Weakness of Candidates in English Language (Paper Two) – WAEC Report

It is sad that many students fail the BECE and WASSCE Core English Language paper every year. Over the years, the weaknesses of students as reported by WAEC have not changed.

But more worrying is the fact that students do not know exactly why previous candidates failed the paper so that they can work on the issues and avoid failing. This is becuase they do not have the information as outlined in the examiner;s report released by WAEC for previous examinations.

Students should critically read the report summary provided here on the BEE and WASSCE Core English Language paper two, and take proactive steps to deal with the issues.

What are the key weakness of candidates in English Language paper?

 READ: 25 Accounting Questions and Answers All WASSCE Accounting students must know

1. The general performance of the candidates revealed that many of them have still not grouped the rudiments of the English Language.

2. Poor syntactic structures or faculty sentence constructions.

3. Poorly controlled sentences due to poor knowledge of punctuation.

4. Wrong spellings of words.

5. Use of wrong tenses and thesis statement.

6. Indiscriminate use of capital letters.

7. Wrong application of subject-agreement.

8. The small letter (i) was written instead of the (I), for the first-person singular pronoun.

9. Candidates lifted answers wrongly from the passage and provided answers outside the context of the passage.

Apart from the above issues, there are other reasons why students might fail the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) English Language Paper 2. Here are five possible reasons and what students preparing for the examination need to do.

1. Poor comprehension skills: One of the primary reasons students fail English Language Paper 2 is due to poor comprehension skills. The exam requires students to read passages and answer questions based on their understanding of the text. Students who struggle with comprehension may misinterpret the text or fail to grasp the main ideas and themes, leading to poor performance on the exam.
2. Inadequate preparation: Another common reason for failure is inadequate preparation. English Language Paper 2 is a challenging exam that requires students to have a strong grasp of grammar, vocabulary, and writing skills. Students who do not put in enough time and effort to prepare for the exam may struggle to perform well.
3. Lack of time management skills: Time management is a critical skill for success on the WASSCE English Language Paper 2. Students are given a limited amount of time to complete the exam, and they must use their time effectively to read and understand the passages, answer the questions, and complete the writing tasks. Students who struggle with time management may not have enough time to complete all the required tasks, resulting in a lower score.
4. Poor writing skills: English Language Paper 2 includes a writing task that requires students to demonstrate their ability to write effectively. Students who struggle with writing, including spelling, grammar, and punctuation, may struggle to earn points on this portion of the exam.
5. Anxiety and stress: Finally, anxiety and stress can also contribute to poor performance on the WASSCE English Language Paper 2. Students who feel overwhelmed or anxious about the exam may struggle to concentrate or recall information, leading to lower scores.

READ: Over 100 Tough WASSCE Integrated Science Objective Questions And Answers

The above issues need to be addressed by candidates with the support of their English teachers so that the weakness in English Language as outlined by WAEC become a thing of the past.