Yomi BlackPassing General Mathematics in WAEC is not mainly about working harder. The format here is a written examination with an objective paper, an essay paper, and a practical or alternative to practical where the subject has one, and that decides which habits pay and which are wasted effort.
- Subject
- General Mathematics
- 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
- It is cumulative.
- Most common loss
- Skipping the working. Method marks are awarded for the steps, and an answer alone earns a fraction of what a worked solution earns.
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.
What makes the subject hard
It is cumulative. A weakness in algebra shows up again in trigonometry, in calculus and in the algebraic parts of statistics, so gaps compound rather than sit still.
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
- Skipping the working. Method marks are awarded for the steps, and an answer alone earns a fraction of what a worked solution earns.
- Losing the units in mensuration questions.
- Treating statistics as the easy topic and then meeting a question on grouped data that needs real technique.
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.
Cover the ground, worst first
- Number and numeration.
- Algebraic processes.
- Mensuration.
- Plane geometry.
- Trigonometry.
- Introductory calculus where the syllabus includes it.
- Statistics and probability.
How to weight your time
Objective and essay, with the essay carrying the larger share of the marks.
Split your preparation in roughly that proportion, then adjust towards whichever component your diagnostic exposed.
Work past papers with a pen and no calculator first, then check. The arithmetic slips you make under pressure are the marks you are actually losing.
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. General Mathematics is required for almost every course, and named explicitly for engineering, the sciences, economics, accounting and computer science, 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.
What people ask about General Mathematics
What makes it hard?
It is cumulative. A weakness in algebra shows up again in trigonometry, in calculus and in the algebraic parts of statistics, so gaps compound rather than sit still.
What is the most common way candidates lose marks?
Skipping the working. Method marks are awarded for the steps, and an answer alone earns a fraction of what a worked solution earns.
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 General Mathematics compulsory?
It is compulsory.
What is it required for?
Almost every course, and named explicitly for engineering, the sciences, economics, accounting and computer science.
How many papers are there?
Objective and essay, with the essay carrying the larger share of the marks.
- WAEC General Mathematics: syllabus
- WAEC General Mathematics: 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