Report Writing and Administrative Skills
What the exam tests
Report Writing and Administrative Skills tests official correspondence, minutes, agenda, proposals, inspection reports and analytical report structure, with clarity, accuracy and appropriate tone.
Core rules
- A good official report states purpose, background, findings, analysis, conclusion and recommendation. Findings must be evidence-based; recommendations must follow logically.
- Minutes record decisions, not verbatim discussion. Include date, venue, chair, attendees, agenda items, decisions and action points with responsible persons.
- Office memorandum is internal; a letter is external. Both need reference number, date, subject and signature block.
- Use plain, impersonal and precise language. Replace vague phrases with measurable statements: yield rose from 3.2 to 3.8 t/ha, not yield improved significantly.
Worked example
Vague draft: Many farmers were trained and production increased. Report-ready version: Three training sessions were held in Ward 4 during Jestha, reaching 62 farmers (31% women). Average paddy yield in the trained group rose from 3.2 t/ha to 3.8 t/ha, an 18.8% increase over the previous season. Reasoning: the revision supplies who, where, when, how many, and a measurable change; the percentage is calculated as (3.8 − 3.2) ÷ 3.2 × 100 = 18.75%.
Traps
Putting opinions in the findings section; omitting the action point in minutes; using etc. in official recommendations; and reporting a percentage change without a base.