2023 WAEC SSCE Practical Specimens and Instructions to Schools: What You Need to Know ElijahMuna, May 8, 2023May 8, 2023 2023 WAEC SSCE Practical Specimens and Instructions to Schools: The West African Examination Council (WAEC) has released the list of practical specimens and instructions to schools for 2023/2024 Senior Secondary Certificate Examination (SSCE). The practical exams are an important aspect of the SSCE, as they assess students’ ability to apply theoretical knowledge in practical situations. The practical exams will cover a range of subjects, including Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Agricultural Science, Home Economics, and Technical Drawing. The specimens and instructions have been designed to test students’ knowledge of practical concepts, techniques, and procedures. Schools are expected to adhere strictly to the instructions provided by WAEC to ensure a fair and transparent examination process. Students need to familiarize themselves with the practical specimens and instructions ahead of the exams. This will enable them to adequately prepare and perform well in the practical exams. Schools are also advised to ensure that they have the necessary equipment and facilities to conduct the practical exams effectively. Overall, the release of the practical specimens and instructions is a crucial step toward the successful conduct of the 2023/2024 SSCE. General Overview What is WAEC SSCE Practical? The West African Examination Council (WAEC) Senior School Certificate Examination (SSCE) Practical is a component of the SSCE examination. It is a practical test that assesses the practical skills of students in various subjects. The practical test is conducted in schools, and students are required to carry out practical tasks based on the specimens provided by WAEC. Why is it important? The WAEC SSCE Practical is an important component of the SSCE examination. It is designed to test the practical skills of students in various subjects. The practical test helps to assess the ability of students to apply the theoretical knowledge they have acquired in the classroom to practical situations. The practical test also helps to identify students who have a good understanding of the subject matter and are capable of applying their knowledge to real-life situations. Who is eligible to participate? All students who are registered for the WAEC SSCE examination are eligible to participate in the practical test. The practical test is conducted in schools, and students are required to carry out practical tasks based on the specimens provided by WAEC. The practical test is mandatory for all students who are registered for the WAEC SSCE examination, and it is an important component of the examination. In conclusion, the WAEC SSCE Practical is an important component of the SSCE examination. It is designed to test the practical skills of students in various subjects, and it helps to assess the ability of students to apply the theoretical knowledge they have acquired in the classroom to practical situations. All students who are registered for the WAEC SSCE examination are eligible to participate in the practical test. 2023 WAEC SSCE Practical Specimens and Instructions Types of specimens for 2023/2024 The West African Examination Council (WAEC) has released the list of specimens for the 2023/2024 SSCE Practical Examinations. The specimens are categorized into four groups: A, B, C, and D. Each group contains different specimens from various subjects. The table below shows the list of specimens for each group. Group Specimens A Biology, Chemistry, and Agricultural Science B Physics and Geography C Foods and Nutrition D Clothing and Textiles 2023 WAEC SSCE Instructions to schools for handling specimens Schools are advised to handle the specimens with utmost care to avoid damage or contamination. The following instructions should be strictly adhered to: Specimens should be stored in a cool and dry place to prevent decay or spoilage. Specimens should be handled with gloves to avoid contamination. Specimens should be arranged in a neat and orderly manner before the examination. Schools should ensure that the specimens are complete and in good condition before the examination. Marking scheme and grading system The marking scheme for the practical examination is divided into two parts: objective and subjective. The objective part carries 30 marks, while the subjective part carries 70 marks. The grading system for the practical examination is as follows: Marks Grade 75-100 A 70-74 B 65-69 C 60-64 D 55-59 E 0-54 F Schools are advised to take note of the instructions and ensure that they are followed to the letter to avoid any penalties or disqualification. 2023 WAEC Animal Husbandry Practical Specimen and Instructions to Schools This is the 2023 WAEC Animal Husbandry Practical Specimen and Instructions to Schools. The instructions are as follows: It is essential to ensure that the information given below does not reach the candidates either directly or indirectly before the examination. It is the school’s responsibility to provide the specimens, materials, and equipment for the test. (b) (i) If a specimen is not readily available in sufficient quantity, it should be shared between small groups of candidates. (i) Each candidate should be given the following specimens labeled accordingly: Specimen A – Fresh centrosema plant Specimen B – Guinea grass (fresh) Specimen C – Palm oil (labeled) Specimen D – Hoof Specimen E – Horn Specimen F – Feather Specimen G – Common salt (labeled) Specimen H – Maize grains Specimen I – Powdered milk Specimen J – Groundnut cake Specimen K – Water (labeled) Specimen L – Restraining rope. REPORT FORM Report Forms are provided separately, on which you are requested to: (a) provide details of the specimens and materials provided; (b) report on any particular difficulties experienced by any candidate, especially if the examiner cannot discover these from the scripts; (c) make and record experimental observations. A completed Report Form must be enclosed in each envelope of scripts. 2023 WAEC Agricultural Science Practical Specimen and Instructions to Schools This is the 2023 WAEC Agricultural Science Practical Specimen and Instructions to Schools. The instructions are as follows: It is essential to ensure that the information given below does not reach the candidates either directly or indirectly before the examination. (a) It is the school’s responsibility to provide the specimens, materials, and equipment for the test. (b) (i) If a specimen is not readily available in sufficient quantity, it should be shared among small groups of candidates. (ii) Each candidate should be given the following specimens labeled accordingly: Specimen A – Feeding trough Specimen B – Burdizzo (real/picture/diagram) Specimen C – Neck/collar tag Specimen D – Spanner Specimen E – Kerosine lamp Specimen F – Inorganic fertilizer (superphosphate) (labeled) Specimen G – Compost (labeled) Specimen H – Farmyard manure (labeled) Specimen I – Groundnut seeds (unshelled) Specimen J – Cotton lint Specimen K – Oil palm fruit Specimen L – Rubber latex (labeled) Specimen M – Crop (Poultry) Specimen N – Gizzard (longitudinal section with its contents) Specimen O – Rumen Specimen P – Small intestine Specimen Q – Liver. REPORT FORM Report Forms are provided separately, on which you are requested to: (a) provide details of the specimens and materials provided; (b) report on any particular difficulties experienced by any candidate, especially if the examiner cannot discover these from the scripts; (c) make and record experimental observations. A completed Report Form must be enclosed in each envelope of scripts. 2023 WAEC Biology Practical Specimen and Instructions to Schools This is the 2023 WAEC Biology Practical Specimen and Instructions to Schools. The instructions are as follows: It is essential to ensure that the information given below does not reach the candidates either directly or indirectly before the examination. Each candidate should be instructed to bring to the examination room: (a) sharpened drawing pencils (preferably 2B) at least 15cm long; (b) an eraser; (c) a ruler. (a) Each candidate should be provided with the following groups of specimens. GROUP I Specimen A – Weevil-damaged bean seed Specimen B – Viable bean seed Specimen C – Dried maize grain soaked in water overnight Specimen D – Soldier termite (dead) Specimen E – Honeybee (dead) Specimen F – Muddy water (in a test tube) Specimen G – Lower jaw of a herbivore with teeth intact GROUP II Specimen H – Head of domestic fowl (complete) Specimen J – Quill feather Specimen K – Leg of domestic fowl (complete) Specimen L – Head of duck complete) Specimen M – Leg of duck (complete) NOTE: (i) All specimens can be provided as group specimens for five (5) to ten (10) candidates. (ii) All specimens in each group must carry individual labels (e.g. A, B, C, D, E, F, and G in Group I). (b) Each candidate must be provided with the following materials: (i) glass jar cover/Petri dish (ii) white tiles (iii) beaker (iv) a hand lens/magnifying lens (v) scalpel/razor blade/knife (vi) a pair of forceps (vii) iodine solution. REPORT FORM Report Forms are provided separately, on which you are required to: (a) provide the necessary information about the specimens; (b) report on any difficulty in the conduct of the examination; (c) report any particular difficulty experienced by any candidate during the conduct of the examination, especially if the examiner cannot discover these from the scripts; (d) carry out and record experimental observations as directed in the Report Form. A completed Report Form must be enclosed in each envelope of scripts. 2023 WAEC Computer Studies Practical Specimen & Instructions to Schools The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has released instructions and guidelines for the 2023/2024 Computer Studies Practical Specimen for schools. These instructions are intended to ensure that the examination is conducted fairly and securely. Firstly, schools must ensure that the information provided does not reach the candidates directly or indirectly before the examination. The timetable allows for the examination to be taken in two sets, and schools presenting candidates for the second set must ensure that the work from the first set is permanently deleted from the hard drive, including the recycle bin. Additional time should be given to candidates at the end of the examination to print out their finished or unfinished solutions. Invigilators should pick up candidates’ hard copies from the printers and hand them over to the candidates to avoid overcrowding around the printer. Candidates are to submit their printouts to supervisors themselves, and the candidate’s printout should be signed by the supervisor. Schools should ensure that no candidate brings any storage media (e.g. flash drive, compact disk, etc.) into the examination hall. The number of computers provided for the examination should be at least half the number of candidates who entered the examination. The computers should be connected to a local area network, and one high-performance printer should be connected to at most 10 computers. The operating system for the computers should be Windows 7 or a higher version, and the following application packages should be installed on each computer: MS Word 2007 or higher, MS Excel 2007 or higher, MS Access 2007 or higher, MS PowerPoint 2007 or higher, and CorelDraw. Schools are encouraged to provide additional PCs on standby in case of equipment failure. The purpose of the practical Computer Studies test is to find out whether candidates can carry out simple practical work themselves. The Examiner is aware that a candidate sometimes may not be able to show his/her practical ability owing to his/her failure to understand some points in the theory of an experiment. If the Examiner is present in the laboratory/workshop, he should be prepared to give such a candidate a hint to enable him/her to get on with the experiment. The following regulations must be strictly adhered to: No hint may be announced to the candidates as a whole. A candidate who is unable to proceed and requires assistance must come up to the supervisor and state his/her difficulty. A note must be made, in the Report Form, of any assistance given to any candidate 2023 WAEC Chemistry Practical Specimen and Instructions to Schools According to the 2023 WAEC Chemistry Practical Specimen/ Instructions to Schools, candidates will require a variety of apparatus and materials including a burette, pipette, titration apparatus, and various reagents such as dilute sodium hydroxide solution, dilute hydrochloric acid and acidified potassium dichromate solution. Additionally, candidates will need a corked flask of iodine solution, a corked flask of sodium thiosulphate pentahydrate solution, and a specimen bottle of ammonium ferrous sulphate. Schools are not allowed to amend the information provided on the question paper or substitute any substance/solution for those specified in the specimen/instructions (source: MyExamCode). To prevent any unfair advantage, it is crucial to ensure that candidates do not receive information from items 2 and 3 before the exam. Apart from the standard fittings and reagents found in a chemistry lab, each candidate will require specific apparatus and materials. These include a 50cm3 Burette, a pipette of either 20cm3 or 25cm3 (with all candidates at one center using pipettes of the same volume), titration apparatus, and reagents for qualitative work, such as dilute sodium hydroxide solution, dilute hydrochloric acid, and aqueous barium chloride. A spatula, filtration apparatus, beaker, boiling tube, and test tube are also necessary. Other materials include a starch solution indicator, glass rod, wash bottle with distilled/deionized water, burning splint, watch glass, and a Bunsen Burner/source of heat. Candidates need 150cm3 of iodine solution in a corked flask or bottle labeled ‘An and 150cm3 of sodium thiosulphate pentahydrate solution in a corked flask or bottle labeled ‘Bn.’ Each of these should contain the same amount of the respective substance and have appropriate concentrations. Additionally, a specimen bottle labeled ‘Cn’ with one spatula of ammonium ferrous sulphate, (NH4)2Fe(SO4)2.6H2O, is required, which must be the same for all candidates. If necessary, more materials may be issued in all cases. The Supervisor’s Report Form must state the actual concentrations of solutions A and B. Candidates will assume that the concentrations are exactly as stated in the question paper. Schools are not allowed to modify the information provided on the question paper or substitute any substance/solution for those specified in these Specimen/Instructions. Candidates should be assigned laboratory places numbered serially in the order of their index numbers. Each candidate should receive specimens with a number that corresponds to their serial number. If a candidate is absent, their serial number should not be given to another candidate. Serial numbers should continue through sets if candidates are divided into multiple groups so that no serial number is repeated. Candidates should record their serial numbers and index numbers on the front page of their answer booklets at the beginning of the exam. SUPERVISOR’s REPORT Each envelope of scripts should include a completed Supervisor’s Report Form. The chemistry teacher should conduct the titrations required for question 1, with the titration figures up to at least one decimal place and carefully verified. This should be done simultaneously with the candidates’ titrations to prevent wide variations that could penalize the candidates. Any specific difficulties experienced by candidates should be reported, especially if they cannot be discovered from the scripts alone. CAUTION STATEMENT ON THE TOXICITY OF CHEMICALS Candidates should be reminded that chemicals can be dangerous if not handled properly. Before the practical exam starts, invigilators should read the following statements to the candidates: “Even though care has been taken to select the chemicals you will work with, you are being reminded that chemicals could be dangerous. It is therefore important that you handle them carefully. If you start experiencing any unusual sensations, call the attention of your invigilator immediately. If any chemical gets into your mouth, wash it thoroughly with plenty of water. Remember to wash your hands thoroughly after handling the chemicals.” It is expected that appropriate measures are put in place to prevent accidents from occurring. 2023 WAEC Fisheries Practical Specimen and Instructions to Schools The 2023 WAEC Fisheries Practical Specimen/Instructions to Schools document contains the following instructions: The document should be kept under lock and key until the day of the examination to prevent candidates from accessing the information directly or indirectly before the exam. It is the school’s responsibility to provide the necessary specimens, materials, and equipment for the test. If a specimen is not readily available in sufficient quantity, it should be shared between small groups of candidates. Each candidate should be provided with 10 specimens, namely: A cardboard box, maize (grains), soya beans, a digger, a shovel, hand gloves, charcoal, water pumps, a water test kit that measures at least five common parameters, and a Secchi disk. Supervisor’s Report Forms are provided separately, and they require the following information: (a) Details of the specimens and materials provided; (b) Report on any particular difficulties experienced by any candidate, especially if the examiner cannot discover these difficulties from the scripts; (c) Experimental observations. A completed Report Form should be enclosed in each envelope of scripts 2023 WAEC Physics Practical Specimen and Instructions to Schools The Physics Practical examination is geared towards assessing students’ practical skills and knowledge of Physics concepts. It is a practical test that necessitates students to conduct experiments and observe phenomena. The practical component is a critical aspect of the Physics examination, and excelling in this section is vital for students to achieve high grades. The 2023 WAEC Physics Practical Specimen and Instructions furnish details on the equipment and materials that will be utilized in the exam, as well as the procedures that students are required to adhere to. This data is indispensable for schools and students to prepare adequately for the exam, ensuring that they are well-informed and equipped to perform optimally and secure high scores. Read more to see the specimens and instructions>>> Education