WASSCE & NECO

WASSCE

The West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) is a type of standardized test in West Africa. It is administered by the West African Examinations Council. It is only offered to candidates residing in Anglophone West African countries. The academic school-leaving qualification awarded upon successful completion of the exams is the West African Senior School Certificate (WASSCE).

The examinations

There are two different types of the examination:

• WASSCE (November/December) – Also known as the General Certificate Examinations (GCE), by its former name; all students from private and public schools are allowed to take 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. It is also called private examinations of which now its compulsory to register biometrically.
• WASSCE (May/June) – Also known as the Senior School Certificate Examinations (SSCE), by its former name; this examination is made for all private and public schools in West Africa. They must also wear distinctive uniforms as described in the standards set by the school boards. This examination is offered during the summer (May to June), and the results are available by August.

Subjects

The following subjects are offered for West African Senior School Certificate Examination candidates:

• Mathematics
• Further Mathematics (Elective Mathematics)
• Biology’
• Government
• Chemistry
• Accounting
• Physics
• Geography
• Technical Drawing
• English Language
• English Literature
• Fine Art
• Music
• French
• Commerce
• Economics
• Auto Mechanics
• Book keeping

WAEC grading system

Students who choose to study in Nigerian universities are required to sit for the entrance examinations administered by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) known as the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME).

NECO

The National Examinations Council is an examination body in Nigeria that conducts the Senior Secondary Certificate Examination and the General Certificate in Education in June/July and December/January respectively.

NECO was created by former Head of State Abdulsalami Abubakar in April 1999.It was the first Federal organization to offer subsidized registration to academic candidates in Nigeria.

NECO was mandated to take over the responsibilities of the National Board of Education Measurement (NBEM). Its maiden examination took place in mid-2000.

Nigeria offers six years of basic education, three years of junior secondary education, three years of senior secondary education, and four years of tertiary education. Mathematics and English language are compulsory.

Junior Secondary Certificate exams are intended for candidates in the 3rd year of their junior secondary education in Federal Unity College and other Federal secondary schools. Private secondary schools also take part in JSCE. In state secondary schools, JSCE examinations are conducted by the state government.