Many could have been the reasons but the WAEC chief examiner limited the reasons to the most peculiar and rampant weaknesses noticed in the students. In alignment to West Africa Examination Council, the following are the reasons why candidates fail 2017 Literature in English WAEC – Paper 2. Prospective candidates and instructors should note that, this article is relevant at all ages because, repeating the weaknesses won’t be pardoned.
Candidate’s Weakness
The Chief Examiners reported the following as some of the candidates’ weaknesses
- Inability to meet the demands of the question
- Shallow knowledge/understanding of set texts.
- Wrong interpretation of questions.
- Violation of rubrics.
- Little or no knowledge of literary appreciation.
- Unreadable handwriting.
- Writing of irrelevancies.
- Inability to express answers in good English.
Suggested Remedies
To remedy the observed weaknesses, the Chief Examiners recommended that:
- Candidates should buy and read the set texts before examination.
- Candidates should not depend on key points and summary notes alone.
- Candidates should always read instructions before they start answering questions.
- Competent teachers should be employed to teach Literature-in-English.
- Teachers should attend workshops and seminars occasionally to familiarize themselves with the demands of the subject.
Candidate’s Strength
The Chief Examiners reported that a good number of candidates adhered to rubrics and were familiar with the set texts. They made numerous references to the texts in their answers. Also, few of the candidates possessed the language skill to organize their thoughts in the required manner.
