The West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) is a type of standardized test

Standardized test

A standardized test is a test that is administered and scored in a consistent, or "standard", manner. Standardized tests are designed in such a way that the questions, conditions for administering, scoring procedures, and interpretations are consistent and are administered and scored in a...

 in West Africa

West Africa

West Africa or Western Africa is the westernmost region of the African continent. Geopolitically, the UN definition of Western Africa includes the following 16 countries and an area of approximately 5 million square km:-Flags of West Africa:...

. It is administered by the West African Examinations Council (WAEC). It is only offered to candidates residing in Anglophone West African countries.

The examinations

There are two different types of the examination:

The WASSCE (December): Also known as the GCE by its old name (General Certificate Examinations),only private students are eligible to sit for this examination, and uniforms are not compulsory. However, other rules and regulations are applied on every candidate. This examination is only offered during the autumn season, and the results are available by December.

The WASSCE (June): Also known as the SSCE by its old name (Senior School Certificate Examinations), this examination is ideally made for private candidates. Students from recognizable private schools can only sit for this examination in any government-run schools. They must also wear distinctive uniforms as being described. This examination is only offered during the spring season, and the results are available by october.

The subjects

Compulsory:

• English language
• Nigerian language (only in Nigeria)
• Mathematics
• Integrated Science
• Social Studies

Elective:

• 114 Animal Husbandry
• 115 Crop Husbandry & Horticulture
• 116 Fisheries
• 117 Forestry
• 118 General Agriculture

• 201 Business Programme

• 211 Accounting
• 212 Business Mathematics and Principles of Costing
• 213 Typewriting (40 w.p.m)
• 214 Business Management
• 301 Technical Programme
• 311 Building Construction
• 312 Woodwork
• 313 Metalwork
• 314 Applied Electricity
• 315 Electronics
• 316 Auto Mechanics
• 317 Technical Drawing
  • Applied Electricity

'WAEC grading system

{| class="wikitable"
! Grade !! Definition

|-
| A1 || Excellent 75% - 100%
|-
| B2 || Very good 70% - 74%
|-
| B3 || Good 65%- 69%
|-
| C4 || Credit 60% - 64%
|-
| C5 || Credit 55% - 59%
|-
| C6 || Credit 50% - 54%
|-
| D7 || Pass 45% - 49%
|-
| E8 || Pass 40% - 45%
|-
| F9 || Failure 0% - 44% |}

Official guideline 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

Students who choose to study in public universities are required to sit for the entrance examinations administered by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board

Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board

The Joint Admissions and Matriculations Board is Nigeria's official entrance examination board for tertiary-level institutions. The examinations being administered are available for most students who choose to apply to Nigerian public and private monotechnics, polytechnics, and universities...

 (JAMB). This is also required while applying to the private American-style university in Yola

Yola, Nigeria

Yola is the capital city and administrative center of Adamawa State, Nigeria. Located on the Benue River, it has a population of 88,500 . Established in 1841, Yola was the capital of a Fulani state until it was taken by the British in 1901. Daytime temperatures can easily exceed during the dry...

, the ABTI-American University of Nigeria (AAUN).

United Kingdom

Universities in the United Kingdom

United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...

 may, in addition, require candidates to complete a one-year Foundation course or acceptable alternative.

Malpractices

Cases of both WASSCE examiners and candidates have been discovered for cheating during examinations, and these types of malpractices still continue. In Nigeria, students often err while filling forms for the examinations, and some of whom, whose names were not being put on the attendance list due to these errors, are admitted as "special" candidates into "special" centres. Without hesitation, examiners dictated or wrote down confidential answers to these candidates. The 2007 WASSCE was fraught with a serious case of leakage, such that several papers had to be resat.