Yomi BlackMost candidates who fail French at this level did the work. They did it on the topics they already understood, and in a format that is marked by examiners against a published mark scheme, with method marks awarded for working and presentation marks for layout that produces nothing.
- Subject
- French
- Examined by
- WAEC
- Format here
- A written examination with an objective paper, an essay paper, and a practical or alternative to practical where the subject has one
- Depth
- Senior secondary depth, three years of teaching examined in one diet
- What the grade does
- A credit, and credits are the unit almost every admission requirement is written in
- Hardest part
- The oral is scheduled separately and candidates who do not chase their date from the centre simply miss it.
- Most common loss
- Missing the oral, which is arranged by the Council rather than dated on the main grid.
What you are actually being measured on
The papers are a written examination with an objective paper, an essay paper, and a practical or alternative to practical where the subject has one, and they are marked by examiners against a published mark scheme, with method marks awarded for working and presentation marks for layout. The grade sits on a certificate that does not expire and that you will show for the rest of your working life.
The preparation that fits it: three years of school teaching, which means your gaps are your school’s gaps, and finding them is the first job.
Cover the ground, worst first
- Comprehension in French.
- Grammar and structure.
- Vocabulary and idiom.
- Composition and letter writing.
- Oral French, listening and speaking.
- Aspects of francophone culture.
How to weight your time
Objective, essay, and a separately arranged oral.
Split your preparation in roughly that proportion, then adjust towards whichever component your diagnostic exposed.
Ask your centre for the oral date the week the timetable is published.
A six-week plan
- Week one. A full past paper under time, in this examination’s format. Mark it honestly. Tag every error.
- Week two. The topics your teaching never covered. Highest return per hour.
- Week three. Drill the three losses above until they stop happening.
- Week four. A second full paper. Compare the error pattern with week one.
- Week five. Your weakest component, whether that is the practical, the essay or the objective paper.
- Week six. A third paper, then consolidation. No new material.
What the grade buys you
Here the grade is a credit, and credits are the unit almost every admission requirement is written in. French is required for French, linguistics, international relations, tourism and translation, and it is checked individually at admission. One diet a year for school candidates, so there is no second attempt inside the same admission cycle.
Quick answers on French
What is the most common way candidates lose marks?
Missing the oral, which is arranged by the Council rather than dated on the main grid.
Where do I get the official syllabus?
From WAEC, on its own site, free. Check the year range on the cover before you use it.
How long do I need?
Six focused weeks will move a grade if the work is aimed at what your diagnostic paper exposed. Six months aimed at topics you already know will not.
Should I get a tutor for this subject?
If your problem is that the topic was never taught, yes, and specifically for those topics. If your problem is presentation or pacing, a tutor helps less than timed practice against the mark scheme.
Is French compulsory?
No. It is a humanities subject, chosen as one of your electives, and you should choose it because a course you want names it.
What is it required for?
French, linguistics, international relations, tourism and translation.
How many papers are there?
Objective, essay, and a separately arranged oral.
What makes it hard?
The oral is scheduled separately and candidates who do not chase their date from the centre simply miss it.
What makes the subject hard
The oral is scheduled separately and candidates who do not chase their date from the centre simply miss it.
That changes the plan. A subject that punishes presentation needs practice in presentation. A subject that compounds needs its foundations fixed first. More hours on the wrong layer produce the same result as none.
The three losses to eliminate first
- Missing the oral, which is arranged by the Council rather than dated on the main grid.
- Translating from English word by word, which produces sentences no marker will reward.
- Neglecting verb tenses beyond the present.
Each is worth more than an extra topic learned, because they are losses on material you already know. Fixing a habit converts work you have already done into marks you are currently not getting.
- WAEC French: syllabus
- WAEC French: past questions
- All WAEC subjects
- WAEC syllabus, all subjects
- WAEC grading and what counts as a credit
Sources
- The West African Examinations Council, Nigeria. Entry regulations for WASSCE. waecnigeria.org
- The West African Examinations Council, Nigeria. Registration and entry. waecnigeria.org
- The West African Examinations Council, Nigeria. Frequently Asked Questions. www.waecnigeria.org