Watch out for key words during WASSCE
The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has asked candidates writing the West Africa Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) to watch out for some key words when answering questions.
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That, the Council said, was to ensure that candidates answered questions correctly to enable them to pass their examinations very well.
The key words candidates are to look out for include state, compare and contrast, discuss, how, compute, outline, describe, evaluate, illustrate, explain, why, analyse, identify, suggest, define and summarise.
Mr Martin Mensah of the Test Administration Division of WAEC stressed the need for candidates to watch out for particular key words in all questions because those words would determine how to fashion out answers during the examination.
Speaking at the sensitisation forum for final-year students of the Salem Senior High School at Osu in Accra, Mr Mensah explained that when a question asked candidates to state something, all the candidates needed to do was to state what was expected, instead of trying to explain it.
For instance, he said, “if the question requires that you state the names of three past presidents of this country, just state the names and don’t start talking about the independence of the country”.
Mr Mensah noted that three factors—time management, adequate preparation and adherence to examination instructions— were very important in all examinations.
“For you to pass the examination very well, you must obey the instructions, and you would be in trouble if you don’t conduct yourselves properly,” he said, adding that “most of you have the right information but because you don’t know how to apply them you end up deviating.”
For her part, the Head of the Public Affairs Department of WAEC, Mrs Agnes Teye-Cudjoe, dismissed the perception held by some candidates that the council was interested in failing candidates for them to re-register and write the examinations.
Explaining the dos and don’ts of the WASSCE, she cautioned candidates against the smuggling of foreign materials into exam halls, for instance writing on handkerchiefs and cedi notes since that could affect their results.
She also asked candidates to desist from insulting or assaulting invigilators and supervisors, adding that failure to comply with examination regulations could result in the cancellation of the entire results of candidates, as well as students suffering a two-year ban from writing the WAEC examinations.
Watch Mrs Teye-Cudjoe here
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