How to Answer and Pass WAEC, NECO, GCE Questions 2024

How to Read, Answer and Pass [current_year] WAEC, NECO, GCE Questions

WAEC, NECO, GCE is coming soon… Look, I don’t care how many past questions you have or how often you study these questions. You may spend quality time in lessons and long hours of reading and studying but one is certain….. Understanding!!!

You may know what the answer to a question is but do you know how to answer such a question? There is a big difference between knowing the answer and how to answer. And this is where most of you fail.

I was once a teacher, WAEC, NECO, and BECE examiner. When I see how students answer questions, I usually have the urge to knock them on the head. Knowledge is sweet, but understanding is king!!! Forget what other websites are telling you – unlearn what you have learned. If they don’t show you how to answer questions by understanding it, then you’re wasting your time.

To pass waec questions, you must be prepared. My dear, I can’t overstress the importance of preparation. If you want to get straight A’s in WAEC, you must study. If you’re don’t have time to study, create one. Don’t confuse preparation and study, they are not the same.

To pass WAEC examination in one sitting, you must prepare your mind and body. You need the mind to understand what you read, you need the body to carry the mind. Once your body is down, you will find it difficult to use your mind.

Preparation leads to study
Study leads to success.

There are 6 things you must have to pass waec with straight A’s. It is a joyful experience to pass WAEC in one sitting instead of using combinations of results. These are the things you must do to pass WAEC in one sitting

Get Subject combinations.

The first thing during preparation is to know the required subject combinations for your desired course. Use the search box on this website homepage and type the name of your desired course and see the subject combinations.

Get WAEC past questions:

Now, buy the past questions for those required subjects that you must pass in WAEC. Including Mathematics and English.

Get WAECsyllabus:

Now, get the syllabus for each subject. The syllabus will serve as a guide to which area you need to focus on while preparing for WAEC

Study Keypoints:

Going through textbooks is time-consuming though still useful for reference. Keypoint is king. You can read through key points within a week. Check Fatherprada E-learning

Create space:

You can’t just sit anywhere to study. Look for a comfortable place and position. To pass WAEC with straight A’s in one sitting, you need to go extra miles. A place where even your parent will find it difficult to call you for any domestic work. A place that, when they see you there studying, they will not bother you.

Use a Jotter:

You need a jotter to make a note and put down your thoughts. Noting down areas of difficulty and finding someone capable to help you shows your seriousness.

Maintain a fixed time:

There must be a specific time for study. You can choose morning, afternoon, evening or midnight. Choose a time and stick with it.

Know your Reading habit:

The way I read is not the way you read. The maximum time I spend reading is 1hour 30 minutes. I have a friend who can study from 12 am to 6 am. Don’t go beyond the capacity of your mind. Understand how long you can study and stick with it.

Studying Style:

You can be a lone ranger when studying or among a group of friends. Whichever, ensure you follow your reading style. Learn more here.

These are the step to answer and past waec questions

• Don’t rush
• Read the questions thoroughly
• Understand the questions. This is the problem with most students. They see the questions and because they are familiar with waec questions, they jump into answering such questions — wrong move.
• Answer the questions according to how the questioner wants the answers. Don’t answer what you’re not told to answer.
• Don’t break the rules. Follow the rules.
• Revise your answer
• Draw two lines on any mistake

Check out how to read and pass JAMB questions

How to answer and past waec questions

I am happy you want to learn how to answer and pass WAEC examination questions instead of relying on exam expo. There are different ways to set a question. While group A may tell you to define and list, group B may tell you to e.g ‘ Explain the concept of Molecular Biology blah blah. 

Group A is simple and wants a straight answer but group B wants your opinion and comprehensive explanation. They all ask questions within the scope of a subject and presumably, what you have been taught. I am glad you’re reading this because when you’re through, you will be able to answer [current_year] WAEC questions with ease. I’ve been a teacher, so I know the question asked in waec and neco.

All examination questions have similar presentations which include:

1. 1. Define
   2. Describe
   3. Explain
   4. Elucidate
   5. Expatiate
   6. List
   7. Identify
   8. Mention
   9. Discuss
   10. Differentiate between.
   11. With the aid of a diagram
   12. Objectives

This is how you should answer WAEC, NECO or GCE Questions

Define:

This is the most common way of presenting a question in WAEC, NECO or GCE. The Examiner or tester is simply asking you to give a definition to the question. This type of answer are universal, and 200 students can give the same answer. When asked to define Economics, Robbin’s definition comes to mind. It is advisable to write a definition the Examiner is familiar with and then add other definitions with reference. Explaining a definition when you’re expected to define will neither increase nor decrease your scores

Explain:

To explain a question means to define inclusively with your thought or opinion. This type of question in WAEC, NECO or GCE, usually carry more mark. Best is to answer this question after you have answered every other question. It means to define and interpret or to make clear.

When posed with a question that requires an explanation, a simple definition is never enough. The questioner wants you to write all you know about the question, and citing other references will be an added advantage because you’re simply telling the questioner that you have done your home well.

Elucidate:

This is a trickish way of asking questions in WAEC. Elucidating is another form of explanation, but if you observe the question well enough, the questioner only requires you to make clearer his/her questions through the use of supportive answers. The questions are not presented to be understood easily, so the first step in answering such questions is to understand the question itself and what answer is required.

Expatiate:

Expatiating a question simply means give an answer to a question with your knowledge. The examiner wants to know if you understand the subject being questioned. You can’t answer such by writing a known definition. It may result in total failure or less marks.

List:

You will surely meet this type of question in WAEC. To list simply means to itemize or enumerate. You don’t need to explain what you’re listing that won’t give you extra marks. When asked to list 5 things, list them as required. Don’t make the mistake of writing what is not needful. If the marking scheme is 5 and you wrote heaven and earth instead of listing, you will get the default mark.

Mention:

To mention means to make a list and give a short note. This is where many students fail in WAEC exams. They think listing and mentioning are the same, well they are not and now you know. While some examiners will ask you to list and explain, others will tell you to mention.  You either list first and give the explanation later or give the explanation as you make the list.

Discuss:

I believe you know what it means to discuss. You can define, mention, share your thoughts, make an argument, cite and above all make your point known and don’t go outside the scope.
Differentiate between or Compare and Contrast
When you come across such question WAEC, it is fairly easy to understand. What makes A differ from B vice versa. Make a list of these differences with a short note.  Don’t write for example A has no leg but there is a leg in B. That’s a wrong way to answer such a question. To compare means to examine similarity or differences which are noticeable. To contrast means to draw out differences (A significant change) from that which was compared.

Here is a good example
A and B are Alphabet Letters. But A is the 1st letter of the Roman alphabet and the first letter of the vowel sound while B is the 2nd letter of the Roman alphabet, although not among the vowels, it is the first among the consonant sound.

Answering Objectives:

Answering objectives simply mean reading a question and choosing the correct answer from a given option. One sad thing about answering objectives is that if you have no knowledge of the question you’re likely to fail. As simple as this may sound, objective questions are very difficult to answer in WAEC, NECO or GCE especially when answers in the options look alike. To answer objective questions, you need an objective mind.

Check out how to read and pass JAMB questions
I think I have said enough… and I wish you well!