The rate at which students and candidates of competitive examinations fail English Language examinations in Nigeria and other West African countries is alarming.

There are many people who believe they have what it takes to pass English Language examination at whatever level, yet they end up failing woefully. Some even possess an above average spoken language skills in English, yet they fail the language in written tests, especially in Composition or what the contemporary syllabus refers to as Continuous Writing.

The reason for this is that English Essay examination, at the WAEC and NECO level, is a highly technical affair. There are basic technical requirements that examiners are dutifully trained to look out for in candidates’ scripts. If such requirements are not met, the candidate cannot pass the examination, no matter how fluent he may be in spoken English.

The following are the technical requirements for such examinations. Candidates, who aim at doing well, must study this requirements carefully. A proper understanding and application of these requirements will definitely do the magic, even among those who are not exceptionally good in English Language.

The author welcomes questions and reactions to this article.

TECHNICAL NOTES USUALLY USED BY EXAMINERS FOR MARKING WAEC/NECO ENGLISH ESSAYS USING COEM (WAEC SCHEME)
COEM means CONTENT + ORGANIZATION + EXPRESSION + MECHANICAL ACCURACY
Please take note of the instruction usually given by WAEC/NECO at the beginning of the essay section…(Click on the link below to read more)
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