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Do you have a question concerning WAEC, our examinations, results, etc? Click here for answers to frequently asked questions.

Special Article: How to pass in Examinations

(1) Q. How does a person register for a WAEC examination for instance - the WASSCE.

(2) Q. What are the entry regulations for the WASSCE Examination?

(3) Q. Who are those qualified to sit for the WASSCE?

(4) Q. What channels of communication exist between candidates and WAEC?

(5) Q. Who are the officials involved in the conduct of WAEC examinations?

(6) Q. Does WAEC have a way of disciplining erring functionaries?

(7)Q. Do WAEC officials mark candidates' scripts?

(8)Q. Who are these examiners and how are they appointed?

(9)Q. How does WAEC ensure standardisation in grading?

(10) Q. Can a candidate register a protest over his examination result? If 'yes', how?

(11) Q. Why are some results cancelled?

(12)Q. What are examination malpractices?

(13)Q. Can one combine WASSCE May/June and WASSCE Nov/Dec exam results for admission purposes?

(14)Q. How does a candidate get errors on his result slip or certificates corrected?

(15)Q. Why is it that candidates sometimes have partial release of results?

(16) Q. How does a candidate claim his certificate?

(17)Q. What Is the official life-span of WAEC Certificates?

(18 )Q. Does WAEC replace lost result slips/certificates?

(19)Q, How does one obtain a statement of result?

(20) Q. Does WAEC prepare candidates for its examinations?


(21) Q. Which WAEC Offices issue certificates ?

(22)Q. Does WAEC accredit certificates, say, from foreign institutions?

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ANSWERS

(1) Q. How does a person register for WAEC examinations such as the WASSCE for example?
A. The Council usually advertises entry periods and entry procedures in national newspapers. In respect of the WASSCE for example, the Council conducts two exams each year; the first in May/June for school candidates and the second in October/November for private candidates.
The May/June exam is for school candidates and all entry formalities are undertaken by schools presenting candidates.
In the case of the private candidates' examination, entry is on an individual basis. A prospective candidate obtains an entry form from the WAEC office nearest to him. He completes the form and sends it back to the WAEC office with the stipulated fees.
He soon receives an acknowledgement card and, later, other documents indicating his examination number, centre, admission notice and a photo-card which serves the purpose of identification. He also receives a copy of the exam time-table. April is usually the entry period for private candidates,
It is important to note that WAEC does not accept cash either for the purchase of entry forms or for the payment of subject entry fees. Payments must be in either bank draft or postal order.

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(2) Q. What are the entry regulations for the WASSCE Examination?
A. Candidates are required to enter and sit for a minimum of eight (8) and a maximum of nine (9) subjects.
These must include the following :
(i) English Language
(ii) Mathematics
(iii) At least one Nigerian Language (see footnote)
(iv) At least one of the following alternative subjects
Physics, Chemistry and Biology.
(v) At least one of Literature-in-English, History and Geography.
(vi) Agricultural Science or at least one vocational subject.
These are the core subjects.
In addition to the above, every student must offer any three of the underlisted subjects not already offered as core subjects:
Biology Economics Physics Book-Keeping Chemistry Typewriting Further Mathematics Shorthand Commerce History Geography Literature-in-English Agricultural Science Woodwork Health Science Auto-Mechanics Building Construction Music Clothing and Textiles Art Christian Religious Knowledge French Islamic Studies Physical Education Arabic Studies Government Metal Work Applied Electricity Electronics Foods and Nutrition Technical Drawing Home Management
NOTE: The Federal Ministry of Education has given a waiver
in respect of Nigerian Languages for the 2003 examination. This implies that candidates' entries are valid with or without a Nigerian language for the period of the waiver

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(3) Q. Who are those qualified to sit for the WASSCE?
A. In the case of the school examination, the prospective candidate must be in the SS 3 class in a recognized school,
For the private candidates' examination, any one of the following categories may enter for the WASSCE

a. Those who have attempted the WASSCE in previous years;
b. Those who have attempted the GCE and obtained a pass in at least three subjects;
c. Those who have passed the Teachers’ Grade two examination

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(4) Q. What channels of communication exist between candidates and WAEC?
A. WAEC policy discourages direct communication with school candidates. School candidates are expected to send their complaints to WAEC through their school principals, while, private candidates write directly to WAEC.

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(5) Q. Who are the officials involved in the conduct of WAEC examinations?
A. There are three categories of officials, they are: supervisors invigilators and inspectors.
Supervisors are teachers nominated by the various State Ministries of Education. They are actually responsible for conducting the exams at the various centres. It is their responsibility to collect question papers from the custodian and return answer scripts to the custodian centres.
Invigilators are usually teaching staff nominated by their school principals to assist the supervisors at the centres while inspectors are WAEC staff members who go from one centre to another when the examination is in progress.

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(6) Q. Does WAEC have a way of disciplining erring functionaries?
A. Yes. Reports about functionaries who are teachers are made to the various State Ministries of Education and All Nigerian Conference of Principals of Secondary Schools (ANCOPSS) for disciplinary measures. Such functionaries have been disciplined in the past, WAEC has its own procedures for disciplining erring inspectors.

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(7)Q. Do WAEC officials mark candidates' scripts?
A. No. The marking of scripts is handled by examiners appointed by WAEC. They are usually educationists who are familiar with the classroom situation and their identities are not supposed to be disclosed.

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(8)Q. Who are these examiners and how are they appointed?
A. WAEC examiners are mostly graduate teachers in secondary schools, and some lecturers in colleges of education, universities and polytechnics.
A prospective examiner must be a graduate in the subject he is appointed to mark. In addition, he must have a minimum of two years of classroom teaching experience and must be recommended by the principal of the school in which he teaches.

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(9)Q. How does WAEC ensure standardisation in grading?
A. First, a committee of experts draws up a marking guide. All appointed examiners are then thoroughly drilled in all aspects of the marking scheme in a simulated marking exercise called co-ordination. Actual marking does not start until the co-ordinating officers are satisfied that all examiners know what is required of them. Even when actual marking begins, the examiners are not left entirely on their own. They are organised into small groups, each being supervised by a highly experienced examiner called a Team Leader. The Team Leader checks and vets the group members' marking progressively to ensure that they are keeping to the guidelines. The Team Leaders themselves are supervised by more experienced examiners called Chief Examiners. When marking is finally completed, WAEC still goes ahead to employ another group of people called Checkers. The main role of Checkers is to ensure that all marks awarded by examiners are correctly recorded and transferred to the appropriate score sheets.

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(10) Q. Can a candidate register a protest over his examination result? If 'yes', how?
A. Yes, but only if he is a school candidate. No provision is made for a private candidate in this regard. Even then, a school candidate does not write directly to WAEC. It is his principal who, knowing the candidate's ability, forwards a request for the review of the candidate's scripts. Of course, there is a specified fee to be paid on every paper to be reviewed. Such requests should be sent in within six months of any examination.

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(11) Q. Why are some results cancelled?
A. Results could be cancelled when candidates are caught in examination malpractices.

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(12)Q. What are examination malpractices?
A. The following, among others, constitute examination malpractices:

— Candidates bringing books or cribs into the
examination hall;
— Insulting or assaulting any supervisor or invigilator;
— Swopping of scripts in an examination hall;

— Replacing their answer scripts with another one during or after the examination;
— Impersonation;
— Taking part in mass or organised cheating in the exam hall.

A comprehensive list of offences is provided in Council's Regulations & Syllabuses on sale nationwide.

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(13)Q. Can one combine WASSCE May/June and WASSCE Nov/Dec exam results for admission purposes?
A. Yes.

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(14)Q. How does a candidate get errors on his result slip/ certificates corrected?
A. A Private candidate sends his request for an amendment to WAEC directly while in the case of a school candidate it is the principal who makes the request.
In the two instances, the original copy of the result slip/certificate should be sent along with the application for amendment. WAEC charges a fee for the amendment where it is discovered that the error emanated from the candidate, otherwise, it is free.

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(15)Q. Why is it that candidates sometimes have partial release of results?
A. Results are partially released due to queries arising from one or a combination of the following mistakes:
(a) Wrong transfer of examination numbers in one or more papers;

(b) Failure to shade examination numbers
(c) Shading objective sheets with biro pens instead of pencil;
(d) Mistakes in entries leading to duplication of subjects.

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(16) Q. How does a candidate claim his certificate?
A. School candidates collect their certificates from their school while private candidates obtain theirs directly from WAEC.

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(17)Q. What Is the official life-span of WAEC Certificates?
A. WAEC certificates have no expiry date.

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(18 )Q. Does WAEC replace lost result slips/certificates?
A. No. Instead it issues statements of result to the owners of lost result slips/certificates or, when necessary, confirms their results for a fee.

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(19)Q, How does one obtain a statement of result?
A. A statement of result can be obtained by sending to WAEC, an application letter containing the address to which the statement should be sent, an affidavit, one's passport photograph, a testimonial and a prescribed fee in cash or bank draft. Detailed information on these requirements can be obtained by writing to the WAEC office nearest to you. Such statements are not normally handed over to candidates. They are sent direct to the institutions/establishments which candidates want to provide with the information.

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(20) Q. Does WAEC prepare candidates for its examinations?
A. No. All the organisation does is to conduct examinations and award certificates.

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(21) Q. Which WAEC Offices issue certificates ?
A. Candidates can claim their certificates from WAEC zonal offices nearest to their centres of examination. A list of our zonal offices states covered by each of them is provided here for guidance.
(1) Benin Zonal Office: (Edo, Delta and Ondo States)
(2) Enugu Zonal Office: (Enugu Anambra and Benue States)
(3) Ibadan Zonal Office:, (Oyo, Osun, Kwara and Kogi States

(4) Ikeja Zonal Office (Lagos and Ogun States)
(5) Jos Zonal Office: (Plateau and Bauchi States)
(6) Maiduguri Zonal Office: (Borno, Yobe, Taraba and Adamawa States)
(7) Kaduna Zonal Office: (Kano, Kaduna, Niger, Katsina, Jigawa States and Federal Capital Territory.
(8) Sokoto Zonal Office: (Sokoto and Kebbi States)
(9) Owerri Zonal Office: (I mo, Rivers, Akwa-Ibom,
Cross River and Abia States).

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(22)Q. Does WAEC accredit certificates, say, from foreign institutions?
A. No. Accreditation is carried out by the Federal Ministry of Education alone

 

 

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