Towards reducing the candidates’ failure in Christian Religion Studies, the following were observed by the chief examiner as the leading reasons why candidates fail CRS WAEC 2017. Prospective candidates and instructors are to take note of the causes of the failure and the way forward.
Candidates’ Weaknesses
The following were some of the weaknesses noticeable in the candidates’ scripts:
- Insufficient knowledge of the Bible and prescribed texts
Candidates’ demonstrated lack of understanding of the Bible as well as the prescribed texts and this caused inadequate preparation for the examination.
- Inadequate and inappropriate responses to questions
Many candidates responded inadequately to the demands of the questions by giving inadequate answers to questions especially in questions that demanded candidates to answer from a particular point of gospeller, e.g question 5. To this end, candidates failed to understand the demands of the questions and they strayed away from the points required to answer such questions.
- Mixing up of Biblical characters/inadequate knowledge of Biblical Themes
It was observed that candidates were not familiar with the bible stories on which questions were asked. More often than not, candidates mixed up questions which were based on narratives with similar biblical stories. Such candidates took the question because of the part B which was based on simple common-sense answers. To this end, some candidates answered questions that they do not have enough knowledge or understanding about. Perhaps, they did not understand the questions; however, the questions were straight forward. This led to some candidates writing outside the scheme of the set questions. For example, it was discovered that in question 6, some candidates mistook Simon of Cyrene for Joseph of Arimathea.
- Sermonizing (preaching)
Most candidates that answer the questions, especially in Section C, were preaching.
- Unnecessary Preambles
Some candidates gave very long and unnecessary preambles and introduction to the questions instead of going straight to the answers. This made them waste valuable time on irrelevant points thereby, limiting their ability to answer the questions well.
- Poor expression of ideas, facts, wrong spelling and bad handwriting negatively affected the performance of a lot of candidates.
Suggested Remedies
The following are some of the actions necessary in tackling the identified weaknesses:
- Candidates should improve on their knowledge of the bible. They should prepare adequately for the examination by making efforts to comprehend the bible using the prescribed texts as a guideline. They should also make use of past WASSCE questions in preparing for the examination.
- Candidates should make effort on improving their understanding and mastery of the use of the English Language. This will enable them to comprehend the requirements and demand of questions, as it will also facilitate logical expression and coherent presentation of points. They can approach this by devoting quality time to reading books, novels, journals, etc.
- Candidates should get themselves familiar with contextual passages and strive to have adequate knowledge of biblical characters. No question is set outside the syllabus. To this end, they should consult the syllabus and the Revised Standard Bible as references when they study.
- Candidates are advised to go straight to the demands of the question rather than engaging in unnecessary preambles and semonization. There is no need giving introduction when answering questions or trying to explain what the question is. Introduction attracts no extra mark.
- They should show greater commitment and interest in the subject. They should work hard to cover the syllabus and revise with past question papers. Also, recommended textbooks specified by the syllabus should be used as it aids candidates on how to approach questions.
Candidates’ Strengths
Most of the candidates performed credibly well most especially in the B part of the questions, which usually deals with the application of the biblical stories and experiences to our contemporary lives. Additionally, most candidates adhered strictly to the instructions guiding the paper and followed the rules of the rubrics.
