GABECE common mistakes
GABECE · Understand the traps and how to avoid them.
In English Language comprehension, copying a full sentence from the passage as the answer to a short-answer question instead of writing a focused response, so the key point is buried and the marker cannot credit it.
Candidates are drilled to 'answer in complete sentences' and over-apply it, lifting whole sentences because they are unsure which part carries the answer, and because the passage wording feels safer than their own.
What to do instead
Practise restating the answer in the candidate's own words in one short sentence, then check it answers exactly the question word (who, why, how). Underline the key phrase in the passage first, then write only that idea plus enough grammar to make a sentence.
In Mathematics, leaving answers as bare numbers with no working, and abandoning multi-step word problems after one operation instead of setting out each stage.
Many candidates have memorised procedures without the habit of recording steps, and word problems feel unfamiliar because they are read as stories rather than translated into operations. Fear of a wrong visible step encourages hiding working.
What to do instead
Adopt a fixed routine: write 'Given', 'Operation', 'Working', 'Answer' for every problem. Translate word problems sentence by sentence into number sentences before calculating. Show every line even when using a calculator, since method marks are awarded separately from the final answer.
In Integrated Science, describing an observation or process in everyday language ('the plant made food from sunlight') rather than using the accepted scientific terms and the correct sequence of steps.
Candidates revise by reading notes passively and recognise terms when they see them, but cannot retrieve them under exam pressure, so they substitute everyday paraphrases that earn no credit for key words.
What to do instead
Convert notes into labelled diagrams and flow sequences (for example photosynthesis: raw materials, site, energy source, products). Self-test by writing definitions and processes from memory, then checking against the notes for missing technical terms.
In Social Studies, writing long general essays about a topic without using the specific Ghanaian examples, places, institutions or dates the question asks for, and ignoring directive words such as 'describe', 'state' or 'discuss'.
Candidates equate length with quality and reproduce memorised paragraphs, and they misread the directive word, so they give an opinion where a list of points was required or vice versa.
What to do instead
Circle the directive word and the topic in the question before planning. Build a short plan with one point per line, each supported by a named local example (region, river, institution, event). Match the number of points to the mark allocation and stop when the required points are covered.
In Religious and Moral Education, answering moral questions with slogans or quotations alone, without explaining the reasoning or linking the teaching to a concrete situation.
Candidates learn key sayings and scripture references by rote and assume quoting is sufficient, but the paper rewards explanation of how a value applies to a real decision or conflict.
What to do instead
Use a two-part answer structure: state the teaching or value, then apply it to a named situation (for example a school dispute or family obligation) and explain the consequence of following or ignoring it. Practise converting each memorised quotation into a three-sentence explanation.
In Ghanaian Language and Culture, writing the composition or answers in English or in a mixed register, and ignoring tone marks, vowel length and correct orthography in the Ghanaian language.
Candidates think in English and translate, and they under-revise written conventions because spoken fluency feels like sufficient preparation. Tone and vowel length change meaning, so omissions distort words.
What to do instead
Write timed practice compositions entirely in the target language, then mark your own work for tone marks, doubled vowels and correct spelling. Keep a personal list of commonly misspelt words with their tone-marked forms and rewrite each correctly five times.
In Basic Design and Technology, producing a design or practical answer with no labels, dimensions or materials list, and skipping the design process steps (identification of problem, ideas, selection, planning) in written questions.
Candidates treat the subject as purely practical and rush to draw, assuming a picture is self-explanatory, while the marking scheme rewards annotation, correct tools and sequence.
What to do instead
Use a checklist for every design answer: problem stated, two or three alternative ideas, chosen solution justified, labelled sketch with dimensions, materials and tools listed, and safety notes. Practise drawing with a ruler and labelling every part.
In Information and Communications Technology, confusing hardware with software, storage with memory, and input with output devices, and describing menu steps vaguely ('go to the file thing') instead of naming exact commands.
Candidates learn terms as isolated definitions without grouping them, and many have limited hands-on time, so they recall the look of a screen rather than the function of a component or the exact command path.
What to do instead
Build classification tables (input, output, storage, processing; system software versus application software) and add one example to each cell. For procedure questions, write numbered steps using the exact command names, and rehearse them on a real or simulated device.
In French (optional elective), translating word for word from English, producing sentences with English word order, and mismatching gender, articles and verb endings.
Candidates compose in English first and substitute French words, and they under-practise agreement because French grammar has categories English lacks. Listening and reading are also under-rehearsed relative to vocabulary lists.
What to do instead
Learn nouns with their article (le, la, les) as one unit, and drill present-tense endings for regular -er, -ir and -re verbs plus the key irregulars. Write short paragraphs from models rather than translating, and read aloud daily to fix word order and pronunciation.
In Creative Arts and Career Technology, giving a vague career aspiration with no explanation of required subjects, skills or training route, and producing artwork with no evidence of the design cycle or safe use of tools and materials.
Candidates answer career questions as personal wishes rather than as researched pathways, and they treat practical work as a single final product, omitting exploration, planning and evaluation that carry marks.
What to do instead
For each career, prepare a short profile: duties, school subjects needed, training institution or apprenticeship route, key skills and one Ghanaian example of the role. For practical work, keep an evidence page showing sketches, material choices, tool safety and a short evaluation of the finished piece.