Be it known to all prospective candidates and the subject teachers, there are many unnoticed reasons why candidates fail a subject, most of the reasons have been discussed and will still be discussed, the short note is meant to cover the reasons why Candidates fail 2015 Chemistry WAEC practical as mentioned by the council which is made available.
The performance of the candidates was affected by the following weaknesses:
- non-adherence to rubric
- cancellation/alteration of the values to agree with those of their teachers
- arithmetical errors in volume of acid used
- averaging non-concordant titre values
- poor mathematical skills
- poor knowledge of S. I. units of mass concentration and molar concentration
- test on solids instead of solutions
- lack of knowledge of confirmatory test for carbon (IV) oxide
- poor knowledge of laboratory set-up and names of laboratory apparatus
- poor knowledge of solubility of gases in water; assigning wrongs charges to ions
The suggested remedies by the Council
The following remedies were suggested to improve the candidate’s performances, and to overcome these weaknesses,
- schools should sponsor their chemistry teachers to STAN conferences
- candidates should improve on their reading habits
- candidates should read and understand the rubrics before responding to questions
- candidates should be taught how to observed and record observed reactions
- candidates should be taught how to write correct charges on cations and anions
- when carrying out specific chemical tests
Candidates’ Strengths
Candidates exhibited good knowledge of the following:
- consistency in burette readings;
- significant figures;
- mole concept; calculation of percentage;
- the ability to record observations and draw logical inferences;
- IUPAC nomenclature;
- confirmatory tests for gases, anions and cations.
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