Sad reasons why some BECE and WASSCE candidates fail
Passing the BECE does not come easy and demands more done just luck and discipline. In this article, which is based on experience, and research, we shall explain some of the reasons why BECE and WASSCE candidates fail the examination each year.
It is hoped that the information shared in this article will help learners or candidates, teachers, schools, and parents to take result-oriented steps toward overcoming the factors explained.
Reasons why BECE and WASSCE candidates fail the examination each year
Inadequate Preparation:
Preparation for the BECE is key, but enough of this preparation goes a long way to help learners get ready for the examination.
Unfortunately, there are many students who do not get serious with their studies until one month or weeks before the examination.
Students who fail to realize the importance of preparation do not start working toward the exam early enough.
It is a sad reality that, some parents do not help their learners realize that they need to start preparing early.
Before they know it, it is a few weeks or a month before the exam. Adequate preparation for the BECE means a lot and includes
- Starting the preparation early.
- Working on your weak subjects and topics early.
- Taking mocks and practicing how to solve questions.
- Attending class and being regular
- Revising, learning, and practicing with past papers.
Students who do not do the above as part of their preparation are more likely to fail their BECE.
Students lack motivation
Teachers and schools continue to do their best in motivating and counselling students to learn and to be disciplined.
This intensifies when they get to JHS3, however, some parents may not be good at this at home.
Motivating students to study and challenging them can help them to improve their study habits and frequency.
READ: 30 BECE RME questions all JHS3 students must be able to solve without sweating
No subject or topic is difficult to learn, and students who are motivated and have self believe can do great exploits.
Parents, teachers and learners need to appreciate the importance of learning.
Teachers and parents must continue to inspire learners.
If students do not show interest in studying and waste precious time on irrelevant things and bad habits that retard progress in their school work, they are more likely to fail the BECE or WASSCE exam.
Poor Study Habits
A student with good books, good teachers, good parents, good motivation, and the best of everything cannot always pass the BECE if he or she has poor study habits.
Poor study habits are all the behaviours that do not allow the student to get the best from his or her studies.
They are habits that are not only counterproductive but also prevent the student from learning and retaining the information in the text being learned.
Students try to engage in rote memorization instead of learning to understand the concepts, students cramming large volumes of information, procrastination, not being able to keep their concentration, studying in a noisy environment and with friends who are not serious.
Limited Access to Learning Resources
Students who do not do well may sometimes have fewer resources or textbooks or revision materials.
Some parents are reluctant to get past papers or textbooks for their wards who are in school.
Some also get them for their wards at the tail end of the year, and that makes it difficult for the learners to get the best from such resources.
The lack of these resources means, the preparation of the candidate for the examination.
Inadequate preparation can lead to examination failure, but the lack of access to the needed books and past papers for revision can further increase the chances of the student failing.
READ: A Comprehensive Guide to Solving WASSCE English Composition Questions
Anxiety and Exam Stress:
It is common to see students getting stressed while preparing for an impending examination. This surely has the potential of influencing their preparation and overall performance.
The uneasy feeling of a student or the state of worry or even fear can be described as anxiety.
Students, no matter how well-prepared they are for an exam, will always have this feeling of anxiety visiting them. Too much of this can be dangerous to their health, preparation, and mindset.
Such fear can be described often as examination fever or examination freight, depending on what it leads to.
Those who fall sick a few days before an important exam or during the examination period can end up underperforming.
Learners need support from parents, teachers, and others when they are preparing for their exams.
Exam stress can lead to physical and emotional symptoms such as difficulty sleeping or insomnia. Some students end up experiencing a loss of appetite or overeating.
For others, stress and anxiety may lead to headaches, stomachaches, or other physical complaints.
However, if students get adequate sleep, engage in regular exercise, and build their self-confidence, they can overcome the examination freight and work hard towards exam success.
Poor question-answering skills
There are students who obtain grade 2 instead of grade 1 whiles others obtain grade 3 instead of grade two all because they did not answer the questions they attempted well.
Students often fail to appreciate the need to explain the facts they are putting across clearly.
Some would also write answers of less than 10 words and expect the examiner to award them 4 or 2 marks. A student who knows the answer but fails to provide it in full will surely get low marks.
Students need to master the act and skill of answering questions if they want to pass their respective examinations.
It is time to take steps to deal with student failure and if teachers, parents, and schools can work on the issues raised here, students should do well in their exams.
Students who have read this article now know some of the sad reasons why some BECE and WASSCE candidates fail each year.
Start working on them now, sit up, and get serious by doing the right things so that you can excel in your exam.
