English language is without doubt the most important subject amongst the list of subjects offered in junior and senior secondary schools in Nigeria. most feared subjects by most candidates sitting for the West African Senior Secondary Certificate Examination (WASSCE), NECO (National Examination Council) or the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) because they fail to prepare properly for this subject. One strategy of passing English language in any of the above listed examinations is studying hard and most importantly, knowing the most likely questions that the body (WAEC, NECO or JAMB) test students on that is why we have listed the 10 most compulsory WAEC topics in English language for you to test yourself on.
The importance of English language as a requirement for admission into various higher institution cannot be underestimated. According to various higher institutions, the core subject that candidates must obtain at least a Credit pass as an admission requirements for studying any art, science or engineering course is English language and mathematics. However, there are some courses offered in higher institutions that do not require mathematics as an admission requirement for admission.
Passing English language in WAEC, NECO or JAMB is very simple so long as you are prepared for the questions ahead. Getting prepared as a result of being aware of the most likely English language questions in WAEC makes it even more interesting.
The most likely topics listed below are compulsory topics in both Objective (Obj) and theory. To further break it down, we highlighted the most common topics under objective and theory for ease of understanding. Knowing the most compulsory topics in English language for WAEC is not enough as adequate preparedness is key to passing English language in your exam that is why you are advised to get past questions and answer papers and test yourself on the under-listed topics below to ascertain your strengths and weaknesses.
Always remember that Examiners are very smart, they know it is very possible to attempt all questions adequately given the allotted time so they present you with time wasting questions like Summary, comprehension and essay writing that carries equal marks with other simpler and direct ones. In this case, you are advised to skip such questions on and come back to it after being done with the others. However, strengths and weaknesses differ so if you know you are very good at the so called time wasters, you could go ahead with it when confronted with one.
One last thing to note is that different marks are allotted to different questions. In the West African Senior Secondary School Certificate Examination (WASSCE), the National Examination Council or UTME, some questions carry higher mark than the others though they could be time wasting too so you must find a balance when attempting such questions.
Much has been said not just about the 10 WAEC or NECO compulsory topics to expect in English language examination but how to attempt them and which question must be given priority. Now I will be listing the 10 most common WAEC and NECO topics in English language you must come across in both Objective and theory section. These topics when mastered MUST guarantee you a distinction in English language in any of the examination you are tested at.
10 Most Compulsory WAEC Topics in English language Examination (Theory and Obj)
1) Summary writing
2) Essay writing
3) Formal or informal letter
4) Lexis and structure – Under lexis and structure, take note of the followings:
- Synonyms
- Antonyms
- Homonyms
- Clause and sentence patterns
- Word classes and their functions
- Mood, tense, aspect, number, agreement/concord, degree (positive, comparative and superlative) and question tags
- Punctuation and spelling
- Ordinary usage, figurative usage and idiomatic usage are to be tested.
Note that Idioms to be tested shall be those that are formal and expressed in standard British English.
- Comprehension
- Use of Speech – The Morpheme, The Phrase: The Clause and The Sentence
- Verbs and Verbal Formation
- Differentiate between consonant types.
- Oral English – Vowel and Consonant Sounds
5) Vowels (monophthongs and diphthongs)
6) Consonants (including clusters)
7) Rhymes (including homophones)
8) Word stress (monosyllabic and polysyllabic)
9) Intonation (words emphatic stress)
Candidates will be expected to
- Make distinctions between vowel types;
- Identify correct accentuation in individual words and connected speech.
10) Formation of Words – Synonyms, Antonyms, Prefixes, Suffixes, Homophones and Homonyms, Direct & Indirect Speeches
11) Phrases and Clauses
Please take the above topics very seriously. If you are willing and determined to pass English language in WAEC or NECO, your mastery of the 10 compulsory topics with the approved WAEC text book for senior secondary school and attempts on various past questions would do you a lot of positives in passing this subject.
Do you have any questions as regards the above? Please reach out to us via the comment section below and we shall respond immediately. Note that the most likely WAEC topics for English language examination listed above does not mean you should avoid other topics, remember that the examiner isn’t testing you for English language topics in SS 3 classes only but on all English language topics ranging from SS 1 first term to the completion of your SS3. It is as a result of its cumbersomeness that i thought it necessary to list the exact topics that must come out yearly after thorough research.
I wish all candidates the best of luck in their forthcoming exams.
