WAEC grading system and marking scheme for all subjects
After the WAEC examination every year, results are released and students rate their performances based on the grades they were given in each subject.
The WAEC grading system is dependent on what percentage of marks that are allocated to each section of a subject.
The WAEC grading system shows a student’s performance in a particular subject in form of symbols, which consist of an alphabet and a number.
WAEC Marking Scheme
The WAEC marking scheme is a guideline on how the total marks available for a particular subject are allocated based on the number of sections available The marks are shared unequally across the different sections of every subject.
Every subject that is written in WAEC has at least 2 sections or 3 at most, for subjects that feature a practical section.
The sections include:
- Objective section (known as paper 1)
- Theory section (known as paper 2)
- Practical section (known as paper 3)
These sections have a percentage of marks that are allocated to them, based on how many of them are included in each subject.
So we will treat this article in two parts. We will discuss the marking scheme in two parts, namely:
- Practical subjects (for subjects that feature a practical section)
- Non-practical subjects (for subjects that don’t feature a practical section).
So, going with the (A), we will be talking about the marking scheme of subjects that feature practical sections.
- Practical subjects: This group includes subjects like physics, biology, chemistry, and trade subjects that feature practical sections. These subjects have three sections, and the marks are partitioned across the three sections unequally. The marks are shared across the three sections in this pattern:
- Theory section: contains 12 questions in total, the students may be required to answer up to 10 questions (35% of the total score)
- Objective section: Contains about 50 questions (25% of the total marks)
- Practical section: contains 3 compulsory questions (accounts for 40% of the total marks).
- Non-practical subjects include subjects like Mathematics, English language, commerce, literature in English, economics, etc. These subjects have two sections, and those two sections account for a certain percentage of the total marks for the subject. So, the partitioning goes like this:
- Objective section: 50-80 questions (40% of the total mark)
- Theory section: Variable number of questions (60% of the total mark)
- NB: The theory questions in WAEC feature an unstable number of questions, it can be up to 13 questions (to answer 10, as in mathematics).
- The score allocation was decided wholly by the WAEC governing body.
- There are some subjects that have a paper 3 that is not a practical examination section. The English language is an example of such a subject. English language paper 3 is the oral English section, instead of practicals, it features 40 objective questions instead.
The WAEC grading system
WAEC grading system consists of symbols that contain an alphabet and a number. In the WAEC grading system, the WAEC grades are used to tell WAEC candidates what their score range in each subject is like, and the attendant inference for the grade earned in each subject. The WAEC grading system contains different grades that mean that a student passed a subject, while some grades mean that a student performed poorly in that subject.
Below is a table showing WAEC grades and the verdict for each grade.
| WAEC Grades | Score Range | Verdict |
| A1 | 75-100 | Excellent |
| B2 | 70-74 | Very Good |
| B3 | 65-69 | Good |
| C4 | 60-64 | Credit |
| C5 | 55-59 | Credit |
| C6 | 50-54 | Credit |
| D7 | 45-49 | Pass |
| E8 | 40-44 | Pass |
| F9 | 0-39 | Fail |
Frequently asked questions about WAEC marking scheme
What is the best grade in WAEC?
In WAEC, every grade from A1 to C6 is acceptable, because having any grade that falls between A1 and C6 for any subject means the candidate has passed that subject in question.
What Mark is A1 in WAEC?
Marks falling between 75-100 give a candidate A1 in WAEC.
The WAEC marking and grading system is the stipulated pattern of awarding marks based on the structure of the WAEC examination, and the grades are just like symbols to show students’ performance in each subject.
Based on current records and the level of acceptance of the grades for admission processes and job descriptions, WAEC grades from A1 to C6 are acceptable grades. In fact, C6 is the minimum grade required to signify a candidate has successfully passed a subject.
There are exceptions to these rules, as some institutions accept D7 for their admission process, and some companies don’t mind hiring individuals who have D7 in certain subjects.
However, I hope the article has given you an insight into how the WAEC marking scheme and grading system works. See you again.
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