Common Mistakes students make in WAEC and NECO examination

There is a mass failure in the WAEC and NECO examination due to common mistakes students make. However, there are numerous factors that can contribute to poor grades. Let’s discuss them in simple details.

Every secondary school student hopes to pass the WAEC or NECO with flying colors and A grades. This will fill parents’ hearts with joy.

When I took the WAEC and NECO exams many years ago, I made numerous errors.

There were no online platforms where I could read about the best strategies for studying and passing the O’level examination during my time. But, thankfully, I did well on my exam.

In this post, I’ll go over the most common mistakes students make in WAEC and NECO examination and how to avoid them.

As you prepare for your senior secondary school exams, focus on exam success.

Common Mistakes Students Make in WAEC and NECO Examination

I will discuss with you these common mistakes students make in the WAEC or NECO examination from the list below:

Reading without consulting the WAEC or NECO syllabus
Preparing Late For Examination
Not Making a Personal Study Timetable
Studying Without Past Questions
Participating in the Incorrect Study or Tutorial Group
Sleep Deprivation
Taking on Difficult Questions
Addiction to Social Media
Inability to manage Examination Time Duration
Failure to revise your answers prior to submission
Ignoring Examination Instruction
Answering Questions with Inappropriate Answers
Answering Exam Questions with Abbreviations

1. Reading without consulting the WAEC or NECO syllabus

Exam preparation without the syllabus is analogous to going to the farm without your agricultural tools. You will not be productive as a result.
Make sure you start your exam preparations with the syllabus.
The WAEC and NECO syllabuses contain the topics that you must study in order to sit for the examination. It includes the exam’s aims and objectives, notes, and format.
There is a syllabus for each subject you will take in the WAEC.

2. Preparing Late For Examination

Late exam preparation means waiting a few weeks before beginning or taking your preparations seriously.

The best time to begin preparing for your WAEC and NECO examination is during SS1 rather than a few days before the exam.

Please don’t get me wrong. I’m simply stating that now is the best time to begin preparing. Begin planning as soon as possible. Do not procrastinate your studies.

Are you having trouble studying for your exam?
Please let me know in the comments section below so that I can give you the best advice possible.

3. Not Making a Personal Study Timetable

Making a personal study schedule is an effective reading technique for getting good grades in your exams.
A personal study timetable is a rough outline of the subjects you intend to study on each day of the week.

The schedule runs from Monday to Saturday. A personal study timetable is a rough outline of the subjects you intend to study on each day of the week.

4. Studying Without Past Questions

The open secret to getting good grades in school is to study WAEC and NECO past questions. You may not know how to approach exam questions if you have not studied previous questions.

Make sure you have a complete set of WAEC or NECO past questions with correct answers for all subjects. Do not cram the previous questions with questions and answers. You must use it to practice and test your knowledge.

5. Participating in the Incorrect Study or Tutorial Group

Study or tutorial groups are excellent ways to prepare for your exam. “Two heads are better than one”, as the saying goes.

You will get a better explanation of topics you did not understand in class at a tutorial center.

Participating in a study group can motivate you to work harder. It is possible to achieve this by teaching your classmates and answering previous questions.

However, many tutorial centers and study groups, unfortunately, are a complete waste of time. Students taking the WAEC or NECO exams attend a fashion parade there and do many silly things. In these settings, there is little learning.

You must make certain that any tutorial center or group study to which you belong is beneficial to your academics. Do not hesitate to leave when the tutorial is distracting you.

6. Sleep Deprivation

Many students stay awake all night in order to complete the WAEC and NECO syllabuses.

It may be useful for some students. However, studying is beneficial, but not at the expense of your health.

You should learn how to stay awake and study at night.
Making time for sleep after your study sessions is essential for retentive memory.

Sleeping will assist you in sharpening your memory. It would be easier to read, comprehend, and remember.

Do not deprive yourself from sleep as a result of exam preparation.

7. Taking on Difficult Questions

Many students make the mistake of attempting difficult questions during exams. This is an ineffective strategy. They struggle with the exams from the start. It destroys their morale, resulting in poor performance.

Answering questions you already know the answers to before moving on to others is the best way to start your examination.
Choose simple questions to boost your confidence and relax you. You’d be able to answer the difficult questions later.

8. Addiction to Social Media

Students who are addicted to social media apps are unable to concentrate on their studies. It is a serious issue because it is the leading cause of students’ poor performance in O’level exams.

As a student, dealing with social media addiction will benefit both your academics and your life.

Make a decision today to deal with the urge to constantly check your phone for videos and pictures. Make a conscious effort not to be distracted by your phone.

You can use the following tips to overcome your social media addiction:

When studying, avoid using social media apps.
While studying, set your phone to flight mode.
Refrain from opening your social media apps.
Set a study goal.

9. Inability to manage Examination Time Duration

Many students with poor time management do not have enough time to complete their exams.
If you know the answers to the questions, it can be a painful experience.
The primary source of this issue is students devoting excessive time to difficult questions.
Your goal in the exam room is to answer your best questions. Do not waste time on activities that will not result in high grades.

The best way to learn good examination time management is to study with past questions, and discipline yourself with the exam duration set on it.

10. Failure to revise your answers prior to submission

Many students make the mistake of submitting their exams without first revising them. It’s a huge blunder. Cross-checking your answers is an excellent way to ensure that you receive high marks on your exam.
There is no prize for the first student to complete the exam. Continue to go over your work inside the exam hall until the exam is finished.

During this time, you will be able to identify errors in your answers.

11. Ignoring Examination Instruction

The instructions for the WAEC and NECO examinations are guidelines to follow.
The first thing a student must do in the exam room is follow the exam instructions.
Take your time reading through the instructions. You will find information about the exam’s format and the number of questions to answer.

12. Answering Questions with Inappropriate Answers

Writing out of context is a common error that students make during their WAEC or NECO exams.

Most of the time, answering questions with irrelevant answers occurs when you fail to read exam questions with comprehension.

One of the common mistakes students make is using big words in your essay. Always keep in mind that the simpler the better.

13. Answering Exam Questions with Abbreviations

In no examination is it acceptable to answer questions in shorthand or abbreviation. The use of social media languages results in a deduction of marks.

If you practice with previous questions, you will not have this problem.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What factors contribute to WAEC failure?
When WAEC receives even a minor case of examination malpractice in an exam center, the entire result of that center will not be released at all or cancelled. This accounts for approximately 40% of WAEC examination failures each year. Also, Many students fail the WAEC exam due to a lack of preparation.

What are the most common mistakes students make during exams?
From not reading the question correctly to misspelling keywords, from test anxiety to poor time management, chances are you’ve already committed one of these. Get ahead of these errors, and you’ll save yourself from losing important marks in the future.

I hope I have been able to help you identify common mistakes students make in WAEC and NECO examination? Help your friends by sharing this post.

If you have any questions or need further assistance, please leave a comment below. I’d be delighted to hear from you.