How to Pass WAEC & NECO Practicals Examination 2024

The West Africa Examination Council (WAEC) comprise Physics, Biology, Chemistry and Agricultural Science subject.

WAEC practicals make up thirty-five per cent (35%) of your total examination score.

Passing the WAEC or NECO practicals can be challenging for many secondary students.

I remember many years ago when I took my WAEC and NECO exams. The thought of how to pass the practicals gave me chills.

Unfortunately, many secondary schools do not have equipped laboratories. It is why students have problems with doing well in their practical sessions.

The NECO and WAEC practicals are necessary exercises for science students. Even in your first year at the university, you will repeat all of these practicals.

For this reason, this post will serve as a guide for you to get knowledge of the essentials for your practical examinations.

This post provides a step-by-step guide to passing your Physics, Chemistry, Agric and Biology WAEC practicals exam.

I recommend that you read how to pass the WAEC exam excellently after going through this post. You will find the tips in the article helpful.

Let me know in the comment box below if you have any questions or need further assistance. I will love to hear from you.

I wish you success in your WAEC examinations.

WAEC Practical Examinations

The WAEC practical examination is for secondary students to test their knowledge of various analytical processes.

For example, Electricity, Mechanics and Optics are the topics in physics practicals.

The practical is 35% of your total examination score.

Passing WAEC Practical Exam

The following are tips to pass your WAEC or NECO practical examinations;

1. Study Practical Past Questions
2. Prepare for the Practical Exam
3. Fill Out your Biodata
4. Read the Examination Instruction
5. Begin with Easy Questions
6. Stay Calm
7. Plot your Graph with Accuracy
8. Label your Diagrams
9. Revise before Submission

Study Practical Past Questions

Studying WAEC or NECO practical questions is the open secret to passing your practical examination.

Past questions will help you to know the format of the practical exam.

You know the exam format is not objective or theory. You must know what to expect on the day of your examination.

WAEC and NECO repeat the same practice questions. These examination boards do not set new questions.

Get the practical past question and answers from any bookstore at your location. Ensure that the answers in the booklet are correct.

You can practice the WAEC or NECO past questions free online using the link below.

Prepare for the Practical Exam

Adequate preparation for your WAEC examination is the key to success.

Begin your preparation by getting the past questions and necessary apparatus for the examination.

For example, you need a calculator and mathematical set for your practicals.

The best way to prepare for the WAEC or NECO practical exams is to attend tutorials.

Many secondary schools organize tutorials for students before the examination.

Ensure that you attend these practical sessions. They will help to prepare you for the examinations.

Passing the practical exam requires practice. These tutorials will allow you to learn various techniques. You will get to know different shortcuts that will help you on the day of your examination.

Fill Out your Biodata

Your biodata is the information you fill in your practical examination booklet and worksheet like the graph.

The biodata is your name, examination number and centre and other information required.

Many students get low scores in their practical examinations because they fail to fill their correct biodata.

There are cases where students fail to fill out their names on their Physics graph sheet.

The reason is that they decide to fill in their details later on in the examination hall.

Filling your biodata information in your answer booklet is the first thing you must do in the laboratory for your examination.

Read the Examination Instruction

Reading all the exam questions with clarity is necessary to get a high score in your practical exam.

The practical exam question booklet comes with instructions for students. You must study and understand these guidelines before you start to answer the questions.

These instructions are a guide to ensure that you do the correct thing.

Do not be among the category of students who answer examination questions without reading the instructions.

Begin with Easy Questions

Beginning by answering easy questions in the WAEC or NECO examination is the best technique to get high scores.

The key to getting good grades in your examination is to start by answering questions that you know very well. Do not start without difficult questions.

Answering questions you know will boost your confidence and activate your brain neurons.

This positive trigger is necessary to have a retentive memory during your examination. But starting with difficult questions you do not have the answers to will hinder your potential in the exam.

Stay Calm

Staying calm during your examination will allow you to give your best.

Practising to stay calm under intense conditions like an examination is an essential social skill.

Panic could make you forget the procedures and methods of reporting your practicals. It could make you go blank and not remember the answers to the questions.

The best approach is to breathe in and out slowly as you take your examination. With time your breathing will return to normal, allowing you to focus on your practical exam.

Plot your Graph with Accuracy

Plotting your graph with precision is the key to passing your WAEC or NECO physics practical examinations.

Learn how to calculate scales for your graph.

The following tips will teach you to plot a graph to score high;

• Represent your work in a tabular worm when necessary
• Your answers and calculations should be neat
• Use three (3) decimal
• Assign titles to your graphy
• Indicate the scaling on your graph sheet
• Use sharp pencils to plot your graph
• Label the X and Y-axis
• Draw the line of best fit
• Indicate your interceptions
• Choose a good slope for your graph

Label your Diagrams

The correct identification and labelling of diagrams is the gateway to passing your practical biology exam.

The pencil and labelling technique can fetch you a high or low score.

The following are some of the precautions you must take during your biology practicals;

• Use 2B and HB pencils to draw diagrams
• Label diagrams in a horizontal fashion
• All diagrams must have a label
• Your diagrams should be simple
• Do not shade your diagrams
• Make diagram label lines using a ruler
• Draw diagrams using a smooth curve
• Diagrams should be in the recommended dimensions

Revise before Submission

Revising your answer booklet is the last thing you should do before submission.

It will allow you to spot an error in your answers. Going through your work could also allow you to add relevant information you have omitted.

Never rush to finish your practical exams. There is no prize for the first student to complete the examination.

Take your time to go through your work. You will be glad that you go over your work.

WAEC Physics Practicals

The WAEC physics practical comprises three (3) topics;

• Electricity
• Mechanics
• Electricity

The success tip of passing the physics practicals is to get familiar with the procedures.

Knowing the electricity, mechanics and optics procedures off-hand will give you an edge.

Physics Practical Apparatus

• Pendulum Bob
• Retort stand and clamp
• Thread
• Stopwatch/clock
• Metre Rule
• Split cork
• Ray Box with illuminated objects (cross wire)
• Convex lens(f = 15cm)
• Screen
• Lens Hood
• Battery
• Two dry cells(2×1.5v)
• Voltmeter.
• Resistor labelled R = 2∏
• Key
• Resistance box labelled R
• Seven connecting wires

WAEC Chemistry Practicals

The following are the WAEC Chemistry practical specimens;

• Burette
• Pipette
• Reagents
• Titration Apparatus
• Spatula
• Filtration apparatus
• Beaker
• Boiling tube
• Test tube
• Indicator
• Mathematical table/calculator
• Wash bottle containing distilled/deionized water

WAEC Biology Practicals

The following are the WAEC Biology practical specimens;

• Thermometer
• Rain gauge
• Meter rule
• Sweep net
• Wind vane
• Quadrat
• Filter paper
• Quill feather
• Palm frond (freshly procured)
• Male cockroach
• Grasshopper
• Mammal/Rat/Mouse

WAEC Agricultural Science Practicals

The following are the WAEC Agricultural science practical specimens;

• Rake
• Shears
• Shovel
• Cutlass
• Wheelbarrow
• Clay soil
• Loamy soil
• Sandy soil
• Earthworm
• Onion
• Tomato
• Carrot
• Amaranths
• Okro
• Spinach
• Dried animal blood (labelled)
• Bone meal (labelled)
• Rice bran
• Catfish

I will love to hear from you. Ask me any questions concerning the WAEC or NECO examination.

Join my Facebook Group for more interactive discussions.