Total marks: 60 · Duration: 1 hour 15 minutes
Instructions to candidates
- This paper has 60 questions. Answer ALL questions.
- Each question is worth ONE mark.
- For each question there are four options, A, B, C and D. Choose the ONE you think is correct. In the January 2027 sitting, Paper 01 is taken online, so you select your answer on screen.
- The questions are grouped by area: The Office, Personnel and Communication (1–20); Records, Documents and Mail (21–40); and Office Services, Technology and Procedures (41–60).
- All amounts are in dollars. You may use a silent, non-programmable calculator.
Paper
Section A — The Office, Personnel and Communication (Items 1–20)
1. The MAIN function of an office is to
A) manufacture the organisation's products
B) handle the information that helps the organisation run
C) sell goods directly to customers in a shop
D) transport goods to the organisation's customers
2. Two heads of department meet to plan a joint project. This is an example of
A) upward communication
B) external communication
C) horizontal communication
D) downward communication
3. When answering a business telephone call, the receptionist should FIRST
A) transfer the call to the manager
B) ask the caller to hold before saying anything
C) ask for the caller's account number
D) greet the caller and give the name of the organisation
4. A colleague is out when a client telephones. Which details are MOST important to include in the message?
A) The length of the call in minutes
B) The caller's name and number, the time of the call and what it is about
C) The weather on the day of the call
D) The caller's accent and tone of voice
5. Which is an example of non-verbal communication?
A) Writing a memorandum
B) Sending a text message
C) Nodding to show agreement
D) Making a telephone call
6. Which is an advantage of a closed (cellular) office layout?
A) Easier supervision of all staff at once
B) Easier sharing of equipment among staff
C) Privacy for confidential work and discussions
D) Lower cost of air-conditioning the office
7. A clerk notices that the electrical cable of a photocopier is frayed. What should she do FIRST?
A) Leave it until the end of the week
B) Wrap the cable in tape and carry on copying
C) Ask a colleague to repair it during lunch
D) Switch off the machine and report the fault to her supervisor
8. A clerk arrives on time every day and always finishes her tasks by the deadline. Which quality does she show?
A) Initiative
B) Tact
C) Reliability
D) Creativity
9. A vacancy is advertised only on the staff notice board and the company intranet. This is
A) internal recruitment
B) external recruitment
C) outsourcing
D) induction
10. Which document describes the qualifications, skills and personal qualities needed by the person who fills a job?
A) A letter of appointment
B) A contract of employment
C) A job description
D) A person specification
11. A summary of a job applicant's education, work experience and skills is
A) a reference
B) a job description
C) a curriculum vitae
D) a letter of appointment
12. Choosing from all the applicants a small number to invite for interview is called
A) promotion
B) induction
C) appraisal
D) shortlisting
13. A new clerk learns to use the accounts software while doing her job, guided by an experienced colleague. This is
A) on-the-job training
B) a performance appraisal
C) an induction programme
D) off-the-job training
14. An employee who decides to leave a job gives the employer a letter of
A) redundancy
B) dismissal
C) resignation
D) appointment
15. A firm closes a department because its work is no longer needed, and the staff lose their jobs. This is
A) retirement
B) redundancy
C) resignation
D) dismissal for misconduct
16. Which is an example of UNETHICAL behaviour by an office worker?
A) Locking confidential files away at night
B) Reporting a fault in a machine
C) Taking lunch at the agreed time
D) Using the office printer to print flyers for a private business
17. Staff have no desk of their own and use whichever desk is free when they come in. This is called
A) teleworking
B) hot-desking
C) job sharing
D) flexitime
18. In the communication process, the receiver's response which shows whether the message was understood is
A) noise
B) encoding
C) the medium
D) feedback
19. Which is the BEST way to show the monthly sales of four branches over a year so that they can be compared easily?
A) A memo listing every figure
B) A flow chart
C) A bar chart
D) An organisational chart
20. A customer telephones to complain that an order arrived late. What should the clerk do FIRST?
A) Listen, apologise and record the details of the complaint
B) Promise a full refund without checking the order
C) Tell the customer to write to head office
D) Explain that the delay was the courier's fault
Section B — Records, Documents and Mail (Items 21–40)
21. Files arranged by place, such as by country, parish or sales region, use
A) geographical filing
B) chronological filing
C) numerical filing
D) alphabetical filing
22. A school files its papers under headings such as "Examinations", "Sports" and "Staff". This method is
A) numerical filing
B) chronological filing
C) geographical filing
D) subject filing
23. Within a single file, papers are usually arranged
A) in date order, with the most recent on top
B) in the order the clerk prefers
C) in alphabetical order of the writer's name
D) in order of length, longest first
24. Using the rules for alphabetical filing, which of these names is filed FIRST?
A) Brownlow, Anne
B) Brown, Alicia
C) Browne, Alan
D) Bruce, Aaron
25. Which equipment stores files side by side on shelves, so they can be reached from the front and use less floor space?
A) A box file
B) A lateral filing cabinet
C) A plan chest
D) A vertical filing cabinet
26. An advantage of electronic filing over paper filing is that
A) no electricity is needed to read the files
B) files can never be deleted by mistake
C) files can be searched for and retrieved quickly
D) backup copies are never needed
27. A system that reminds staff to take action on a file on a particular future date is
A) a retention schedule
B) a cross-reference sheet
C) an out guide
D) a follow-up (bring-forward) system
28. Records that are rarely used but must still be kept are MOST likely to be moved to
A) the shredder
B) inactive (archive) storage
C) the reception desk
D) the active files near the clerks
29. A business letter that begins "Dear Sir or Madam" should end with
A) Yours sincerely
B) See you soon
C) Yours faithfully
D) Best wishes
30. The abbreviation "Enc." at the foot of a business letter shows that
A) the letter is confidential
B) a document is enclosed with the letter
C) the letter needs an urgent reply
D) copies have been sent to other people
31. Which document presents the findings of an investigation, with conclusions and recommendations?
A) An agenda
B) A report
C) A memorandum
D) An itinerary
32. A delivery note is sent
A) with the goods, listing what is being delivered
B) after payment, as proof of payment
C) before the order, asking for prices
D) to the supplier, to cancel an order
33. Which document is proof that a payment has been made?
A) A quotation
B) A purchase order
C) A receipt
D) An invoice
34. A supplier asks a new customer to pay before the goods are sent. Which document does the supplier send?
A) A statement of account
B) A pro forma invoice
C) A credit note
D) A debit note
35. Goods cost $2 400 before VAT. VAT is charged at 12.5%. What is the total amount payable?
A) $2 100
B) $2 412.50
C) $2 700
D) $300
36. An invoice for $1 600 offers a 2.5% cash discount for payment within 10 days. The customer pays on day 7. How much does the customer pay?
A) $40
B) $1 640
C) $1 200
D) $1 560
37. Before outgoing letters are sealed, they should be checked to make sure that
A) each letter is signed and every enclosure is included
B) each letter has been date-stamped as received
C) a copy of each letter goes to every department
D) each envelope is the largest size available
38. Incoming mail marked "Private and Confidential" should be
A) opened and read by the receptionist
B) opened and date-stamped by the mail clerk
C) returned to the sender
D) delivered unopened to the person named
39. A trade magazine must be read by five managers in turn. What should be attached to it?
A) A franking label
B) A circulation (routing) slip
C) An out guide
D) A remittance book
40. A firm posts 120 letters at $1.50 each and 15 parcels at $12.00 each. What is the total postage?
A) $1 620.00
B) $360.00
C) $202.50
D) $180.00
Section C — Office Services, Technology and Procedures (Items 41–60)
41. The written record of the decisions taken at a meeting is
A) the minutes
B) the notice
C) the agenda
D) the itinerary
42. The item on an agenda at which members may raise matters not listed elsewhere is
A) matters arising
B) any other business
C) date of next meeting
D) apologies for absence
43. A formal proposal put to a meeting for discussion and a vote is
A) a minute
B) an adjournment
C) a quorum
D) a motion
44. Which is a duty of the SECRETARY of a meeting?
A) Sending out the notice and agenda
B) Declaring the meeting open and closed
C) Keeping order and deciding who speaks
D) Signing the minutes as a correct record
45. When the votes for and against a motion are equal, the chairperson may
A) cancel the whole meeting
B) ask the secretary to vote twice
C) declare the motion passed automatically
D) use a casting vote to decide the matter
46. Which document, in addition to a passport, may be needed to enter certain countries?
A) A hotel receipt
B) An itinerary
C) A visa
D) A driver's licence
47. In January, London is 4 hours ahead of Barbados. A video call is arranged for 3:00 p.m. London time. What time is the call in Barbados?
A) 7:00 p.m.
B) 10:00 a.m.
C) 11:00 a.m.
D) 3:00 p.m.
48. A manager stays 4 nights at a hotel at US$180 a night, plus a 10% service charge on the total. What is the bill?
A) US$792
B) US$720
C) US$900
D) US$738
49. A laminator is used to
A) weigh outgoing parcels
B) seal a document in plastic to protect it
C) fold letters to fit envelopes
D) make copies of a document
50. Which software is MOST suitable for preparing slides for a sales talk?
A) Database software
B) Spreadsheet software
C) Presentation software
D) Accounting software
51. Which word-processing feature produces the same letter, each addressed to a different one of 200 customers?
A) Find and replace
B) Word count
C) Spell check
D) Mail merge
52. Saving files on servers that are reached over the internet, rather than on the office computer, is called
A) cloud storage
B) microfilming
C) defragmenting
D) local storage
53. Which of the following is the STRONGEST password?
A) T7#rain!Bay29
B) sandra1990
C) password
D) 12345678
54. Software or hardware that blocks unauthorised access to an office network from the internet is
A) a spreadsheet
B) a firewall
C) a projector
D) a scanner
55. In a spreadsheet, cell B2 contains 1200 and cell B3 contains 15%. What does the formula =B2*B3 display?
A) 1215
B) 18000
C) 180
D) 1380
56. A standing order is used to
A) pay a fixed amount to the same payee at regular intervals
B) withdraw cash from an ATM
C) let a supplier collect varying amounts from the account
D) stop payment of a cheque
57. Two parallel lines drawn across the face of a cheque mean that it
A) must be paid into a bank account
B) can be cashed over the counter by anyone
C) has been cancelled
D) is post-dated
58. A stock card shows an opening balance of 85 boxes of paper. During the month 120 boxes are received and 140 are issued. What is the closing balance?
A) 205 boxes
B) 345 boxes
C) 35 boxes
D) 65 boxes
59. Fidelity guarantee insurance protects an employer against
A) losses caused by dishonest employees
B) loss of profit after a fire
C) damage to goods while in transit
D) injury to members of the public on the premises
60. Under data protection principles, personal data held by an office should be
A) kept for ever in case it is needed
B) shared with any firm that asks for it
C) sold to advertisers to raise income
D) kept accurate and used only for the purpose for which it was collected