Minute Taking Certification

Minute taking is a key administrative role which significantly increases the effectiveness of meetings. Without quality minutes, organisations can fail to harness drive and motivation and teams can lose focus. Minutes act like a compass to guide the team by recording past decisions and tracking current discussions and actions.

Without the specific skills needed to record information and output it in appropriate and effective ways, staff can become fearful of the process and refrain from taking the opportunity to practise critical skills. This course supports individuals to understand the role and learn the skills needed to effectively take minutes and support meetings, teams, groups, conferences and committees to enhance collaboration and efficiency.

Minute taking is not just about writing notes. To be a good minute taker requires an in-depth understanding of how to prepare for the meeting, the responsibilities during the meeting and processes to follow once the meeting is over. There are also key skills in listening and communication which can rapidly enhance effectiveness and enjoyment of the role.

Taking this course will prepare individuals to capture and output the correct level of detail and quality to meet internal and external compliance requirements. This course has been developed with experimental activities, detailed guidance and the opportunity to learn and practise the key skills and qualities mandatory for effective minute taking. The exercises, quizzes and worksheets assess progress as you go through the course, gradually building learning to a level of confident proficiency and expertise.

What you will learn

Lessons you will learn in this course include:

  • Understanding the basics of minute writing
  • The qualities of a minute taker
  • The benefits of taking minutes
  • Recording of minutes
  • Minutes layout
  • Minutes standards
  • Technology in minute taking
  • Common dos and don’ts when writing minutes

Benefits of the course

The benefits of taking this course include:

  • Understanding meeting minutes templates and when to use them
  • Know how to write different kinds of minutes suited to the occasion
  • Developing your listening skills to extract important information
  • Comprehend the style and tone of language and legal requirements
  • Learn how to effectively edit and proofread minutes to ensure accuracy

Taking this course will help individuals conquer fears and enhance skills. Organisational effectiveness can be dramatically improved by getting this key ability established in individuals and within teams. Anybody can learn how to take accurate minutes and quickly see the benefit this brings to the entire organisation.



Course Modules/Lessons

Module 1: Minute Taking Basics

  • Understand what meeting minutes are and what they are not
  • Know what a minute taker is and what their specific role is during the meeting
  • Investigate what meeting facilitation entails
  • Examine the advantages of taking minutes for every meeting

Module 2: Standards for Minute Taking

  • Establish the importance of well-prepared agenda items when taking minutes
  • Understand the need of standards when taking and sharing minutes
  • Examine the need for the filing and archiving of minutes and keeping a legal record
  • Understand the basic layout options and requirements for minutes

Module 3: Pre-Meeting Preparation

  • Learn the key tenets of pre-meeting preparation
  • Investigate the various technologies that you can use in taking minutes
  • Understand why the minute taker needs to speak to the Chair before the meeting
  • Establish what the minute taker needs to do when obtaining the agenda

Module 4: During And After The Meeting

  • Understand the various tasks and responsibilities of a minute taker
  • Investigate and prevent common mistakes made during meetings
  • Know how to use mind mapping tools to make capturing information easier
  • Examine the basic components to include when writing up minutes

Module 5: Personal Development

  • Understand what personal skills are required to become proficient at taking minutes
  • Establish the link between in minute taking and overall meeting quality and productivity
  • Examine the various listening modes and listening levels we experience
  • Discuss how a minute taker can improve their listening skills and focus

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FAQ's

  • Who can take the Minute Taking Certification course?

    There are no entry requirements to take the course.

  • What is the structure of the course?

    The course is broken down into 5 individual modules. Each module takes between 20 and 90 minutes on average to study. Although students are free to spend as much or as little time as they feel necessary on each module.

  • Where / when can the course be studied?

    The course can be studied study at any time and from any internet connected device

  • Is there a test at the end of the course?

    Once you have completed all 5 modules there is a multiple choice test. The questions will be on a range of topics found within the 5 modules. The test, like the course, is online and can be taken a time and location of your choosing.

  • What is the pass mark for the final test?

    The pass mark for the test is 70%.

  • What happens if a user fails the test?

    If the user doesn’t pass the test first time they will get further opportunities to take the test again after extra study. There are no limits to the number of times a test can be taken.

  • How long does it take to complete the Minute Taking Certification course?

    We estimate that the course will take about 8 hours to complete in total, plus an additional 30 minutes for the end of course test.