Concours EMIA Cameroon common mistakes
Concours EMIA Cameroon · Understand the traps and how to avoid them.
In the dissertation, the candidate writes a long general introduction that restates the topic in different words and only announces the plan in the last two lines, leaving little room for the actual argument.
Secondary-school habits reward a fixed 'introduction-development-conclusion' template, so candidates reproduce it mechanically without adapting to the question, and they fear starting the analysis before feeling 'safe'.
What to do instead
Train with a strict time budget: 10 minutes to analyse the question and build a problematique, then write an introduction of 15-20 lines maximum that ends with an explicit, argued plan. Practise rewriting the same introduction three times, each shorter and more analytical.
In the résumé de texte, the candidate copies sentences from the original and simply shortens them, keeping the author's examples and quotations.
Candidates confuse summarising with selecting, and they lack a method for reformulating ideas in their own words under a word limit.
What to do instead
Drill the three-step method: identify the thesis, list the stages of argumentation, then reformulate each stage in one sentence without examples. Do timed exercises with a hard word count and check that no sentence shares more than three consecutive words with the source.
In mathematics, the candidate jumps straight into calculations without stating the hypotheses, the theorem used, or the domain of validity, and produces a final answer with no justification.
Candidates optimise for getting the number and underestimate how much of the mark comes from rigour and reasoning, a habit carried over from multiple-choice practice.
What to do instead
Impose a written template for every exercise: hypotheses, property or theorem invoked, computation, conclusion. Do past-paper exercises and self-mark against a checklist where each line of reasoning earns a point, even when the final result is wrong.
In mathematics, the candidate loses marks on questions they actually know because of sign errors, forgotten units, or not checking whether a solution satisfies the initial conditions.
Time pressure and the habit of rushing to the next question mean verification is treated as optional rather than as part of the answer.
What to do instead
Reserve the last ten minutes of every practice session exclusively for verification: re-read the question, check the domain, test the result numerically, and confirm units. Log every avoidable error in a personal error notebook and review it before each session.
In English, the candidate memorises model essays on a few topics and reproduces them regardless of the prompt, or translates French structures word for word.
Limited vocabulary and fear of making grammatical mistakes push candidates toward pre-learned blocks, and calques feel natural because they mirror French syntax.
What to do instead
Build topic-specific vocabulary lists and practise writing short responses (150-200 words) to unseen prompts under time. Keep a personal list of French-to-English traps (false friends, 'since/for', 'actually/currently') and revise it weekly.
In the English comprehension or grammar section, the candidate answers questions about the text using personal opinion or general knowledge instead of evidence from the passage.
Candidates read the questions before the text and answer from memory or assumption, and they misread 'according to the text' instructions.
What to do instead
Practise the sequence: read the text once for gist, read the questions, then locate and underline the exact sentence supporting each answer. Require every answer to cite a line number during practice.
In culture générale and actualités, the candidate cites vague references ('according to a recent study', 'many experts say') or names institutions and dates imprecisely.
Candidates rely on passive exposure to news rather than structured revision, so they remember the theme but not the verifiable detail that earns credit.
What to do instead
Maintain a dated reference sheet organised by theme (institutions, major international events, key figures, landmark dates) with one precise fact per line. In practice essays, impose a rule: every claim must be attached to a named source, date, or figure.
In histoire-géographie, the candidate produces a narrative of events with no map, no chronology, and no explanation of causes and consequences.
Revision focuses on storytelling and memorising dates in isolation, while the skills of spatial analysis and causal explanation are rarely practised.
What to do instead
For each topic, practise producing a sketch map or diagram and a short causal chain (causes, mechanisms, consequences). Answer past questions using a structure of 'facts, explanation, significance' rather than a chronological account.
In sciences, the candidate writes the final numerical result without units, without significant figures, and without stating the formula used, or describes an experiment without identifying the variables and controls.
Candidates treat physics and chemistry as calculation drills and biology as memorisation, neglecting the experimental and quantitative conventions examiners reward.
What to do instead
Practise with a fixed answer format: formula, substitution with units, result with correct significant figures and unit. For experimental questions, always state the variable tested, the variable held constant, the control, and the expected observation.
For the physical tests, the candidate arrives at the exam day having trained sporadically and without ever rehearsing the actual test protocols and timing, or ignores injury warning signs in the final weeks.
Physical preparation is treated as secondary to written subjects and left to the last weeks, and candidates train generically without measuring performance against the specific scoring standards.
What to do instead
Set up a weekly plan starting months ahead with one session per tested quality, and rehearse each test under exam conditions (same distance, same rest, same order) every two weeks, logging results. Taper training in the final ten days and stop at the first sign of persistent pain.