WAEC confirms 2024 BECE Question Structure and Format

Ahead of the start of the BECE in July 2024, WAEC has released the final WAEC 2024 BECE Question Structure and Format.

The question structure and format have been an issue of debate since the release of the Common Core Curriculum for basic 7–10 in 2019.

Along with the released sample questions for the 2024 BECE and beyond, WAEC also made public the format of the questions and the examination for each subject.

2024 BECE Question Structure and Format

In this publication, Ghana Education News seeks to provide a detailed explanation of the above to candidates and other stakeholders.

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Materials to be Provided

1. Per the released details from WAEC, BECE candidates will be provided pencils for objective papers. However, candidates will have to come to the exam hall with their pens for answer Section B. Candidates are to use only blue pens for answering questions but will be expected to use pencils for diagrams.

Structure of the Mathematics Examination Questions

The examination will consist of two papers: Paper 1 will be Objective Test and Paper 2 will be Essay.

1. PAPER 1 (OBJECTIVE):  This will consist of 40 compulsory objective questions and will last for 1 hour. This will
carry 40 marks.

2. PAPER 2 (ESSAY):  This will consist of six questions and candidates are expected to answer four out of the six
questions. The Paper will last 1 hour and will carry 60 marks.

WAEC confirms 2024 BECE Question Structure and Format of the Arabic Examination Questions

The Arabic paper will have three sections, which are described as Paper 1 (Objective), Paper 2 (Written Essay),
and Paper 3 (Oral); however, WAEC will not examine candidates with Paper 3 (Oral) during the 2024 BECE as a result of the oral section due to logistics constraints.

The paper consists of forty (40) objective questions, which should be answered in 45 minutes for seventy (70) marks.

Grand Total for Paper I & II: 100 marks (30%)

During the period that Paper 3 will not be administered, Papers 1 and 2 shall be weighted as follows:

When Paper 3 is administered, the weighting should be as follows:

WAEC confirms 2024 BECE Question Structure and Format For the Career Technology Examination Questions

The Career Technology exam will comprise two papers (Paper 1 and 2) which will be taken at one sitting. The time allocated to the paper is 2 hours and 5 minutes

Paper 1 which is an objective test, contains 40  objective test or multiple-choice questions to be answered in fifty (50) minutes

Paper 2 is divided into two parts, namely (Part A and Part B) and will last for 1 hour and 15 minutes.

Part A will comprise three (3) questions. Candidates will be expected to answer two (2) questions, of which question 1 (test of practical) is compulsory, for 15 marks each.

Part B will comprise three (3) questions. Candidates will be expected to answer two (2) questions, of which question 4 (test of practical) is compulsory, for 15 marks each.

Structure of the Computing Examination Questions

The computing examination will span 2 hours and have two sections  (Papers 1 and 2).

The objectives will be 40 in all and will be answered in 45 minutes, while Section B will contain compulsory questions worth 24 marks and an additional 4 questions from which candidates must choose and answer any three in one hour and 15 minutes. This means candidates must answer only four questions in all for a total of 60 marks in Section B.

Structure of the Creative Arts and Design Examination Questions

The Creative Arts and Design subject is one of the two newly introduced subjects for the BECE. The paper will have 2 sections (Paper 1 and 2) and it will span 2 hours and 5 minutes.

It will have 40 objective test questions to be answered in 50 minutes, while section B will be answered in 1 hour and 15 minutes.

The paper two has three sections, namely Section A (Visual Art), Section B (Music) and Section C (Dance and Drama). Due to the practical nature of the subject, candidates are required to come to the examination hall with at least:
 Pencils
 Colour pencils/ water-colour/crayons
 Eraser and
 Ruler.
NB: Whenever there is the need to use special tools, materials and found objects the schools would be given advanced notification.
In all candidates will answer one question from each section and three questions in total for a total score of 60.

WAEC confirms 2024 BECE Question Structure and Format for the English Language Examination Questions

There will be two papers, Paper 1 and Paper 2, both of which will be a taken at a sitting.

1. PAPER 1 (OBJECTIVE)
This shall be an objective test comprising two parts: Grammar Usage and Oral Language.
Grammar Usage shall consist of 35 questions while the Oral Language Component shall have 5 questions. The 40 questions will be answered in 50 minutes for 40 marks.

2. PAPER 2 (ESSAY)
This paper shall consist of three parts: Part A-Writing, Part B- Reading (Comprehension and Summarising) and Part C-Literature.

There will be three questions in Part A and candidates will be expected to answer one. In Part B, there will be one passage and candidates will be required to answer all the questions on it. Part C shall comprise 10 questions, all of which must be answered. The paper will last 1 hour, ten minutes and will carry 60 marks.

Structure of the French Examination Questions

The examination will consist of three (3) papers. Paper 1 (Oral and Written Comprehension tests), Paper 2 (Written Expression tests) and Paper 3 (Oral Expression/ Conversation tests). However, due to logistic constraints at the moment, the Paper 3 which involves oral conversation could be on hold for a while.

This aspect will be tested when the necessary logistics are put in place.
Therefore, teachers are advised to devote equal attention to the oral expression/ conversation aspect of the syllabus.

(1) PAPER 1 OBJECTIVE)
The paper will consist of 40 multiple choice objective questions covering listening comprehension and written comprehension all of which should be answered in one (1) hour for 40 marks.

(a) Part I: Listening Comprehension
This section will consist of 20 multiple choice questions on listening comprehension which should be answered in thirty (30) minutes. Four recorded audio tests (with five questions each) will be administered to candidates.

Each of the four listening comprehension texts should be between 40 and 60 words long.

Each of the four (4) texts will be heard three (3) times.

During the first hearing, candidates will only listen without writing.

After the first hearing, candidates will be given two (2) minutes to study the questions.

The passage will then be heard the second time after which candidates will be given two (2) minutes to answer the
questions.

Candidates will then have the opportunity to hear the passage for the third and final time. After the third hearing, candidates will be given one (1) minute to make necessary corrections to their choice of answers. (Put on hold)

(b) Part II: Written Comprehension
This section will consist of 10 multiple choice questions on written comprehension.
Two written comprehension passages (with five questions each) will be administered to candidates. Each of the two written comprehension texts should be between 60 and 80 words long.

(c) Part III: Vocabulary
This section will consist of 10 multiple choice questions on vocabularies associated with any sub-strands in the Common Core Programme Curriculum for French.

PART II and Part III should be answered in thirty (30) minutes.43
(2) PAPER 2 (WRITTEN EXPRESSION)
This section will consist of two (2) compulsory questions which should be answered in fortyfive (45) minutes for 40 marks.

Question 1
Ten (10) questions on a specific thematic area for twenty (20) marks:
(a) Filling out of forms, e.g. at school, at the border, at the hospital, at a course, at a
programme, etc.
(b) Providing short answers to a set of questions,
(c) Giving information on something that happened, on a person, on a place, etc.
(d) Giving advice to a person on certain behaviours, e.g. on what they should do to keep
healthy or keep the environment clean or protect the environment, etc.
(e) Giving directions to someone using a given map, describing where something can be using given locations.
(f) Describing what some professionals do, where they work and the tools they use.
(g) Other areas that demand that candidates construct or do creative writing to satisfy the given scenario.

Question 2
This part consists of one (1) essay question which shall carry 20 marks.
(3) PAPER 3 (ORAL EXPRESSION / CONVERSATION)

This paper will be a one-on-one oral test comprising three (aspects):
(a) Self-introduction – the candidate is expected to introduce himself/herself by giving as much information as possible.

(b) Exchange of information – the candidate needs to ask the examiner questions on five words he would pick at random.

(c) Interaction – the candidate picks a topic on a communicative scenario (buying at a shop or market, making acquaintances at a programme, seeing a doctor, introducing someone to another, etc.), and then engages in a conversation with the examiner as in a real-life situation.

The candidate is expected to use the right social codes such as greeting, using polite expressions, thanking and taking leave of someone, etc. The conversation will last about 15 minutes per candidate.

The paper shall carry 40 marks: 15 marks for self-introduction, 10 marks for exchange of information and 15 marks for interaction.

Considering the limited time left for the 2024 Basic Education Certificate Examination and  logistical constraints, it is prudent to put on hold the French Paper 3, which is the oral expression.

Structure of the RME Examination Questions

There will be two papers: Paper 1 and Paper 2. The two papers will be a composite paper to be taken together.
1. PAPER 1 (OBJECTIVE)
The paper will be a multiple-choice objective paper made up of 40 questions drawn from the entire syllabus. All the questions must be answered in 45 minutes for 40 marks.

Structure of the SCIENCE Examination Questions

2. PAPER 2 (ESSAY)
The paper will be made of two sections; Section A and B to be answered in 1 hour. Section A will be a compulsory question and Section B will have four questions from which candidate will be expected to answer two. Candidates are expected to answer three questions in all for a total of 60 marks.

There will be two papers: Paper 1 and Paper 2 both of which must be taken. The two papers will be a composite paper to be taken at a sitting.

1. PAPER 1 (OBJECTIVE)
This will be objective paper made up of 40 questions drawn from the entire syllabus. All the questions must be answered in 45 minutes.

2. PAPER 2 (ESSAY)
This shall be an essay paper made of 2 sections. Section A and B to be answered in 1 hour 25 minutes.

Section A: will be one compulsory question consisting of four sub questions testing in practical skills specified in Agriculture, Biology , Chemistry and Physics aspects of the examination syllabus. This will attract 40 marks.

Section B: will consist of four questions. Each question shall be a blend of Agriculture, Biology, Chemistry and Physics aspects of the examination syllabus. Candidates will be required to answer any three of the question for 60 marks.

WAEC confirms 2024 BECE Question Structure and Format for the SCIENCE Examination Questions

The examination will consist of two papers – Paper 1 (Objective) and Paper 2 (Essay).
1. PAPER 1 (OBJECTIVE)
This will consist of 40 objective questions of 45 minutes duration and a total score of 40 marks.

2. PAPER 2 (ESSAY)
This will be a 1 hour essay-type paper consisting of three sections I, II and III. One compulsory question will be set for Section I and two questions will be set for Sections II and

III respectively. Candidates are expected to answer one question each from sections II and III.
The Sections are:
I: The Environment
II: Law, Order and Nation Building
III: Social and Economic Development

Candidates will be expected to answer three questions in all out of five (5) questions.
Answering one compulsory question and any other in section I and one question each from
sections II and III.