The WAEC-administered full 2026 BECE English Language Questions and Answers are now part of WAEC’s past BECE questions. These questions and answers add up to the set of past questions and answers for the BECE under the new curriculum.
In all, there are now three important past BECE questions and schemes under the Common Core Curriculum. In this post we share with readers the 2026 BECE paper written on May 4th, 2026, along with some suggested solutions.
See The Actual 2026 BECE English Language Question & Answers
BECE 2026 ENGLISH LANGUAGE PAPER 2
PART A: WRITING [30 MARKS]
Answer one question only from this part. Your composition should be about 250 words long.
- Letter to Father: You are not allowed to watch television after seven o’clock in the evening, but your favourite programme is shown at that time. Write a letter to your father asking for an extension of the time and give two benefits you will gain from the programme.
- Debate Speech: Your school has qualified for the 2026 National Debate Competition. As the main speaker of your school’s debate team, write your speech for or against the motion: “The Basic Education Certificate Examination should be abolished.”
- Descriptive Essay: Your best vacation was when you visited a friend in another part of the country. Describe two differences you noticed between his/her community and yours.
PART B: READING COMPREHENSION [20 MARKS]
Answer all questions in this section based on the passage.
CHEAP NON-EXPIRING DATA
MTN
Telecel
AT
Buy affordable data bundles that never expire. Reliable and Instant Delivery!
BUY CHEAP DATA NOW- (a) Effect of Dressing: According to the older generation, the way young females dress often results in them getting into trouble.
- (b) Teasing Elders: The younger generation teases their elders by making fun of the outdated hairstyles and clothing seen in old family albums.
- (c) Defense Mechanisms:
- They politely argue that societal standards have evolved and the era of the older generation has passed.
- They claim that elders are being unfair by not acknowledging that their own past fashions were once considered acceptable.
- (d) The Generation Gap: The phrase “the difference… will always be there” implies that the clash of values between the old and young is a natural, permanent part of human society.
- (e) Expressions in Own Words:
- (i) the mode of dressing: A person’s specific style or choice of attire.
- (ii) obvious reasons: Motives that are clear and easily understood.
- (iii) all said and done: When every factor has been considered; ultimately.
- (f) Synonyms:
- (i) appalling: Shocking, horrible, or disgusting.
- (ii) expose: To reveal, show, or leave uncovered.
- (iii) vital: Essential, private, or highly important.
- (iv) snub: To ignore, disregard, or reject advice.
- (g) Summary of Accusations (Sentence Format):
- The youth choose to dress in a shocking or indecent manner.
- Younger people lead carefree lives while ignoring the advice of guardians.
PART C: LITERATURE [10 MARKS]
Questions based on “The Cockcrow”
Humanized Solutions:
- Ama Ata Aidoo: The Dilemma of a Ghost:
- (a) Petu, Akroma, and the gong man are performing a traditional cleansing or purification ritual for the courtyard.
- (b) The text in brackets represents Stage Directions.
- Merrill Corney: Debbie, Sandy and Pepe:
- (c) The words are written on a plaque (or hanging card) located in Debbie’s room on a calendar..
- (d) Reading these words gives Debbie a sense of comfort and reassures her of God’s care.
- Theresa Ennin: Makola:
- (e) The baby belongs to a market woman (a trader at Makola).
- (f) A picture of hardship (or the struggles of motherhood) is painted.
- Kobena Eyi Acquah: A Wreath of Tears:
- (g) The poem is a tribute to a deceased loved one.
- (h) The “garden of memory” refers to the mind or subconscious where past experiences are stored.
- Kaakyire Akosomo Nyantakyi: The Generous Hunter:
- (i) The leaf served as a medicinal cure that healed a sick person (the King’s daughter), leading to Asempa’s reward.
- (j) The literary device used is Personification (giving the snake human speech).
BECE 2026 ENGLISH LANGUAGE PAPER 2
PART A: WRITING [30 MARKS]
Answer one question only from this part. Your composition should be about 250 words long.
2026 UPDATED
EXCEL IN YOUR EXAMS
Get instant access to the most reliable Mocks and Marking Schemes.
BUY TOP 2026 BECE MOCKS AND ANSWERS- Letter to Father: You are not allowed to watch television after seven o’clock in the evening, but your favourite programme is shown at that time. Write a letter to your father asking for an extension of the time and give two benefits you will gain from the programme.
- Debate Speech: Your school has qualified for the 2026 National Debate Competition. As the main speaker of your school’s debate team, write your speech for or against the motion: “The Basic Education Certificate Examination should be abolished.”
- Descriptive Essay: Your best vacation was when you visited a friend in another part of the country. Describe two differences you noticed between his/her community and yours.
PART B: READING COMPREHENSION [20 MARKS]
Answer all questions in this section based on the passage.
+2
Humanized Solutions:
- (a) Effect of Dressing: According to the older generation, the way young females dress often results in them getting into trouble.
- (b) Teasing Elders: The younger generation teases their elders by making fun of the outdated hairstyles and clothing seen in old family albums.
- (c) Defense Mechanisms:
- They politely argue that societal standards have evolved and the era of the older generation has passed.
- They claim that elders are being unfair by not acknowledging that their own past fashions were once considered acceptable.
- (d) The Generation Gap: The phrase “the difference… will always be there” implies that the clash of values between the old and young is a natural, permanent part of human society.
- (e) Expressions in Own Words:
- (i) the mode of dressing: A person’s specific style or choice of attire.
- (ii) obvious reasons: Motives that are clear and easily understood.
- (iii) all said and done: When every factor has been considered; ultimately.
- (f) Synonyms:
- (i) appalling: Shocking, horrible, or disgusting.
- (ii) expose: To reveal, show, or leave uncovered.
- (iii) vital: Essential, private, or highly important.
- (iv) snub: To ignore, disregard, or reject advice.
- (g) Summary of Accusations (Sentence Format):
- The youth choose to dress in a shocking or indecent manner.
- Younger people lead carefree lives while ignoring the advice of guardians.
See The Actual 2026 BECE English Language Questions & Answers Under Literature
PART C: LITERATURE [10 MARKS]
Questions based on “The Cockcrow”.
+1
Humanized Solutions:
- Ama Ata Aidoo: The Dilemma of a Ghost:
- (a) Petu, Akroma, and the gong man are performing a traditional cleansing or purification ritual for the courtyard. +2
- (b) The text in brackets represents Stage Directions.
- Merrill Corney: Debbie, Sandy and Pepe:
- (c) The words are written on a plaque (or hanging card) located in Debbie’s room.
- (d) Reading these words gives Debbie a sense of comfort and reassures her of God’s care.
- Theresa Ennin: Makola:
- (e) The baby belongs to a market woman (a trader at Makola).
- (f) A picture of hardship (or the struggles of motherhood) is painted.
- Kobena Eyi Acquah: A Wreath of Tears:
- (g) The poem is a tribute to a deceased loved one.
- (h) The “garden of memory” refers to the mind or subconscious where past experiences are stored.
- Kaakyire Akosomo Nyantakyi: The Generous Hunter:
- (i) The leaf served as a medicinal cure that healed a sick person (the King’s daughter), leading to Asempa’s reward.
- (j) The literary device used is Personification (giving the snake human speech).
Check The Actual 2026 BECE English Language Questions & Answers
BECE 2026 ENGLISH LANGUAGE PAPER 1 (OBJECTIVES)
SECTION A TO E: CORRECT ANSWERS
| Q | Ans | Q | Ans | Q | Ans | Q | Ans |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | D | 11 | D | 21 | C | 31 | C |
| 2 | D | 12 | C | 22 | C | 32 | B |
| 3 | D | 13 | B | 23 | B | 33 | D |
| 4 | C | 14 | B | 24 | A | 34 | C |
| 5 | C | 15 | C | 25 | A | 35 | D |
| 6 | B | 16 | A | 26 | A | 36 | C |
| 7 | B | 17 | A | 27 | A | 37 | A |
| 8 | D | 18 | A | 28 | D | 38 | B |
| 9 | D | 19 | C | 29 | D | 39 | D |
| 10 | D | 20 | D | 30 | B | 40 | C |
Export to Sheets
PART A: LEXIS AND STRUCTURE
SECTION A
Choose from the options A to D, the one which most suitably completes each sentence.
- A crying baby does not allow its parents …….. enough sleep.
- A. had
- B. have
- C. to have had
- D. to have
- The students will …….. the entrance examination next year.
- A. seat
- B. set
- C. sitting
- D. sit
- I wish the driver ……. earlier.
- A. has returned
- B. is returning
- C. returns
- D. returned
- Most people now enjoy …….. by air.
- A. to travel
- B. to travelling
- C. travelling
- D. travelled
- …….. he came late, he was admitted.
- A. As
- B. Even
- C. Though
- D. Since
- He received a prize …….
- A. first for the very first time
- B. for the very first time
- C. very first for the time
- D. the very first for time
- May I have …….. sugar in my porridge?
- A. a few more
- B. a little more
- C. little more
- D. few more
- Nobody will live on this earth forever, ……..?
- A. do they
- B. don’t they
- C. won’t they
- D. will they
- It turned ……. that he was the Pastor’s son.
- A. around
- B. down
- C. up
- D. out
- The oxen …….. in the field since morning.
- A. are being grazed
- B. has been grazing
- C. is being grazed
- D. have been grazing
- Your parents are not inferior …….. mine in any way.
- A. from
- B. than
- C. with
- D. to
- After the quarrel, Awo refused to reconcile …….. her brother.
- A. by
- B. for
- C. with
- D. to
- The neighbour’s dog …….. in our kitchen last night.
- A. laid
- B. lay
- C. lied
- D. lain
- Choose the correct passive speech for:The teacher gave the pupils their marked books.
- A. The pupils are given their marked books by the teacher
- B. The pupils were given their marked books by the teacher
- C. Their marked books have been given to the pupils by the teacher
- D. Their marked books had been given to the pupils by the teacher
- Choose the correct reported form for:“I can’t help you now, but I’ll call later,” Afua informed Ayuba.
- A. you now but will call you later
- B. you then but would call you later
- C. him then but would call him later
- D. him now but would call him later
SECTION B
Choose the option nearest in meaning to the underlined word.
- Students should strive to achieve success.
- A. endeavour
- B. endure
- C. work
- D. steal
- It is my ambition to become the President of Ghana one day.
- A. aspiration
- B. career
- C. decision
- D. calling
- Gold trade flourished in ancient Ghana.
- A. boomed
- B. increased
- C. started
- D. spread
- The agitated workers have planned to hold a meeting tomorrow.
- A. excited
- B. suffering
- C. upset
- D. tired
- The followers vehemently protested against their leader’s arrest.
- A. angrily
- B. dangerously
- C. loudly
- D. forcefully
SECTION C
Choose the option that best explains the underlined group of words.
- The prefect showed his true colours soon after he was elected. This means he…
- A. became very proud
- B. began working very hard
- C. revealed his real character
- D. gave a true victory speech
- Joe is known for always building castles in the air. This means he…
- A. does things that everyone talks about
- B. chooses to travel by plane
- C. has goals that are impossible to achieve
- D. expresses his view openly and frankly
- We should not allow anger to have the better of us. This means anger should not…
- A. keep us sad
- B. control us
- C. divide us
- D. deceive us
- The soldiers’ visit to the town kept us on our toes. This means the visit…
- A. caused us to be alert
- B. filled us with excitement
- C. motivated us to work harder
- D. made us run away
- Foli and Asare decided to bury the hatchet. This means they decided to…
- A. end their quarrel and become friends again
- B. fight in order to know who was stronger
- C. keep their thoughts and plans to themselves
- D. hide their true feelings for each other
SECTION D
Choose the option most nearly opposite in meaning to the underlined word.
- It is hard to tell when it began or where it…
- A. ceased
- B. felled
- C. resided
- D. remained
- The measures put in place have adverse than …….. effects.
- A. beneficial
- B. harmless
- C. profitable
- D. positive
- Some exercises may seem easy in theoretical terms but can be really difficult in …….. aspects.
- A. actual
- B. logical
- C. practical
- D. natural (Note: Marking scheme suggests D, but contextually ‘C. practical’ is the standard opposite)
- Regions with abundant rainfall are different from those having …….. moisture.
- A. negative
- B. reduced
- C. uncertain
- D. scanty
- Their father’s vehicle should be disposed of forthwith instead of ……..
- A. immediately
- B. later
- C. suddenly
- D. next
SECTION E: CLOZE PASSAGE
Choose the most suitable word for each numbered gap.
Almost everyone in the world today accesses social media. One (31) that makes access to social media very easy is the mobile phone. A common (32) used is WhatsApp. One can read (33) from friends and family here. One can also watch videos of (34), but then, one must have (35) connection to enjoy these.
31. C. gadget
32. B. platform
33. D. messages
34. C. events
35. D. Internet
PART B: ORAL LANGUAGE
UNIT I
Choose from the options A to D, the one which has the same vowel sound as the word underlined in the sentences below.
- The march to the Revolution Square was a slow one.
- A. batch
- B. heart
- C. chap
- D. huts
- The athletes were fit and ready for the games.
- A. heat
- B. laid
- C. whim
- D. riot
UNIT II
Choose from the options A to D, the one which has the same final consonant sound as the word underlined in the sentences below.
- Nanyi is good in sprints.
- A. shrills
- B. springs
- C. skills
- D. stints
- Salts of different textures were on display.
- A. carts
- B. cults
- C. stalls
- D. sands
Choose from the options A to D, the attitude expressed in the sentence below by using a rising tone.
- “He is here.” Which of the following is suggested?
- A. Certainty
- B. Doubt
- C. Emphasis
- D. Determination
BECE 2026 ENGLISH LANGUAGE PAPER 1 (OBJECTIVES)
SECTION A TO E: CORRECT ANSWERS
| Q | Ans | Q | Ans | Q | Ans | Q | Ans |
| 1 | D | 11 | D | 21 | C | 31 | C |
| 2 | D | 12 | C | 22 | C | 32 | B |
| 3 | D | 13 | B | 23 | B | 33 | D |
| 4 | C | 14 | B | 24 | A | 34 | C |
| 5 | C | 15 | C | 25 | A | 35 | D |
| 6 | B | 16 | A | 26 | A | 36 | C |
| 7 | B | 17 | A | 27 | A | 37 | A |
| 8 | D | 18 | A | 28 | D | 38 | B |
| 9 | D | 19 | C | 29 | D | 39 | D |
| 10 | D | 20 | D |