WASSCE Liberia cheat sheet

Subject–verb agreement: a singular subject takes a singular verb; a compound subject joined by 'and' takes a plural verb unless it names one idea.

Passive construction = a form of 'be' + past participle; choose it when the doer is unknown or less important than the action.

A semicolon joins two independent clauses without a conjunction; a comma separates items in a list and follows an introductory phrase.

Direct speech: enclose the speaker's exact words in quotation marks and place the reporting clause before or after with appropriate punctuation.

Simile uses 'like' or 'as'; metaphor makes a direct comparison without 'like' or 'as'; personification gives human qualities to non-human things.

Its = possessive; it's = it is/it has; their = possessive; there = place; they're = they are.

A paragraph normally has a topic sentence, supporting details, and a concluding or linking sentence.

In comprehension answers, use your own words, keep the tense of the question, and support each point with evidence from the passage.

Quadratic formula: x = [−b ± √(b² − 4ac)] / (2a) for ax² + bx + c = 0, a ≠ 0.

Pythagoras: in a right triangle, a² + b² = c², where c is the hypotenuse.

Circle: area A = πr²; circumference C = 2πr.

Simple interest: I = PRT/100, with T in years and R as a percentage per annum.

Averages: mean = sum of values ÷ number of values; median = middle value after ordering; mode = most frequent value.

Probability: P(event) = favourable outcomes ÷ total equally likely outcomes; 0 ≤ P ≤ 1.

Volumes: cylinder V = πr²h; cone V = (1/3)πr²h; sphere V = (4/3)πr³.

Angle sums: triangle = 180°; quadrilateral = 360°; angles on a straight line = 180°.

Indices: a^m × a^n = a^(m+n); a^m ÷ a^n = a^(m−n); (a^m)^n = a^(mn).

Photosynthesis: 6CO₂ + 6H₂O → C₆H₁₂O₆ + 6O₂, requiring light and chlorophyll.

Respiration: C₆H₁₂O₆ + 6O₂ → 6CO₂ + 6H₂O + energy.

Density = mass ÷ volume; an object floats in a fluid when its density is less than the fluid's density.

Food tests: iodine for starch (blue-black); Benedict's for reducing sugar (brick-red on heating); Biuret for protein (purple).

Ohm's law: V = IR; in series, current is the same and voltages add; in parallel, voltage is the same and currents split.

pH: below 7 acidic, 7 neutral, above 7 alkaline; litmus turns red in acid and blue in alkali.

Cell parts: nucleus controls activities; mitochondria release energy; chloroplasts carry out photosynthesis; cell membrane controls entry and exit.

Food chain arrows point from the organism eaten to the eater, showing the direction of energy transfer.

States of matter: solids have fixed shape and volume; liquids have fixed volume but not shape; gases have neither fixed shape nor volume.

Three branches: legislature makes laws; executive implements laws; judiciary interprets laws and settles disputes.

A constitution is the supreme law; any law inconsistent with it is invalid.

Map scale: actual distance = map distance × scale factor; statement, ratio, and bar scales express the same relationship.

Latitude measures north or south of the equator (0° to 90°); longitude measures east or west of the prime meridian (0° to 180°).

Opportunity cost is the value of the next best alternative forgone when a choice is made.

Socialization agents include family, school, peer group, religious institutions, and mass media.

Democracy requires free and fair elections, rule of law, majority rule, and protection of minority rights.

Conflict resolution: negotiation involves disputants; mediation uses a neutral helper; arbitration uses a third party whose decision is binding.

Liberia is divided into 15 counties; Monrovia is the capital; the national government has executive, legislative, and judicial branches.