11 Reasons why candidates fail Mathematics 2018 WAEC

The subject is many students’ headache and reason for this is because it all about calculation, therefore, more study time have to be allotted to the subject. This article is focusing on the reasons why candidates fail mathematics 2018 WAEC as it was seen from the WAEC official handle.

Candidates’ Weakness are the reasons for failing in the year

The Chief Examiner pointed out that Candidates’ exhibited weakness in the following areas:

1. Mensuration
2. Set Theory
3. Distances and Bearings
4. Inequality
5. Graphical solutions to quadratic equations and reading from the graph
6. Vector
7. Statistics
8. Inadequate preparation
9. Poor interpretation of questions
10. Approximation and Rounding up
11. Collusion among Candidates’

Suggested Remedies

The Chief Examiner suggested that to overcome the challenges stated, the following remedies should be considered:

1. Teachers are to teach the Candidates’ on the need to understand how to form equations from word problems.
2. Adequate preparations by the Candidates.
3. School Managements should endeavor to employ qualified teachers to teach the subject.
4. Teachers should make the teaching and learning of the subject much more interesting and practicable.
5. Teachers are encouraged to give more worked problems during class lessons and assignments.
6. Teachers and candidates are encouraged to cover the syllabus while preparing for examination so as to enhance performance.
7. Centres where a huge amount of malpractice has been reported, such school should be warned and if it persists, such schools should be blacklisted for at least two years.
8. Approximation to given degrees of accuracy should be emphasized.
9. Seminars and workshops should be organized for Mathematics Teachers.

Candidates’ Strengths

The Chief Examiner reported that there are a lot of improvement this year which include the following areas

1. Commercial Arithmetic (Depreciation and Profit and Loss)
2. Quadratic Equations
3. Simultaneous Equations
4. Trigonometry
5. Circle Geometry
6. Number Base
7. Coordinate Geometry
8. Plane Geometry