Burkina Faso BEPC common mistakes
Burkina Faso BEPC · Understand the traps and how to avoid them.
In the French written expression task, the candidate writes a full-length essay on the wrong genre (e.g., produces a narrative when the prompt asks for an argumentative or explanatory text) and never states a clear thesis.
The candidate reads only the topic keywords and starts writing immediately, without identifying the required text type, the audience, or the plan; past practice has mostly involved stories, so narrative becomes a default.
What to do instead
Before writing, spend three minutes annotating the prompt: underline the verb (raconter, expliquer, argumenter), note the addressee, and draft a two- or three-part outline. Practise one prompt per week in each of the three genres, and self-check the finished text against the identified type before handing in.
In the French language section, the candidate answers grammar and vocabulary items by ear alone, ignoring agreement rules (subject-verb, adjective-noun, past participle) and confusing homophones such as a/à, ou/où, ce/se.
The candidate relies on sound rather than on explicit rule knowledge, and has not memorised the agreement paradigms or the homophone substitution tests taught in class.
What to do instead
Build a one-page rule sheet with the substitution tests (e.g., 'avait' for the past participle, 'ou' replaced by 'ou bien'), then do ten short targeted exercises daily, justifying each answer aloud by naming the rule applied.
In mathematics, the candidate copies the statement, writes a numerical answer with no intermediate working, and leaves the conclusion implicit, so method marks are lost even when the final value is correct.
The candidate has practised mainly short-answer drills and treats the exercise as a computation to be finished quickly, not as a reasoned demonstration to be communicated.
What to do instead
Adopt a fixed layout for every exercise: given data, property or theorem used, calculation lines, then a sentence answering the question. Redo past papers under this format and mark them against the official scoring grid so the cost of missing steps becomes visible.
In mathematics, the candidate misuses units and orders of magnitude (mixing cm and m, forgetting to convert before applying an area or volume formula, or mishandling powers of ten) and produces a result off by a factor of ten or a hundred.
Formulas are memorised without their unit conditions, and conversion practice is rare because calculators hide the magnitude error.
What to do instead
Write the unit next to every quantity at the start of the exercise and convert to SI before substituting. Practise a weekly set of conversion-and-estimate problems, and always sanity-check the answer against a rough mental estimate.
In physics and chemistry, the candidate describes an experiment from memory instead of reading the stated conditions, so it names the wrong apparatus, omits the safety precaution, or gives a conclusion that does not follow from the observations provided.
Experimental work has often been demonstrated rather than performed, so the candidate memorises a standard protocol and applies it regardless of the situation described.
What to do instead
Train with short written scenarios: for each, list apparatus, protocol, safety measure, observation and conclusion as five separate lines. Insist that the conclusion quote the observation it rests on, and rehearse the standard tests (gas tests, pH, conductivity) until naming them is automatic.
In biology and earth sciences, the candidate answers with vague everyday language ('the plant eats light', 'the blood cleans itself') rather than the precise scientific terms and labelled diagrams the marking scheme expects.
The candidate understands the phenomenon in outline but has not consolidated the vocabulary, and drawing is treated as decoration rather than as an assessed skill.
What to do instead
Maintain a glossary of ten terms per chapter with a one-line definition each, and redraw key diagrams (flower, digestive tract, water cycle, rock cycle) from memory weekly, with title, labels and scale, then compare against the course notes.
In history and geography, the candidate writes everything known about the topic instead of answering the question asked, and produces a paragraph with no introduction, no organised parts and no conclusion.
Revision has consisted of rereading chapters rather than practising question analysis, so the candidate cannot distinguish a topic from a problem.
What to do instead
Practise the three-step routine: identify the key words and the type of question (describe, explain, compare, locate), build a plan of two or three parts, then write with a brief introduction and conclusion. Use map and document exercises weekly, since the exam awards marks for locating and interpreting sources.
In civics and moral education, the candidate gives abstract moralising ('we must respect others') with no concrete example, no reference to a right or duty, and no link to a real situation in the school or community.
The subject is perceived as common sense requiring no preparation, so the candidate does not learn the legal and institutional vocabulary or the expected structure of a reasoned position.
What to do instead
For each theme, prepare one definition, one text or institution reference, and two concrete examples from daily life. Practise short answers of five to eight lines that state a position, justify it, and illustrate it with an example.
In English, the candidate translates word for word from French, producing sentences with French word order and verb forms, and answers comprehension questions by copying a whole passage rather than a targeted phrase.
Classroom exposure has emphasised written translation over production, and the candidate lacks the stock of high-frequency structures needed to build sentences independently.
What to do instead
Learn ten fixed sentence patterns per week (there is/are, I would like, because, in order to) and practise substituting new words into them. For comprehension, train answering in a short phrase with the line reference, never by copying a paragraph.
In music and physical education, the candidate neglects the small assessed components - reading a simple score, identifying instruments or intervals, and the practical performance or fitness test - concentrating only on the theoretical paper.
These subjects are often treated as low-priority, so practice time is spent on other disciplines and the practical requirements are discovered only shortly before the exam.
What to do instead
Schedule short weekly sessions: fifteen minutes of rhythmic or melodic reading and instrument identification, and regular practice of the exact physical test protocol with recorded results. Ask the teacher for the assessment criteria and rehearse the practical component under exam conditions.