West African Senior School Certificate Examination

West African Senior School Certificate Examination
Abbreviation	WASSCE
Services	Examinations and academic assessments
Official language	English;
Website	www.waecgh.org

The West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) is a type of standardized test in West Africa. Students who pass the exam receive a certificate confirming their graduation from secondary education. It is administered by the West African Examinations Council (WAEC).^[1] It is only offered to candidates residing in Anglophone West African countries. The academic school-leaving qualification awarded upon successful completion of the exams is the West African Senior School Certificate.

The WASSCE tests four core subjects—English, mathematics, integrated science, social studies, and three or four elective subjects.^[2]

The Examinations[]

There are two different types of the examination:

WASSCE for School Candidates (May/June) is the Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE) for school candidates. It is taken by final year students in senior secondary schools. They wear their respective school uniforms. This examination is offered during summer (April to May), and the results are available by August.

WASSCE for Private Candidates (Nov/Dec), also known as General Certificate Examination (GCE) or WAEC GCE, is a private examination and uniforms are not required but biometric registration is compulsory as in the former. This examination is only offered during autumn and it is usually taken by secondary school leavers who want to correct deficiencies in their results. The results are available by December.

Under the WAEC Marking and Grading Scheme, the letters A to F are used to indicate how good a result is. Explanations: In other words, To get an A in WAEC Mathematics, you need to score above 75% in the Exam. 75% means you are able to get 75 questions correctly out of 100 questions.

Official Guidelines For University Admission[]

Candidates are advised that they will be required to satisfy not only the university's general entrance requirements but also the requirements of the particular faculty which they wish to enter and that these requirements vary considerably. Particulars of entrance requirements and exemption regulations may be obtained from the universities or professional bodies concerned.

Nigeria[]

Nigerian senior secondary school students can take either the WASSCE or the National Examination Council (NECO) exam.

Students who choose to study in Nigerian universities are required to sit the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), an entrance examination administered by the state-owned Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB).

United Kingdom[]

Universities in the United Kingdom may in addition, require candidates to complete a one-year foundation course or acceptable alternative. Proof of English proficiency may also be a requirement.^[3]

References[]

^ Karen Wells (8 November 2019). Teen Lives around the World: A Global Encyclopedia [2 volumes]. ABC-CLIO. p. 330. ISBN 978-1-4408-5245-9.
^ Coert Loock; Vanessa Scherman (20 November 2019). Educational Assessment in a Time of Reform: Standards and Standard Setting for Excellence in Education. Taylor & Francis. p. 27. ISBN 978-0-429-68547-7.
^ "Guidelines for university entrance". West African Examination Council, Nigeria portal – via waecnigeria.org.

[Wells2019-1] Karen Wells (8 November 2019). Teen Lives around the World: A Global Encyclopedia [2 volumes]. ABC-CLIO. p. 330. ISBN 978-1-4408-5245-9.

[LoockScherman2019-2] Coert Loock; Vanessa Scherman (20 November 2019). Educational Assessment in a Time of Reform: Standards and Standard Setting for Excellence in Education. Taylor & Francis. p. 27. ISBN 978-0-429-68547-7.

[3] "Guidelines for university entrance". West African Examination Council, Nigeria portal – via waecnigeria.org.

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