13 Reasons Why Candidate Fail 2012 Agricultural Science WAEC Theory 

As highlighted by the WAEC council, here are the main Reasons Why Candidate Fail 2012 Agricultural Science WAEC Theory, however, other reasons which are not so pronounced led to some candidate’s poor performance in the year exam.

The candidates were unable to:

1. distinguish between agricultural systems (i.e. mono culture and monocropping; shifting cultivation and land rotation)
2. explain how agricultural education and extension; and environmental degradation affect agricultural production
3. explain chemical weathering of rocks
4. discuss processes of chemical weathering of rocks
5. state ways in which soil temperature is important for crop growth
6. give reasons for the movement of herdsmen and their flocks southwards to the rain forest zone during the dry season and the preference for the use of simple farm tools over farm machinery by some West African farmers
7. identify problems associated with the movement of herdsmen and suggest solutions to the problems
8. state ways in which weeds are beneficial to the farmer
9. state ways by which pasture can be made available to cattle
10. state steps involved in silage making
11. name breeds of chicken used for commercial egg production
12. state qualities of a good agricultural extension agent
13. calculate the salvage value, total depreciation and annual depreciation of a second hand combine harvester

Recommendation by the Chief Examiner

Consequently, having identified weaknesses in the candidates’ scripts, the Chief Examiners’ recommend as follows:

1. Students should be exposed to the practical aspect of agricultural science through field trips, excursions, laboratory activities and hands-on the practice of agriculture
2. Agricultural science teachers should be continually trained and retrained on emerging trends in the teaching and learning of agriculture through the use of instructional materials, audio-visual aids and computer simulation of field activities not available in the local environment
3. Only competent graduates of agriculture should be saddled with the teaching and assessment of learning in agricultural science
4. Students are to be trained and tested on how to write botanical name correctly in Agricultural science
5. The students should write legibly

Observed Students’ Strength

Majority of the candidates showed an appreciable improvement in their ability to:

1. state the problems of commercial agriculture in West Africa; mention the uses of the farm tractor;
2. list indigenous methods of land preparation;
3. enumerate the problems associated with communal land tenure system; list the components of an incubator;
4. mention the storage structure for yam tubers, cowpea seeds and fresh fish; outline the benefits derived from growing ornamental plants; state the symptoms of cassava mosaic disease;
5. explain forest management terms such as selective exploitation, regeneration and taungya farming; define animal health terms such as pests, pathogens, vectors and parasites; give examples of pests, pathogens, vectors and parasites;
6. state the functions of water, minerals, antibiotics and protein in the diet of farm animals; enumerate the advantages of the intensive system of rearing ruminants; state the functions of a farm manager;
7. explain terms such as appreciation; salvage value, farm budget and farm inventory as used in agricultural economics;
8. state the law of diminishing returns;
9. explain the main cause of diminishing returns in agricultural production; list problems of agricultural extension services in West Africa.

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