Having thoroughly cross checked the general performance of the candidates and the WAEC expectations, it fails to match up, this thus necessitated for this chief examiner tripodal view which comprises of weaknesses, recommendations and candidate’s strength. This article will start with the reasons why candidates fail 2018 Islamic Religious Studies – IRS – WAEC before others.
Candidates’ Weaknesses
The following weaknesses were shown in the candidates’ work:
- Misinterpretation of question
Despite the clarity and simplicity of the questions presented, some candidates found them difficult to interpret. The expected responses from the candidates were not met. They therefore gave inadequate and inappropriate points which did not earn them good marks.
- Inadequate preparation and responses
Short and one-sentence answers were observed in some of the candidates’ responses to the questions. This was a result of inadequate preparation and inability to read extensively which considerably limited their expression of ideas and facts to buttress their points and eventually prevented them from scoring good marks.
- Lack of Arabic Language background
Some candidates showed weaknesses in the area of writing Arabic, particularly in Qur’än and Hadith. However, the use of transliteration has come to the rescue of many candidates in this regard.
- Bad expression
Bad expression inhibited some candidates from writing their ideas in a more convincing way. Their work was replete with poor tenses and grammatical errors and this affected their results.
Suggested Remedies
To address the observed weakness, the Chief Examiners recommended the following:
- Candidates must try as much as possible to read widely and prepare thoroughly for the examination.
- Candidates should be encouraged to read the instruction very well so as to adequately understand the demands of the questions before attempting them.
- Teachers should endeavor to teach the candidates on how to answers question with adequate response in a logical and clear manner.
- There is need for them to learn and master Arabic Language which is an added advantage.
- Conscious efforts by candidates to train for legible Arabic text writing.
- Candidates are therefore required to improve on their English language writing skills so as to be able to present their ideas in a clearer way since Islamic Studies is Arabic cum English Language base subject.
- Teachers should de-emphasize teaching with laborious note taking by concentrating on teaching for understanding and encourage students to make meaningful and insightful summary of topics being taught.
- In this regard, some qualified teachers should be allowed to teach the subject so as to adequately impart the required knowledge to the students.
Candidates’ Strengths
Few candidates who sat for this examination showed evidence of originality and adherence to rubrics in their work. They demonstrated good articulation of points and understanding of the issues involved in questions selected by them. Their expressions were characterized by clarity and the use of simple grammar.
