WASSCE Candidates’ Strengths, Weaknesses In Integrated Science And Remedies | Extract From Chief Examiners Report For WASSCE 2023
Teachers preparing students for any examination are always worried about the potential weaknesses in answers that their students will provide during the examination. Fortunately, the main examining body, the West Africa Examination Council always provided candidates’ weaknesses in Integrated Science during the last held examination.
2021 Candidates’ Strengths, Weaknesses In Integrated Science And Remedies
2021 WASSCE Integrated Science Paper Two (2)
(A) SUMMARY OF CANDIDATES’ STRENGTHS
(1) Majority of the candidates exhibited good knowledge of scientific principles and
their applications.
(2) Classification and contributions of three scientists (Mendeleev, Linnaeus and
Aristotle) to science were well answered by most of the candidates.
(3) Candidates were familiar with reasons for weaning piglets, bisexual and unisexual
flowers and alloys.
(B). SUMMARY OF CANDIDATES’ WEAKNESSES
(1) Failure to number answers in some cases.
(2) One word answers were spelt wrongly e.g. ultraviolet, inductor, capacitor,
osscicles, etc.
(3) Time wasted by candidates who copied the questions, before answering them.
(4) SI units were wrongly written in some cases e.g. ‘Joules’ instead of joules.
(5) Some candidates wasted time answering more than the four (4) questions required.
(6) In a few cases, the handwriting was not legible.
(7) Some candidates gambled by providing more answers than required when they
were not sure what answer was required of them – compelling the examiner to
select the correct answer among the lot provided.
(C). SUGGESTED REMEDIES
(1) Need to have vocabulary drills on key words/spelling at the start of lessons.
(2) Specific lessons should be taught on SI units of fundamental/derived quantities,
and how they should be written.
(3) Candidates must be reminded that extra questions answered do not fetch more
marks.
(4) There’s the need for candidates to improve on their English vocabulary as well.
2021 WASSCE Integrated Science Paper Two (3)
A. SUMMARY OF CANDIDATES’ STRENGTHS
The Chief Examiner commended candidates for the following features noticed in their scripts:
(1) Scientific principle involved in preparation of soap from cocoa pod i.e. saponification;
(2) Correct identification of organisms illustrated i.e. caterpillar / A, Bird / B, Roundworm / C
and Tick /D;
(3) Correct conversion of distance (d) into volume using the scale provided
B. SUMMARY OF CANDIDATES’ WEAKNESSES
The following weaknesses were noticed in the scripts of candidates:
(1) Inability to rearrange steps in soap making in correct sequence;
(2) Wrong spellings of technical terms and scientific words;
(3) Inability to identify correctly the adaptive features of the bird which enable it to destroy crops;
(4) Failure of candidates to draw and label the triangle on the line of best fit for the determination
of the slope.
C. SUGGESTED REMEDIES
The Chief Examiner made the following suggestions meant to remedy the weaknesses of candidates:
(1) Teachers should periodically use question and answer to drill students on scientific words and
technical terms;
(2) Teachers should give more exercises involving plotting of graphs and determination of slope
on the graph;
(3) Teachers should organise more practical lessons involving identification of organisms and
their adaptive features
2020 Candidates’ Strength, Weaknesses In Integrated Science And Remedies
2020 WASSCE Integrated Science Paper Two (2)
A. SUMMARY OF CANDIDATES’ STRENGTHS
(1) Candidates adhered to the rubrics of the paper.
(2) The candidates generally presented their responses in legible handwriting.
(3) Some specific areas candidates demonstrated commendable skills include:
(a) management practices in maize cultivation;
(b) reason why aluminium does not corrode;
(c) meaning of insanitary condition;
(d) ways of preventing fire outbreak from electrical sources.
B. SUMMARY OF CANDIDATES’ WEAKNESSES
(1) Candidates had difficulty in spelling common words correctly.
(2) Some candidates presented their answers in both ink and pencil.
(3) Candidates were highly challenged in Basic Electronics, writing of chemical
formula of compounds and Rhesus factor.
(4) Candidates could not state ways of conserving water in the home.
(5) Candidates could not effectively handle the question on the effect of air masses on
the environment.
C. SUGGESTED REMEDIES
(1) Vocabulary drill for candidates on scientific words which are often wrongly spelt
should be practiced.
(2) Candidates should be educated on the importance of the use of ink in writing their
answers for which reason, they must desist from presenting their answers in pencil.
(3) More attention should be given to topics that pose constant difficulty to candidates.
2020 WASSCE Integrated Science Paper Two (3)
A. SUMMARY OF CANDIDATES’ STRENGTHS
(1) Most of the candidates were able to identify and name correctly parts of farm
animals and laboratory instruments.
(2) The candidates were able to balance correctly chemical equation for the reaction
involved in the preparation of hydrogen gas.
(3) The candidates were able to state correctly management practices of named animals.
B. SUMMARY OF CANDIDATES’ WEAKNESSES
(1) Poor spelling of scientific words.
(2) Poor command of the English language.
(3) Inability to plot graphs with correct values.
(4) Poor description of the process that goes on in the stomach of humans.
B. SUGGESTED REMEDIES
(1) Students should be encouraged to read story books frequently.
(2) Students are to note that wrong spelling of one-word answers do not score points.
(3) Teachers should guide candidates to draw graphs with correct values.
It the hope of our team that candidates will perform better when teachers and candidates go through this summary of strengths, candidates’ weaknesses in Integrated Science and remedies and apply same
Source: waecgh.org
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