutes record decisions and actions after it.
- Commercial documents: an enquiry asks for information; a quotation states price and terms before supply; a purchase order authorises supply; a delivery note accompanies goods; an invoice requests payment after supply; a statement summarises transactions for a period; a receipt proves payment.
- Reprography includes photocopying, duplicating, printing and scanning. Choose by number of copies, quality, colour, speed, cost and confidentiality.
- Check copyright before copying; keep copy counts and confidential waste secure.
Worked example
A customer asks, “How much for 50 printed programmes, and can you deliver before Friday?” Reasoned response: send a quotation, not an invoice. The quotation states unit price, total, delivery date and validity. An invoice would be issued only after the order is supplied; a statement would summarise several transactions later.
Traps that cost marks
Putting a formal salutation in a memo; sending an invoice before the customer has ordered; treating an agenda as a record of what happened; copying a whole copyrighted book; ignoring proofreading of names, dates and totals.