WAEC Syllabus for English Language – The English Language is not just a school subject, it is your voice, your power, and your passport to opportunities. The WAEC English Language exam checks how well students can understand and use English in real life. It is designed to help students communicate, think critically, and express themselves confidently. It looks at written and spoken English, focusing on grammar, vocabulary, reading comprehension, writing, listening, pronunciation, and communication skills.
This guide will help you understand the WAEC Syllabus for English Language as you prepare to write the exam. Let me show you everything you need to know to master English the WAEC way and, more importantly, to use it beyond the exam hall. To succeed in the exam, follow the information provided in this article carefully to prepare!
WAEC Syllabus for English Language
WAEC tests how well students can:
- Use correct English in speaking and writing.
- Write in a clear, organized way for different purposes (like letters, speeches, or articles).
- Organize ideas logically in paragraphs.
- Use correct grammar and a mix of sentence types.
- Spell and punctuate accurately.
- Understand both written and spoken English.
- Pick up on tone, emotion, and implied meaning.
- Pronounce words clearly and understandably.
- Recognize English sounds and how they are written.
- Summarize key ideas from texts.
Exam Structure
The exam has three parts (called papers):
Paper 1: Objective Test (Multiple Choice)
Duration: 1 hour, Marks: 40, with 80 questions testing:
- Vocabulary (word meanings and usage)
- Grammar (sentence structure, tenses, idioms, etc.)
- Sentence patterns
- Simple comprehension
- Sound and stress patterns (especially for Ghana)
Paper 2: Writing, Comprehension, and Summary
Duration: 2 hours, Marks: 100
Section A: Essay Writing (50 marks)
Write an essay of the given topics. Options may include:
- Letter writing
- Speech writing
- Storytelling (narrative)
- Descriptive writing
- Debate or argumentative essay
- Report writing
- Article writing
- Explanation (expository writing)
- Creative writing
Scored by:
- Relevance of your content
- Clear organization
- Use of language and vocabulary
- Grammar, spelling, and punctuation
- Minimum length: 450 words
Section B: Comprehension (20 marks)
Read a passage and answer questions to show you can:
- Find synonyms
- Understand facts and main ideas
- Make inferences (read between the lines)
- Identify emotions or tone
- Recognize grammar structures and explain them
- Identify figures of speech
- Rewrite parts of the passage in different words
Section C: Summary Writing (30 marks)
You will read a longer passage and:
- Pick out key information
- Write a clear and concise summary
- Avoid repeating ideas
- Focus only on what’s asked
Paper 3: Oral English / Listening Comprehension
Duration: 45 minutes, and Marks: 30. There are two versions depending on the country:
Nigeria and Liberia – Test of Oral English
Students will answer multiple-choice questions on:
- Vowels (e.g., /i:/ vs. /ɪ/)
- Diphthongs and triphthongs
- Consonants and consonant clusters
- Word stress (which syllable to emphasize)
- Sentence stress and emphatic stress
- Intonation patterns (e.g., rising and falling tone)
- Phonetic symbols (e.g., /ʃ/ for ‘sh’ in she)
Ghana, Gambia, and Sierra Leone – Listening Comprehension
You will listen to audio recordings and answer questions on:
- Word sounds (voiced and voiceless consonants)
- Vowel sounds and contrasts
- Rhyming words
- Emphatic stress
- Conversations and stories
A CD player or recording device is used for this test.
Key Areas Students Must Know
Vocabulary & Lexis
Know common words and specialized vocabulary from areas like:
- Health
- Law and politics
- Religion
- Education
- Agriculture, fishing, and mining
- Banking, stock exchange, and insurance
- Science and technology
- Sports and entertainment
- Journalism and advertising
Note: Study idioms like “beat around the bush” or “hit the nail on the head.”
Grammar & Structure
Students should be able to:
- Use correct tenses (past, present, future)
- Recognize and use parts of speech (nouns, verbs, etc.)
- Use figures of speech (similes, metaphors, irony, etc.)
- Form sentences correctly and avoid errors like wrong verb use or bad punctuation
Reading & Understanding
- Comprehend written texts
- Identify literal and hidden meanings
- Recognize tone and emotion in writing
- Explain the grammar used in context
- Reword sentences without changing meaning
Writing Skills
Practice writing:
- Formal and informal letters
- Reports on events or issues
- Speeches for public delivery
- Articles for school magazines
- Stories or narratives (real or imagined)
- Arguments or debates
- Descriptions of people, places, or things
- Expositions (explaining a process or idea)
Speaking & Listening (Orals)
Students must be able to:
- Pronounce words correctly
- Recognize sounds in spoken English
- Identify stressed syllables
- Understand when someone is emphasizing a word for meaning
- Tell the tone of a sentence (question, command, etc.)
Literature Section (If applicable)
There are questions on:
- Prose (novels, stories)
- Drama (plays)
- Poetry
Each student studies specific texts provided in the syllabus for their year.
Conclusion
This WAEC English exam is not just about grammar rules, but it tests how well students can understand, speak, write, and respond to English in real-world situations. Mastering and understanding the WAEC Syllabus for English Language for 2025 will help and guide you to prepare effectively for success and become a confident English communicator.
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