Exam Tips

Tips for passing WAEC exams from an 8As student

The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) examinations can be passed by any student, but mastering the tips for passing WAEC exams and preparing with these tips in mind can significantly increase your chances of success. The tips shared here are from a student who secured 8As at the WASSCE.

In this post, we share with learners and teachers the top tips for passing WAEC exams, with the belief that they will be taken seriously.

Make a good study timetable

You might have heard this before: “Failing to plan is planning to fail.” Irrespective of whether your timetable will be perfectly effective or not, you need to have one. Carefully craft your study timetable and ensure that you allocate sufficient time to your weaker subjects to help you cover more material and revise thoroughly. Without a timetable, you are likely to keep focusing on one subject or one topic. It is also beneficial to allocate specific topics to each day or week for each subject. This will become your target for each week of study. At the end of the week, you can review your progress and assess how well you have achieved your targets.

Have a conducive study space

You cannot learn just anywhere, and studying in a noisy environment with numerous distractions will only lead to a waste of time and effort. A conducive study space must be quiet and help you achieve more during your study sessions. This also includes putting away your phone and avoiding social media to focus on your work. Social media can easily consume four hours of your time before you realize it. Turn off your phone and distance yourself from friends who do not respect your study time. Such friends should also not be part of your study group, as they will only disrupt your study environment.

Have study tips and tricks that help you learn faster and better, and USE them CONSISTENTLY

We all have different methods of learning, but we also have methods that work best for us. Some students are good at using mnemonics to study. If that works for you, use it consistently during every study period and keep your notes written down for easy reference later.

When studying, take notes and make it a habit. When studying a calculation-related topic, solve practice questions and make it a habit. These are simple but effective study habits that help you make progress. If possible, try teaching others after you have studied a topic.

Study and take breaks

Only unwise students study for 2 to 3 hours continuously without breaks. In the end, such a practice will likely not yield the desired results. Instead, study for 45 minutes and take a 15-minute break over a three-hour period. Sometimes, you simply need to repeat the same lesson through revision to help you retain the facts.

Use past questions (essential)

If you understand how someone behaves, you can plan how to interact with them. It is also true that “practice makes perfect.” Similarly, by practicing and solving past questions, you will become familiar with how WAEC sets its questions. You will also identify the areas where you have difficulties and need to revise further. If you make solving past questions a regular part of your study routine, you will overcome any fear of WAEC questions because you will develop question-solving skills and know how to approach similar questions in the future. Practicing past questions also involves accessing mock questions from other schools, your own school, and previous years in your school. Your subject teachers often have many of these and will likely be willing to provide you with some.

Use a BECE, JECE or WASSCE syllabus

As a final-year student or a student preparing for the final year, you must have the curriculum, either in printed form or on your phone, for easy access. Accessing it on your phone does not mean you should waste time on social media. Use the curriculum to check topics your teacher has yet to cover and start reading about them. You can use your textbooks to determine what is yet to be taught. Once you study ahead of the class, a lesson by your teacher on those topics you have already read will help you gain a better understanding.

Pray often and do not leave God out of the picture

Regardless of your faith or religion, it is important to pray and seek divine knowledge and wisdom. God can inspire you and bless you with the ability to endure the moments of study and the challenges that come. Pray for retentive memory and trust in God to help you achieve your goals.

RECOMMENDED FOR YOU

These are the things students who achieve good grades do that some of you may not know. All the above ultimately depends on one crucial element: discipline. If you neglect discipline in your approach to others, your teachers, your books, time management, and effort, you will not achieve the desired grades, and the examination results may be disappointing. Make the best use of these tips for passing WAEC exams.