How WAEC Examiners Set WASSCE Questions in the Age of AI

With the advent of AI, WAEC examiners are gradually changing the way they set their WASSCE questions. Granted, the general rules that guide how WASSCE questions are set largely remain the same. However, there are certain secrets you need to know about how the folks at WAEC currently set their WASSCE questions in this new age of Artificial Intelligence technology.

These secrets I’m about to show you are, first and foremost, about Senior High School General Arts subjects. Examples are WASSCE/NECO SSCE/JAMB Literature-in-English, Government, Christian Religious Studies, Economics, History, Geography, and the rest.

However, you may also benefit from your knowledge about how WAEC examiners set their questions if you happen to be studying Business Accounting, Home Economics, Visual Arts, or even a Science subject like Biology.

The focus here is on essay questions.

A second thing to bear in mind is that we are considering essay questions only. Hopefully, I’ll tell you the secrets about how the people at WAEC go about setting their objective test questions, too. That should be in another post.

I’m about to reveal to you some WASSCE industry secrets that you may never have heard before.

And they will shock you!

Especially if you’re one of those Senior High School students or WASSCE candidates who are so suspicious of WAEC that they hold on to the unhelpful notion that the people at the West African Examination Council are just out there to get them.

Because that is not true.

The folks at WAEC are simply performing their duty. A very sacred duty: preparing future leaders who will be knowledgeable and skilful enough, and with a high sense of integrity, to contribute their quota to the nation-building effort.

Related:

2022 WASSCE Lexis and Structure Questions PDF

WASSCE 2024 Comprehension Passage Questions (with Answers) PDF

WAEC Questions Serve a Higher Purpose

Therefore, WAEC WASSCE questions are generally meant to test each candidate’s level of knowledge, skillset, and level of intellectual and moral integrity.

To test you effectively, your WAEC examiners need to ask questions that will not only assess your ability to memorise textbook facts and reproduce them, as a robot would do.

The WASSCE questions should also find out if you have adequately understood what you learnt. And more importantly, your WAEC examiners would want to know whether you can apply your knowledge to deal with everyday real-life issues.

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Therefore, this is the duty that guides examiners at WAEC. This is what informs the kind of questions they come up with. And this is what you need to bear in mind as you study diligently for your upcoming WASSCE.

It is now going to be easy for you to use, to your advantage, the secrets about how WAEC set their WASSCE questions.

The Secrets Behind How WAEC Examiners Set Their WASSCE Questions

Use this knowledge about how WAEC examiners set their WASSCE questions to strategise for your success in all your WASSCE papers.

DISCLAIMER: The points I am about to make here are not obtained from any WAEC source – authorized or otherwise. They are simply deduced from my decades-long practice of successfully preparing candidates with varying levels of talent and potential for the WAEC/WASSCE examination.

We can now move on.

1. Direct textbook questions have become too predictable.

Popular, predictable questions tend to promote rote learning. Their repeated use tends to produce lazy students, and sometimes teachers, who are only good at the mechanical reproduction of facts without even knowing what they mean.

Today, such questions tend to encourage some students and teachers to simply generate AI-assisted answers and reproduce them as their own without bothering to do any serious editing.

So your next WASSCE question will be asked in what appears to be a completely strange manner, but will ask for the same facts that you studied in the same syllabus.

Take these two Christian Religious Studies or Bible Knowledge questions, for example.

1. Describe the contest on Mount Carmel.
2. What religious tensions came up during the reign of King Ahab?

Do you see? If you’re a CRS or BK student, you will be familiar with the story of Prophet Elijah and the prophets of Baal during the time of King Ahab.

So both questions are asking for basically the same thing!

While question number one above is so predictable and is commonly taught by most tutors, question number two is not that obvious.

This is why you need to cultivate the skill to know that there are lots of ways WAEC can set questions to test for just one particular knowledge or skill.

2. WASSCE questions now test the candidate’s in-depth study of topics.

Let’s consider sample WAEC Literature questions on African Prose and African Drama.

African Prose: So the Path Does Not Die by Pede Hollist

The question, Discuss the theme of tradition vs modernity in Pede Hollist’s So the Path Does Not Die, for example, may be modified in subsequent years.

So, when you see a question like Examine the various tensions in Fina’s relationship with Cammy, note that it is largely about the same issues around tradition, modernity and female genital mutilation.

Second Class Citizen by Buchi Emecheta

For a WASSCE Literature-in-English question on Buchi Emecheta’s novel, Second Class Citizen, for example, your WAEC examiners will be interested in knowing whether you studied the full text in detail.

So, instead of asking you the obvious: Discuss the theme of racial discrimination in Second Class Citizen, WAEC can decide to put it this way: Describe Francis and Adah’s experience at Hawley Street, showing its significance.

Faceless by Amma Darko

For the novel, Faceless by Amma Darko: Discuss the role of the Adade family (or Kabria) may be considered too obvious. So they will ask the unpredictable, Comment on the role of Creamy in the novel.

And here too, both questions demand almost the same answer.

African Drama: The Marriage of Anansewa by Efua Sutherland

Efua Sutherland’s play, The Marriage of Anansewa, has been around for a long while. It is one play WAEC has on several occasions prescribed for Senior High School Literature students. For that matter, most past questions based on this play are widely known and predictable.

WAEC may not directly ask candidates the same past questions on The Marriage of Anansewa. This is why you ought to prepare yourself for any surprises.

Remember, I told you WAEC examiners are acutely aware of the ease with which students and teachers nowadays can produce and present wholly AI-generated answers to such questions.

Here are a couple of questions and their possible variations to expect under the section on The Marriage of Anansewa.

• Old and Predictable: Comment on the themes of greed and deception in The Marriage of Anansewa.

Modified: What attitudes come under criticism in the lead-up to Anansewa’s marriage?

• Old and Predictable: Discuss the themes of love and materialism in the play.

Modified: Highlight two major values the playwright explores in African traditional marriage.

The Lion and the Jewel by Wole Soyinka

Let’s look at this example from Wole Soyinka’s play, The Lion and the Jewel.

Discuss the theme of conflict between tradition and modernity in The Lion and the Jewel.

The above question has become too predictable. There are lots of resources, both online and offline, devoted to the theme of conflict between tradition and modernity and others in The Lion and the Jewel. Therefore, a student may decide to avoid reading the full text and instead focus on these for the examination.

To make you do what the Literature-in-English syllabus expects you to do – study the full text diligently – WAEC will go out of their way to ask you instead:

Comment on the encounter between Sidi and Lakunle in the Morning.

It is the theme of conflict between tradition and modernity that you’re being asked to write about, through the back door, so to speak!

3. More WASSCE questions are becoming applied questions.

Have you understood what you have studied and memorised? Can you identify its applicability in new or strange, real-life situations?

The folks at WAEC seem to be getting more interested in these questions. This is what I have found out from my years of studying, at close range, their WASSCE questions.

Gone are the days of rote learning. And for me, that’s heartwarming to know.

Just take a look at these two likely WASSCE Economics questions.

1. What effect will an increase in the demand for beef have on the price of hides? Illustrate your answer with a diagram.

2. With a diagram, explain the concept of joint supply. How does the demand for jointly supplied goods influence the determination of prices?

While question number two above looks more like the theory type of question, the first one is likely to be asked to test your understanding of that theory.

4. Every part of the syllabus matters in the examination.

WAEC examiners appear to have realised that there is too much focus on some so-called senior class topics to the detriment of their “form one” counterparts.

To let both teachers and students know that all topics in the syllabus are important, WAEC will spring some surprises here and there as it pleases.

So in your WASSCE Government question paper, for example, you will be shocked (which should, in fact, not be the case) to see on full parade your “form one questions” which you had ignored during your studies.

Form one: Outline five differences between a nation and a state.

Senior-level: Distinguish between unicameralism and bicameralism.

Mind you, I’m not saying that the so-called senior-level questions are being ignored by WAEC. No. What I’m telling you is that you need to treat all parts of the subject syllabus with equal seriousness.

Surely, you do not want to suffer any heartbreaking disappointment.

I’ve seen it too often to warn you with all there is in me.

5. Some questions can be very tricky

The next secret to know about how WAEC examiners set their WASSCE questions is that some of the questions can easily fool the candidate. They may lead you to provide the wrong answer.

However, it isn’t the intention of the guys at WAEC to mislead you. Remember, I’ve already made it clear to you that WAEC examiners are only doing their job properly. They go according to whatever is stated in the syllabus. So, it can never be their fault if you or your teacher fails to cover the syllabus before the examination.

Note also that you bear personal responsibility for all this. Your teacher will forever remain nothing more than your guide or coach. You need to personally go the extra mile and fill in the gaps, so to speak.

So, back to my point regarding how WAEC examiners set their questions that may end up misleading you.

Pause and Think

This kind of question can make a candidate deviate very easily. They sometimes appear to be straightforward, but they are not. Pausing to think a bit more can save and help you.

But what you need to know is that such tricky questions are, in fact, very easy to answer. All you need to do is put a finger on exactly what you’re being asked to give as an answer.

So, if you ever come across a question that appears very tempting because it looks simple and easy to understand, what must you do? Stop and think twice.

Consider this WASSCE Economics past question.

• What are the causes of an increase in demand?

Have you ever studied that topic in the Economics syllabus about the difference between CHANGE IN DEMAND and CHANGE IN QUANTITY DEMANDED? If yes, you will know where this question is leading you.

You must know that THE PRICE OF THE COMMODITY IN QUESTION should not be one of your points. Okay?

6. General or Regional vs Country-specific Questions

Please note this other secret about how WAEC examiners set their WASSCE questions.

For almost every General Arts subject in Senior High School, the syllabus covers topics that relate to both the whole of West Africa (or DEVELOPING COUNTRIES) and the individual countries that form part of the West African Examinations Council, WAEC.

For that matter, expect to see questions that may ask you to provide general points relating to the whole sub-region. At the same time, you will have questions that demand from you, country-specific points

It is true that quite often, the points are just about the same for country and sub-region. But, sometimes too, they may not be the same.

Consider this country-specific Government question:

OUTLINE THE REASONS WHY INDIRECT RULE SUCCEEDED IN NORTHERN NIGERIA

For your answer to such a question, you need facts that relate specifically to Nigeria, and northern Nigeria, for that matter.

So, even if you have some similar points about your country, say Sierra Leone, for example, you can’t just transfer them without any modifications as you answer the above question.

Then look at this Economics question too.

Identify five contributions of the primary sector to the economies of West African countries.

Remember that this one is not just about your country. But the points for both country and sub-region are generally the same.

Just make sure you don’t keep referring to your country alone. It should be “West African countries”.

It will be a disaster if you can’t mention the name of any West African country. Not even yours! As for the others, … well … Don’t laugh, I’ve seen it too often to be sure of this unfortunate situation.

Shall we continue? We want to dig deeper and find out more about how WAEC officials set their WASSCE questions.

7. Account For vs Give an Account of Questions

Just take a quick look at these two Christian Religious Studies questions.

• Give an account of the call of Abram.

• Account for the division of the United Kingdom of Israel.

Now, this is what you need to know about these two types of WAEC/WASSCE questions.

A question which asks you to give an ACCOUNT OF an event is telling you to narrate the story. Such a question may also come in this form:

• What are the circumstances that led to the call of Abram?

Typically, you’re going to write about the series of events that culminate in the incident. Then you may add the aftermath in a limited way, if necessary.

On the other hand, when you’re asked to ACCOUNT FOR an incident, it is more about WHY or the FACTORS/REASONS that CAUSE it to happen. Therefore, much as you may need to narrate a little, your work will not be complete without a mention of the CAUSES/REASONS/FACTORS.

8. Assess/Examine Questions

The word ‘assess’ speaks for itself, right? When we assess or examine a situation, we try to find out both or all sides to it. I mean the positives and the negatives. We essentially weigh them by way of comparison. After that, we conclude.

The same is what your WAEC examiners want you to do. This is when they give you a question of this nature. Take a look at these two Literature-in-English questions. You will understand provided you’re currently studying Second Class Citizen for your African Prose segment of the WAEC/NECO Literature syllabus.

• Assess the role of Francis Obi in the life of Adah in Second Class Citizen.

You may be tempted to think that Francis has only contributed negatively to Adah’s life. But the question expects you to find something positive to say about the role of Francis in Adah’s life as well. And, certainly, there is something positive to say about Francis, Adah’s husband.

It is only after doing so that you must draw your conclusions based on the facts you have provided.

The other question I want you to look at is this.

• Assess the character and role of Sadiku in The Lion and the Jewel.

The explanation I’ve just given applies here too.

9. WAEC are fond of setting two-in-one questions

This is another example of how WAEC set their WASSCE questions. In this case, the question asks the candidate to do two separate things in the same essay.

This type of question is common in the English Language Essay or composition section.

Here is an example:

• Write an article for publication in a national daily on the causes of youth unemployment in your country and how to remedy the situation.

You will also find similar questions in the elective General Arts subject papers.

PLEASE NOTE: This is not the same as questions that are put under clear subdivisions carrying their own labels (For example: a. What is proto-nationalism? b. Outline three features of proto-nationalism).

The difference is that while the “sub-division” question is clear, so you may not forget to answer the second part, the one we are talking about here is not that clear. This could be the reason many candidates tend to overlook the second part or ignore it altogether. Consider the following questions.

• Describe the encounter between David and the prophet Nathan, showing its significance (Christian Religious Studies)

• What were the achievements and failures of the Sokoto Caliphate under Uthman dan Fodio? (History)

• Discuss the causes and effects of the 1948 Accra riots in Ghana. (Government)

• Outline the achievements and failures of the National Congress of British West Africa. (Government)

The key point to bear in mind here is this. Do equal justice to both parts of this type of question. Many candidates tend to either ignore the second part completely or treat it as if it does not matter. The secret is, in a lot of cases, the marking scheme awards half of the total score to each part.

10. All WAEC Questions Carry Equal Marks

I want you to remember this, especially if you’re an Economics student. Your so-called “compulsory” part of the Economics essay paper (WHICH IS NEVER COMPULSORY, anyway – I’ll explain soon) shares the marks equally with the other questions in that paper.

So, do not spend all your time struggling over a single question just because you erroneously think it is “compulsory”. Let’s explain this further.

Supposing the available total score is 100, and you’re expected to answer five questions in all, then each question, compulsory or not, carries 20 marks. And I don’t think it makes a lot of sense to spend almost half, or more, of your time, fighting over 20 marks while the remaining 80 marks are there waiting for you to take.

The interesting thing is, quite often, those other four questions are way easier to deal with.

Now to the “compulsory” bit.

My simple question to you, if you believe in this “compulsory part” myth, which is very widespread among Senior High School Economics students, is this: How can a question be compulsory when you must select only one out of TWO to answer?

In what way is that different from selecting four out of the remaining EIGHT? Do you see my point?

My advice is this. Be smart in your choice of questions and with the time you spend on each one of them. Because, at the end of the day, all questions carry equal marks.

11. Higher marks are awarded freely to full-essay answers

Now let’s talk briefly about how WAEC examiners expect candidates to answer the essay questions they set.

Much as it is not completely wrong to tabulate points and present them as an answer to WAEC WASSCE questions, candidates who end up scoring very good grades (like A or B), tend to write their answers in full essays containing well-developed paragraphs.

Yes, I know that a certain part of your WAEC/NECO/JAMB essay question may ask you to “state” or “briefly outline” this or that. This is clear and straight to the point. But when a question says “discuss”, “describe”, “examine”, “comment”, etc, and all you do is give a numbered list of skeleton points, there is no way you can hope for an A or B score. That’s my point.

12. What you studied is always going to be there.

Unless you did not study or prepare well enough.

This last secret behind WAEC WASSCE questions should be a source of encouragement and hope for any serious candidate.

WAEC will never set questions which are based on topics outside your subject syllabus. So all you should be doing right now is this. Please take into consideration all I have been telling you so far as you prepare for your WASSCE.

Then there is a very good chance that you will do well. I wish you success in your WASSCE.

More questions to illustrate further …

I want to end this post on how WAEC examiners set their WASSCE questions in a grand style. I’m going to give you a general illustration of the kind of WAEC/NECO/JAMB questions we’ve been talking about.

You will see in the examples below the questions which come straight from the textbook. These are so obvious and predictable.

Then you will see the not-too-obvious ones. They are the tricky or sometimes “strange” WASSCE questions that may make the candidate, upon reading them, feel like he or she has just been hit unexpectedly in the stomach by an attacker.

Don’t forget, though. My assessment of the tricky nature or otherwise of the questions you’re about to see is not cast in stone. Because what may be tricky for one exam candidate may turn out to be a walkover for another. But I trust that, at the very least, you will find most examples true.

Let’s get going.

African Poetry Literature Questions – A Bit Tricky

• Discuss the theme of affection in Black Woman

• Identify the concerns of the Forest Sage in The Leader and the Led.

• Describe the changing mood of the poet in The Grieved Lands of Africa.

• Comment on the poet’s attitude to time in The Song of the Women of My Land.

• Examine the poet’s intentions in Raider of the Treasure Trove.

African Poetry Literature Questions – Direct and Obvious

• Comment on the theme of beauty in Black Woman.

• Discuss the theme of political leadership in The Leader and the Led.

• Describe the poet’s use of diction and imagery in The Grieved Lands of Africa.

• Discuss the use of metaphor in The Song of the Women of my Land.

• What is the poet’s attitude to rage in Raider of the Treasure Trove?

• What makes A Government Driver on His Retirement a narrative poem?

Non-African Poetry Questions – A Bit Tricky

• Comment on the theme of attachment in G.M. Hopkins’ Binsey Poplars.

• Comment on the poet’s use of contrasting metaphors in Dylan Thomas’ Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night.

• Discuss the theme of change in Bat by D.H. Lawrence.

• Comment on the appropriateness of the title of John Donne’s poem, The Good Morrow.

• Describe the experiences of the magi in T.S. Eliot’s Journey of the Magi.

Non-African Poetry Questions – Direct and Obvious

• Discuss the theme of destruction in Binsey Poplars.

• Comment on the poet’s attitude to death in Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night.

• Examine the poet’s use of contrast in Bat by D.H. Lawrence.

• Comment on the theme of love in The Good Morrow.

• Discuss the use of diction and imagery in Journey of the Magi.

African Prose Literature Questions – A Bit Tricky

1. Describe Adah’s experience at Hawley Street, bringing out its significance.

1. Discuss the significance of Bubu’s birth.

• Examine Francis’ teaching on the Virtuous Woman.

• Comment on the theme of intra-racial discrimination in Second Class Citizen.

• Assess the character and role of Mrs Konrad in Second Class Citizen.

• What are your impressions about “The Presence” in Buchi Emecheta’s Second Class Citizen?

• Comment on the theme of religion in Second Class Citizen.

African Prose Literature Questions – Direct and Obvious

• Discuss the role of Mr Cole in Second Class Citizen.

• Describe the character and role of Adah.

• Assess the character and role of Francis Obi.

• How does Lawyer Nweze contribute to the development of the plot in Second Class Citizen?

• Comment on the theme of dreams in the novel.

• Discuss the theme of racism in Second Class Citizen.

WAEC Government Questions – A Bit Tricky

• Highlight six factors that favour the electoral success of a political party.

• Explain four reasons for the adoption of a republican constitution in Ghana after independence. (SAME AS ADVANTAGES)

• Discuss the characteristics of military regimes in West African countries. (SAME AS DISADVANTAGES/DEMERITS).

• Discuss the composition of the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations Organization and four of its functions.

• Highlight any six EXTERNAL factors that led to increased nationalist activities in British West Africa after the Second World War.

• Why did the Burns Constitution of 1946 fail to meet the aspirations of the nationalists in the Gold Coast? (WEAKNESSES/SHORTCOMINGS)

• Explain six factors that led to the military coup d’etat of 24^th February 1966 in Ghana. (THE OVERTHROW OF NKRUMAH/CPP)

• Discuss the role of the Public Service Commission.

• Explain why the United Nations is a useful international organization. (ACHIEVEMENTS, PLEASE)

• Outline any four functions of the Supreme Court of Ghana under the 1979 constitution. (Note that the functions of the Supreme Court have largely remained the same under all the republican constitutions. So your knowledge of one set of functions is enough, whether the question is about 1960, 1969, 1979 or 1992.)

Government Questions – Obvious and Direct

• Outline the duties of a citizen.

• Discuss the functions of the executive arm of government.

• Identify five features of a federal form of government.

• Outline six functions of government.

• Highlight any three merits of centralization of power.

• Describe five features of a good electoral system.

• Describe four features of the pre-colonial Akan political system.

• State six achievements of the Commonwealth of Nations.

• Give any five reasons for the study of government.

• Identify any five merits of a multi-party system.

The following two different sets of WAEC Economics questions will show you more about how the people at WAEC set their questions.

WAEC Economics Questions – A Bit Tricky

• Why do countries conduct a population census? (USES OF POPULATION CENSUS STATISTICS)

• Explain the view that in a free market economy, prices influence the allocation of resources.

• What fiscal measures can the government take to solve the problem of balance of payment deficit?

• Outline four monetary policy measures that can be used to control a high rate of inflation.

• Why do doctors earn higher salaries than labourers?

• Assuming you are an entrepreneur, where would you locate the following factories? In each case, give reasons for your choice of location. i.a furniture factory, ii. a sugarcane processing factory, iii. an aluminium smelting factory.

• How does government fiscal policy affect national income and employment?

• Why may a developing country minimize its participation in international trade?

• Explain the factors that can cause an increase in demand for a commodity.

• Why is the level of agricultural output in your country low?

Economics Questions – Obvious and Direct.

• Highlight the advantages and disadvantages of the mobility of labour.

• Explain the effects of inflation.

• What factors influence the location of an industry?

• What are the advantages and disadvantages of direct taxation?

• Describe the role of middlemen in the internal trade of your country.

• Explain the determinants of price elasticity of demand.

• What are the factors that give rise to a monopoly?

• Why do countries control prices?

• How can a country restrict international trade?

• Why is foreign investment important in your country?

The following are two separate groups of CRS past questions which explain further how WAEC set their WASSCE questions.

WAEC Christian Religious Studies Questions – A Bit Tricky

• Explain the attitude of Jesus toward his miracles.

• It was not the wisdom of Solomon but the folly of Rehoboam which led to the division of the Hebrew Kingdom. Discuss.

• What biblical events indicate that God was always in conversation with Abraham?

• Explain Amos’s attack on the rich people of Samaria.

• Narrate the trial of Jesus according to Matthew and Mark.

• Why is King Manasseh described as an apostate by biblical commentators?

• How did God make it possible for the people of Nineveh to hear his message?

• Describe how greed led Gehazi to sin.

• Give an account of how Jesus handled the issues of adultery and divorce during the Sermon on the Mount. (JESUS’ TEACHINGS ON ADULTERY AND DIVORCE)

• How does the author of the book of James address the problem of genuine religion? (JAMES’ TEACHING ON FAITH AND WORKS)

Christian Religious Studies Questions – Direct and Obvious

• Describe the role played by Samuel in the history and religion of Israel.

• Describe the encounter between Philip and Cornelius.

• Give an account of the Last Supper.

• Outline the characteristics of Mark’s gospel.

• Discuss the story of the confession of Peter at Caesarea Phillipi.

• Describe the mission of the twelve spies.

• Describe the three main encounters between Elijah and Ahab.

• Highlight Jesus’s teaching on marriage and divorce.

• Discuss the married life of Hosea.

• Comment on the healing of the paralytic.

Do you need help?

Conclusion

So there you have it. Now you have a fair idea of how WAEC examiners set their WASSCE questions. Remember, NECO and JAMB questions are generally the same. The explanations I’ve given you in this post should enable you to deal with any questions that may come from the folks at WAEC in the coming examination.

Thank you!