How to Pass any WAEC exam

The dream of every WAEC CANDIDATE is to pass WAEC EXAMS once and for all.
However, this doesn’t work for everybody.
I explained this concept in my article on the reasons why people fail WAEC EXAMS and the best way to survive the recent WAEC EXAMS Update.
In this article, I have highlighted the 14 tips you need to know to pass your WAEC EXAMS.

You must understand that WAEC is now a major factor for gaining admission into your desired university and to study your desired course. Make sure you do every positive thing posible to pass your WAEC exams and gain admission once and for. It will enable you leave your current level and face the University admission trend.

14 Tips To Pass Waec Exams And Avoid Failure

• Don’t neglect “easy” topics

Take any WAEC past questions and you’d certainly see questions most students would consider “easy questions”.

Some of these “easy questions” are awarded high marks. Yet, students still fail to answer these questions correctly.

It’s not because these students are not intelligent enough to get the question right. But they were too busy focusing on covering relatively harder topics at the expense of “easy ones”.

For example:

I’ve seen students who concentrated on covering topics they treated in SSS 2 to their final year. To them most topics treated in S 1 were easy and didn’t need much attention.

But they were hit with the truth when questions from topics they treated in S 1 appeared on the WASSCE for the subject in question.

Don’t make that mistake. Don’t look down on any topic even if you think it’s very easy.

• Understand how you study best

Every individual learns differently.

It’s important you know the most suitable way for you to study to get the maximum result.

For example:

A student who learns best at a quiet environment would certainly need to study in a library or quiet room.

• Know that you come first

I remember the words my high school proprietor would say:

You did not come to school with Kojo, Kwame or Christine, so forget them and focus on your exams.

I do not mean you should be selfish or anti-social.

But know this:

After high school, you and your friends are most likely to go separate ways. But your WASSCE / WAEC results go with you wherever you go.

So whatever you do should be to your best interest.

If you fail the WASSCE / WAEC examination at the expense of helping others, you’re to blame.

Note: I’m not saying helping others is bad, but when the help you give them becomes a liability—cut it off. Remember,  it’s your life.

• Put the WASSCE / WAEC examination in perspective

Don’t act as if you don’t have anything at stake before the WASSCE / WAEC exams.

Think about how best you can optimise your chances of passing the WASSCE every day.

Note: Don’t do this in an obsessed manner. You may go crazy.

TIPS TO PASS WAEC EXAMS

CONTENT
1. For each essay “content” has a maximum of 10 marks.

2. “Content” refers to relevance of ideas to the topic and its specific audience and purpose. It also refers to the appropriateness of the language and relevance to the central theme and its development.

The adequacy of treatment of the subject matter is important and there must be some originality in approach. A reproduction of knowledge from another subject like Biology or Economics not original to the writer will lead to reduction of marks. Above all, any deliberate distortion of ideas will be penalized e.g. writing a letter to an editor instead of an article, will be punished.

Engaging in an irrelevant topic to the question set will lead to being awarded zero marks. Where the composition appears to be totally irrelevant, the scripts will be referred to the Chief Examiner.

Sometimes, many candidates hastily choose a topic they do not understand. Consequently, the topic is frequently misinterpreted, distorted or abandoned half way for lack of acceptable material e.g. a candidate who was asked to write on an incident but who wrote on an accident will lose marks for irrelevancy if the question has no relevance to an accident.

3. Following the rules of grammar and punctuation judiciously is not sufficient, a passage without errors of language can be considered badly phrased or difficult to follow based on form and content.

4. An unusual and unexpected approach will,however, not be rejected without careful consideration.

YOUR ANSWER SHOULD NOT BE LESS THAN 450 WORDS

BELOW IS HOW WAEC EXAMINERS WILL MARK YOUR ENGLISH ESSAY ANSWER SCRIPTS

ORGANIZATION

5. For each essay, “organization” has a maximum of 10 marks.

6. “Organization” refers to the correct use of formal features such as good paragraphing, appropriate use of emphasis and arrangement of ideas. Paragraphs are expected to be chronologically, spatially and logically coherent.

7. What examiners look for include a suitable opening, adequate development into paragraphs, links between paragraph, balance, unity, coherence, and a suitable conclusion. For example, in a letter, all features must be present.

Absence of necessary feature or wrong use will be penalized. Paragraphs are expected to be effectively linked for a good score. The usual problem here is inadequate preparation.

Many answers lack paragraph development, or logical slanting. Again, single-sentence paragraphs are usually common. At the extreme, some essays have one or two paragraphs .

MECHANICAL ACCURACY

8. For each essay, “mechanical accuracy” has a maximum of 10marks
Mechanical accuracy refers to grammar, punctuation and spelling (GPS) rules to be complied with. Errors discovered will be penalized by examiners, and / mark deducted for each, up to a maximum of 10marks.

9. Candidates are expected to use skillful and sophisticated ways of punctuations and should avoid being “caught” by examiners especially on errors indicated by WAEC in its yearly Chief Examiners’ Reports.

ADDITIONAL TECHNICAL NOTES FOR MARKING ESSAY / COMPOSITIONS

10. Examiners will mark on the principle of positive marking i.e. credit will be awarded for what is done right, and penalty will be given for errors and blemishes. Penalties are not in all cases numerical deductions, but the award of a mark lesser than would have been awarded if there were no blemishes.

11. Once the examiner determines the length of about 450 words, he or she will rule the point. No errors are to count for mechanical accuracy after this point but will be
 if found and taken into account in giving the mark for “expression”.

12. When a composition is short or below its required length the maximum mark for M.A shall be proportionately reduced. This will be done before the examiner awards the overall mark for M.A. While there is no penalty against a long composition, generally, the length may count for either a reward or a penalty under CONTENT, ORGANIZATION and EXPRESSION.

13. If a candidate attempts more than one essay question, only the first one answered will be marked. No penalty shall be given for others.

14. If a candidate writes on a topic that is irrelevant to the question set, zero shall be awarded for content and organization, and not more than 8 marks out of 20 for expression. The mechanical accuracy bit of it will be treated as stated above


FINISHED ✌✌