WAEC (West African Examinations Council) is an examination board that conducts senior secondary school examinations, SSCE, in Nigeria. WAEC also conducts its examinations in West African countries, such as Ghana and Gambia. There are two exams in total conducted by WAEC. The first one is the Senior Secondary School Certificate Examination, also known as WASSCE.
This examination is administered twice a year, in May and June. The second exam administered by WAEC is the GCE, or General Certificate of Education exam. This exam is open to anyone who is interested. GCE is taken in November and December.
On the other hand, NECO (the National Examination Council) is specifically a Nigerian examination board that conducts the SSCE exam for Nigerian students. It is primarily an alternative to WAEC, which primarily focuses on Nigerian students.
Just like WAEC, NECO also conducts 2 examinations in total. Which are the SSCE and an external SSCE examination? The SSCE exam is mainly for students in the sixth year of their secondary school education. This examination takes place in June and July. The external SSCE exam is taken in November and December.
General Grade System of WAEC and NECO for Nigerian students:
The grading system of WAEC and NECO is quite straightforward. A1 is Excellent, B2 is Very Good, B3 is Good, while C4, C5, and C6 are Credit. The later grades are interpreted as failures in the examinations.
The grading system of WAEC and NECO for Nigerian students:
- A1 Excellent = 75% – 100% Marks Obtained
- B2 Very good = 70%-74% Marks Obtained
- B3 Good = 65%-69% Marks Obtained
- C4 Credit = 60%-64% Marks Obtained
- C5 Credit = 55%-59% Marks Obtained
- C6 Credit = 50%-54% Marks Obtained
- D7 Pass(failure) = 45%-49% Marks Obtained
- E8 Pass(failure) = 40%-45%.Marks Obtained
- F9 (Failure) = 0%-39% Marks Obtained
Documents needed for WAEC and NECO for Nigerian students:
If you are applying for acceptance of the examinations, you will have to submit the following documents to take the examinations:
- Your current high school transcript, certificates (if available)
- English proficiency test results may be required.
- Additional information may be required if you are applying for admission to certain programs.
What Can You Do with WAEC and NECO for Nigerian Students?
The WAEC and NECO results are needed for you to prove your capabilities to pursue higher degrees in your home country or abroad. If you apply to other countries, you can do so with your WAEC and NECO results. You can apply to universities in countries such as the USA, Canada, the UK, and others.
Students from West African countries participating in these examinations can apply to UK universities using their exam results. Many UK universities accept WAEC and NECO examination results. Students with a grade of C6 can study in the UK without the need to sit for an IELTS test. This can be a significant advantage for Nigerian students who want to study abroad without taking the IELTS or any other English language test.
Conclusion:
WAEC and NECO take Nigerian students to the next step in preparing them for higher studies in Nigeria and abroad. Lastly, it is important to note that if you have not taken your WAEC examination, you can sit for NECO, as WAEC is not compulsory as long as you take your NECO exam. You are allowed to sit for both of the exams or just one of them, depending on your needs. If you take both exams, then the possibility of getting better grades increases; if you fail one, you can take the other exam. This is how you can prepare for a better future and a more successful career.
