Teacher criticises ‘WAEC’ diagram used in BECE Integrated Science
A teacher after the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) ended this year’s Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) has expressed worry about a diagram that was used in the 2023 BECE Integrated Science question.
Expressing his concern to Daily Graphic, the teacher said he believe that the diagram used in the Integrated Science of the examination under Section A question 1 (b), specimen A to be specific was too unclear and could have confused many of the students who sat for the BECE.
“I would like to request a clearer and more comprehensible diagram in future examinations, aimed at enhancing the understanding of all students. Upon reviewing the questions, I noticed that specimen A under question 1 (b) could have been presented in a more discernible manner for students to identify
While it somewhat resembles a mattock, its ambiguous representation may lead to confusion among the candidates. Considering the examination conditions and the fact that the test-takers are young students, diagrams must be unambiguous and easily interpretable.
In this digital era, there are numerous computer tools and applications available online that can generate clear and accurate diagrams at minimal cost. The intention should never be to bewilder or perplex students
Leveraging these tools could significantly enhance the clarity of the examination materials and alleviate any potential confusion that may arise due to vague illustrations.
It is important to emphasise that the primary purpose of an examination is to assess a student’s knowledge, understanding, skills and abilities based on the curriculum taught during the study period,” the teacher told Graphic.
Clear and well-structured examination materials, the teachers indicated are essential to ensure fairness and precision in the assessment process, thereby contributing to the overall effectiveness of the national examination.
With the advancements in technology, he has proposed that to WAEC to consider utilising computer-generated diagrams instead of relying solely on hand-drawn representations that could be open to misinterpretation.
A total of 600,714 candidates, comprising 300,323 males and 300,391 females from 18,993 Junior High Schools (JHSs0 sat for the 2023 Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) which ended on Friday, August 11, 2023.
With regard to the 2023 BECE for Private Candidates, a total entry figure of 1,743 candidates was recorded. This is made up of 889 males and 854 females. This year’s figure is 5.4% higher than the entry figure of 1,132 for 2022.
