SYLLABUS CONTENT OF COMMERCIAL STUDIES FOR SPN 21 INTERIM STAGE YEAR 7

DIFFERENTIATED CURRICULUM

SHOULD
TOPIC 1: SCOPE OF COMMERCE MUST DO COULD DO
DO
1.
What is Commerce about?   
1
1.
Division of Commerce   
2
• Trade – Home Trade and Foreign Trade
• Aids to trade and their functions –
Communication, Advertising, Transport,
Banking, Insurance and Warehousing
1.
Human needs and wants   
3
1.
Production:   
4
• Primary – Extractive occupations
• Secondary – Industrial or manufacturing and
constructive occupations
• Tertiary – Commercial and Direct Service

TOPIC 2: BARTER TRADE & INTRODUCTION TO SHOULD

MUST DO COULD DO
MONEY DO
2.
Barter Trade   
1
• Definition of Barter Trade
• Difficulties of Barter Trade
2.
Brief introduction to money material   
2
2.
Functions of money:   
3
• A Medium of Exchange
• A Measure of Value
• A Standard of Future Payment
• A Storehouse of Value
2.
Qualities of good money material:   
4
• Acceptability, Divisibility, Durability,
Stability in value, Easy Recognisability,
Portability and Homogeneity

1
 SHOULD
TOPIC 3: HOME TRADE MUST DO COULD DO
DO
3.
Retail Trade 
1
• Who is a retailer?  
• What are the functions of a retailer? 
• Classification of retailers
i) Small-scale retailers:
Types: Pedlars, hawkers, stallholders,
* 
travelling salesman, single-shop
Characteristics of small-scale retailers * 
Advantages and disadvantages of

small-scale retailers
ii) Large-scale retailers:
Types: Department store,
supermarket, hypermarket, multiple- * 
shops and multiple-stores
Characteristics of large-scale retailers * 
Advantages and disadvantages of

large-scale retailers
• Some modern trends in retail trade: * 
i) Shopping centre
ii) Vending machine
iii) Door-to-door delivery
iv) Mail Order
v) Internet shopping
3.
Wholesale Trade 
2
• Who is a wholesaler?  
• What are the functions of wholesaler? 
3.
Documents used in Home Trade  
3
• Commercial documents used between the
wholesaler and the retailer: Letter of
enquiry, Quotation/ Catalogue/ Price list,
Order, Delivery note, Invoice, Cheque,
Receipt (if paid in cash), Statement of
Account.
• Functions of each document

SHOULD
TOPIC 4: FOREIGN TRADE MUST DO COULD DO
DO
4.
What is Foreign Trade?   
1
4. Importance and Problems involved in Foreign   
Cover only
2
2 Trade importance

4. Work of Customs and Excise Department

  
3 Authorities

SHOULD
TOPIC 5: COMMUNICATION MUST DO COULD DO
DO
5.
Definition of communication   
1
5.
Importance of communication 
2
5.
Important services provided by the Post office as:   
3
• a means of communication: Ordinary mail,
Airmail, Registered mail and recorded
delivery, Express mail or delivery, Parcel
post, Business reply post
• a means of payment: Postal Order, Money
Order and Telegraph Money Order
• a collecting agent: Electricity bill payment,
Road Tax and License Renewal, Telephone
bill payment
5. Important telecommunication services provided by
  
4 TelBru
• Telephone, Facsimile service, Video
conferencing, Radio and television,
Electronic mail (E-mail)/ Internet service
5. Factors influencing the choice of method of
 
5 communication

SHOULD
TOPIC 6: TRANSPORT MUST DO COULD DO
DO
6.
The importance of transport   
1
6.
Mode of transport used in trade:   
2
• Land – Road and rail
• Water – Inland waterways, rivers, canals &
sea
• Air
6. Advantages & disadvantages of each mode of
 
3 transport
6. Characteristics of goods carried by the different
 
4 mode of transport
6. Types of modern developments in transport:   

3
5
• Containerisation – Its characteristics
• Pipelines – Its characteristics
• Courier services – Its characteristics
6.
Factors influencing the choice of transport:  
6
• Distance
• Nature of the goods – Perishable or Non-
perishable
• Quantity of the goods
• Value of the goods
• Urgency/ speed
• Convenience
• Cost of transport
• Weight of the goods

SHOULD
TOPIC 7: BANKING AND FINANCE MUST DO COULD DO
DO
7.
The importance of banking in trade   
1
7.
Types of Bank: Commercial Bank   
2
7.
Services of commercial banks:   
3
• Accepting deposits – Saving account,
*
Current account and Fixed deposit account
• Lending to customers – Bank loan and Bank
*
overdraft
• Providing a convenient means of making
*
payment – Cheque and Credit Card
• Other common services of commercial
*
banks – ATM and Online Banking
7.
Types of bank accounts:   
4
• Savings account
• Current account
• Fixed deposit account
7.
Characteristics of each type of account  
5
7. Advantages and disadvantages of each type of

6 account
7. Differences between a Bank Loan and an
 
7 Overdraft
7.
Cheque:   
8
• Definition of a cheque *
• Advantages and disadvantages of using
cheques
4
 • Parties to a cheque *
• Types of cheques: crossed and open cheque *
• Reasons for dishonoured cheque *

SHOULD
TOPIC 8: ADVERTISING MUST DO COULD DO
DO
8.
Meaning of advertising   
1
8.
Purposes of advertising 
2
8.
Types of advertising techniques:   
3
• Informative advertising
• Persuasive advertising
Need not cover
Need not cover
8. Media of advertising, advantages and advantages and
advantages and
disadvantages
disadvantages ONLY 
4 disadvantages of each type: ONLY Media of
Media of Advertising
Advertising

• Newspaper
• Magazine
• Radio
• Television
• Cinema
• Direct mail
• Outdoor hoarding and sign e.g. poster, sign
board and neon lights
• Travelling salesman
• Pamphlet and samples
• Window display and exhibition
• The internet
8.
Factors influencing choice of advertising media  
5
8.
Advantages and disadvantages of advertising to:  
6
• the sellers
• the buyers

KEY:
* - Minimum required sub-topic for the students out of the whole topic.

SYLLABUS CONTENT OF COMMERCIAL STUDIES FOR SPN 21 INTERIM STAGE YEAR 8

DIFFERENTIATED CURRICULUM

SHOULD
TOPIC 9: INSURANCE MUST DO COULD DO
DO
5
9.
Definition of insurance   
1
9.
Purpose of insurance 
2
9.
Types of risk:   
3
• Insurable risk
• Non-insurable risk
9. Terms used in insurance: insured, insurer,
  
4 beneficiary, policy, cover note and premium
9.
Basic principles of insurance:  
5
• Insurable interest
• Utmost good faith
• Indemnity
9.
Types of insurance:   
6
• Fire insurance
• Accident insurance – Personal Accident,
Insurance, Air travel Insurance, Workmen’s
Compensation Insurance, Burglary and
Theft Insurance, Fidelity Guarantee
Insurance, Motor Vehicle Insurance.
• Marine Insurance
• Life assurance
9.
Characteristics of each type of insurance 
7

SHOULD
TOPIC 10: INSTALMENT TRADING MUST DO COULD DO
DO
10.
Definition of Instalment Trading   
1
10. Advantages and disadvantages of instalment

2 trading
10.
Types of instalment trading:   
3
• Hire purchase
• Deferred payment
10. Differences between hire purchase and deferred
 
4 payment
10.
Simple calculation of instalment trading   
5

SHOULD
TOPIC 11: TYPES OF BUSINESS ORGANISATION MUST DO COULD DO
DO
11. Sole proprietorship or Sole Trader   

6
1
• Characteristics * *
• Advantages and disadvantages
11.
Partnership   
2
• Characteristics * *
• Types of Partnership – Active partner,

Sleeping partner, Nominal partner
• Partnership Agreement
• Advantages and disadvantages
11.
Limited Company   
3
• Registration of Limited Company
• Management of Limited Company
• Types of Limited Company – Private Limited
* *
Company and Public Limited Company
• Advantages and disadvantages of Public
Limited Company and Private Limited
Company
• Differences between Public Limited
*
Company and Private Limited Company
11. Private Limited Company and Public Limited

4 Company
• Characteristics
• Advantages and disadvantages

TOPIC 12: BOOKKEEPING: INTRODUCTION TO SHOULD

MUST DO COULD DO
LEDGER AND RULES OF DOUBLE-ENTRY DO
12. Definition of a ledger, an account and a
 
1 transaction
12. The importance for keeping book of accounts in

2 the ledger
12.
The format of a ledger   
3
12.
Classification of accounts and the definition:   
4
• Assets
• Liabilities
• Owner’s equity
• Expenses
• Revenues
The ledger account rules for recording Assets,
12.
Liabilities, Owner’s Equity, Expenses and  
5
Revenues in the ledger.
12.
Definition of double-entry recording system   
6
12. Application of the double-entry rules   

7
 7
12.
Closing/ balancing the ledger accounts   
8

TOPIC 13: BOOKKEEPING: SOURCE DOCUMENTS SHOULD

MUST DO COULD DO
AND BOOKS OF ORIGINAL ENTRY [PART 1] DO
13.
Definition of source documents  
1
13.
Definition and types of books of original entry  
2
13.
The General Journal/ Journal Proper:   
3
• Its functions *
• The source documents related to it *
• The format and its application *
• Posting to the ledger
13.
The Sales Journal/ Sales Day Book:   
4
• Its functions *
• The source documents related to it *
• The format and its application *
• Posting to the ledger
13.
The Purchases Journal/ Purchases Day Book   
5
• Its functions *
• The source documents related to it *
• The format and its application *
• Posting to the ledger
13.
The Sales Return Journal/ Returns Inwards Journal:   
6
• Its functions *
• The source documents related to it *
• The format and its application *
• Posting to the ledger
13. The Purchases Returns Journal/ Returns Outwards
  
7 Journal:
• Its functions *
• The source documents related to it *
• The format and its application *
• Posting to the ledger

TOPIC 14: BOOKKEEPING: SOURCE DOCUMENTS SHOULD

MUST DO COULD DO
AND BOOKS OF ORIGINAL ENTRY [PART 2] DO
14.
The Cash Book   
1
• Its functions *
• The source documents related to it *
• The rules of recording transactions in the
*
Cash Book
8
 • Contra entry
• The format of a two-column Cash Book *
14.
The Petty Cash Book   
2
• Its functions *
• The source documents related to it *
• The format of a Petty Cash Book and its
*
application

SHOULD
TOPIC 15: BOOKKEEPING: THE TRIAL BALANCE MUST DO COULD DO
DO
15.
Definition of a Trial Balance   
1
15.
Purposes of a Trial Balance  
2
15.
Format of a Trial Balance 
3
15.
Construction of a Trial Balance   
4

TOPIC 16: BOOKKEEPING: FINAL ACCOUNTS AND SHOULD

MUST DO COULD DO
THE BALANCE SHEET DO
16.
Definition of Final Accounts   
1
16.
Definition of Balance Sheet   
2
16. Format of the Final Accounts and the Balance

3 Sheet
16. Construction of Final Accounts and the Balance
  
4 Sheet
• Trading Account *
• Profit and Loss Account *
• Balance Sheet *

KEY:
* - Minimum required sub-topic for the students out of the whole topic.