WASSCE common mistakes
WASSCE · Understand the traps and how to avoid them.
Writing a full essay-style answer to a question that carries only a few marks, then running out of time for later questions that carry more.
Candidates treat every question as equally important because they do not read the mark allocation printed beside each question before starting to write.
What to do instead
Before writing, scan the paper and note marks per question; budget roughly one minute per mark and cap each answer at the number of points the marks imply (for example, three marks means three distinct points, not an introduction and conclusion).
Losing marks on the objective (multiple-choice) section by leaving blanks or shading two options for one question.
Under time pressure candidates skip hard items intending to return, then forget, and careless shading transfers errors to the answer sheet.
What to do instead
Answer every objective item in the first pass, marking uncertain ones in the question booklet; transfer answers to the sheet in blocks of ten and check that the numbering lines up before moving on.
Answering a comprehension or data-response question from general knowledge instead of from the passage or the data provided.
Candidates skim the passage once and then write what they already believe, missing that the question says 'according to the passage' or asks for a trend shown in a table.
What to do instead
Read the questions first, then read the passage or table with those questions in mind; quote or cite the specific line, figure, or year that supports each answer.
Showing only a final numerical answer in a mathematics or science calculation with no working.
Candidates believe the answer alone earns full marks, but many schemes award method marks for correct formulae, substitution, and units even when the final value is wrong.
What to do instead
Write the formula, substitute the values, state the answer with its unit, and underline the final answer; never erase working, since partial credit is awarded line by line.
Misreading the command word in an essay or theory question, for example describing when asked to discuss, or listing when asked to explain.
Candidates read the topic words and ignore the instruction verb, so the structure of the answer does not match what the examiner is looking for.
What to do instead
Circle the command word before planning; learn the difference between state, describe, explain, discuss, and evaluate, and match the number of developed points to the marks available.
Ignoring the stimulus material (a map, graph, photograph, or extract) and writing a generic answer that could have been prepared without it.
Candidates have memorised content and want to reproduce it, so they treat the stimulus as decoration rather than as the source of the required evidence.
What to do instead
Explicitly refer to features of the stimulus in the answer, such as naming the country on the map or quoting the figure in the graph, and use it to justify each point made.
Producing an essay with no clear paragraphing or argument structure, so the examiner cannot find the points being credited.
Candidates write in one continuous block under exam pressure and do not plan, so ideas repeat and the central argument is buried.
What to do instead
Spend two to three minutes on a brief plan with one idea per paragraph; open each paragraph with a topic sentence and link it back to the question, keeping the introduction and conclusion short.
Leaving out units, significant figures, or standard form in science and mathematics answers, or giving a numerical answer with no unit at all.
Candidates focus on getting the number and forget that the mark scheme often has a separate mark for the unit or the correct degree of accuracy.
What to do instead
Make 'value, unit, accuracy' a fixed final check on every calculation, and practise converting between units and standard form until it is automatic.
Answering more questions than the paper requires, or answering across sections that the rubric forbids.
Candidates do not read the rubric at the top of the paper and answer every question they can, wasting time and sometimes having the extra answers disregarded.
What to do instead
Read the instructions page before writing and mark which questions are compulsory and which are optional; choose optional questions within the first five minutes and stick to the choice.
Running out of time because the final question or the practical/alternative section is attempted in the last few minutes.
Candidates spend too long on early questions and do not check the clock, so the highest-value or compulsory final section is rushed or left blank.
What to do instead
Set target times for each section before starting, keep a watch visible, and practise full papers under timed conditions so the pacing becomes habitual.