BECE question answering problems that make students fail

Failing or passing the BECE depends on many factors, but once a candidate enters the examination, there are mistakes that can cause brilliant and average students to fail the examination.

The Ghana Education News in this article will share a summary of the worrying observations in our last two BECE Home Mocks to help all candidates deal with them now. The portal through its BECE HOME MOCK is transforming the assessment and preparation of BECE candidates. The mocks organized so far have revealed important facts for parents and candidates. Our Home mock results come with a subject-by-subject examiner’s report for each candidate. In this article, we are a summary of what we have discovered. Do well to read every sentence if you are a parent, candidate, or a teacher.

General Observations. These are general problems that need to be addressed for all subjects.

Below are some BECE candidates’ question-answering problems that make students obtain low marks…

1. BECE candidates do not know how to select questions. Most candidates choose questions without thinking about it. Once they see one sub-question that they can answer well, they jump to attempt it. Candidates must read the sub-questions of all major questions and be sure of them before choosing any particular question.
2. Again, many candidates do not number their answers well and some even do not write the question number. How can the examiner know the question you are answering if you are not even ready to write them before answering the questions. Related to this, some students also number their answers in a confusing way. For instance, if you are answering Q1a, do not number the answers as a, b, c or 1, 2,3 instead use Roman numerals to make it easy for the examiner and yourself. In case you are answering a sub-question that is numbered as [a], use Roman numerals such as i, ii, iii etc.
3. Students do not read through their work, and so they submit their scripts with so many errors (spellings, grammar, and even the main information) in the answer. This can sometimes make valuable knowledge get lost in the answer.
4. Candidates need to have the vocabulary of the various topics at their fingertips to help them provide good answers in all subjects.
5. Students are failing the core subjects because of very low marks obtained in their objective tests. Students who stand a chance of making 1 or 2 need to obtain at least 30/40 score in the objective test. Sadly, that is not the case for many students. Teachers should dedicate time and effort toward teaching candidates the act of answering objective test questions.

Below is a summary of the subject-specific Chief Examiners report for BECE candidates. It explains how question-answering problems can make a student fail the BECE easily.

English Language Report

Candidates are finding it difficult to differentiate between friendly and formal letters. Teachers must guide candidates to be able to use key features of the letter-writing question to determine whether the letter is an official letter or a formal letter.

 For instance, to identify if a letter is a formal letter or a friendly letter, candidates must know that, a letter to a friend, a letter to your uncle, auntie, a friend’s brother, your brother, to your sister, and other family members will often be information and to some extent semiformal, but the tone of the letter is nearly the same in this regard. Again, letters to directors, persons in higher authority, etc are official letters. If a candidate cannot make this basic distinction, he or he may miss some or all the features while attempting the question.

It seems BECE candidates do not take the literature aspect of the curriculum seriously or there is a deficiency in the knowledge transferred by teachers. Most candidates lose valuable marks between 4 and 7 when attempting the literature aspect of the English language subject, and that goes a long way to affect their score and grade.

Mathematics

BECE candidates need to sit up and improve on their ability to solve Venn diagram-related questions. Most candidates are unable to logically deduce the information provided to draw the basic Venn diagram, hence they end up losing nearly all the marks for the question. The same can be said of Graph-related questions, Constructions, and Questions that require candidates to factorize and simplify.

If a candidate cannot confidently deal with questions related to these traditional BECE topics, then there is trouble and Mathematics teachers need to work hard on their candidates from now on. Finally, students solve questions by jumping steps. Mathematics is marked with the steps in mind, and so marks are allocated to all the important steps. Candidates are in a hurry to provide the final answer and so jump all the necessary steps. If you jump the steps, you lose the marks and end up performing poorly.

Social Studies

The examiners realized that many students write answers that are so short after the examiner has read through, it is so difficult to award let’s say 1 mark out of a 2 mark question and at best the candidate may earn just half of one for the answer. Teachers need to challenge their candidates to answer social studies questions in such a way that, the answers provided, are self-explaining. No one can make good grades with three-word answers or five-word answers when the examiner is expecting you to explain in one or two sentences.

READ: Why Parents Must Enrol BECE Candidates for 2022 Home Mock Examinations

Integrated Science

Most candidates struggle with the practical aspect of the Integrate Science paper. Those who can answer, find it difficult to differentiate the names of tools and instruments that look alike in science but have different uses. Candidates have a problem with spelling important vocabulary in their science answers.

To solve many of these problems, check this useful content “10 Mistakes BECE & WASSCE Candidates Make in the Exam Hall (Video)

BECE candidates’ question-answering problems: MISTAKES BECE AND WASSCE CANDIDATES DO IN THE EXAM HALL AND HOW TO AVOID THEM FOR SUCCESS

We hope the issues identified in this post “Chief Examiners report on BECE candidates question answering problems that can make a student fail.” Will be taken seriously by all stakeholders.