WAEC Syllabus for Carpentry and Joinery & Textbooks 2024/2025

The WAEC syllabus for Carpentry and Joinery is the topic you must study to sit for the examination. It contains the aims and objectives, notes and format for the Carpentry and Joinery exam.

Studying the Carpentry and Joinery syllabus is necessary for your exam preparation. It will serve as a guide for you to know the topics to read. There are also notes on concepts you should pay attention to learning.

Exam preparations without using the Carpentry and Joinery Works syllabus are like going to the farm without your agricultural tools. You will end up not being productive.

Ensure you begin your exam preparations using the syllabus.

This post contains the Carpentry and Joinery syllabus and recommended textbooks of the West African Examination Council (WAEC).

Let me know in the comment section if you have any questions. I will love to hear from you.

WAEC Carpentry and Joinery

There will be three papers, Papers 1, 2 and 3, all of which must be taken. Papers 1 and 2 will be composite papers to be taken in one sitting.

Paper 1: will consist of forty multiple-choice objective questions all of which are to be answered in 45 minutes for 40 marks.

Paper 2: will consist of two sections, Sections A and B to be answered in1 an hour 30 minutes for 60 marks.

Section A: will consist of five short-structured questions all of which are to be answered in 30 minutes for 20 marks.

Section B: will consist of three questions.  

Candidates will be required to answer any two in 1 hour for 40 marks.

Paper 3: will be a practical test of 2 hours duration.  It will consist of two questions out of which candidates will be required to answer one for 100 marks.                                 

A list of materials for the test shall be made available to schools not less than two weeks before the paper is taken for material procurement and relevant preparations.

Alternative to Practical

Alternatively, in the event that materials for the actual practical test cannot be acquired, the Council may consider testing theoretically, candidates’ level of acquisition of the practical skills prescribed in the syllabus. 

For this alternative test, there will be two sets of compulsory questions to be answered in 1½ hours for 100 marks.

WAEC Carpentry and Joinery Syllabus

S/NOContentNotes
          1Workshop and worksite safety   (a) Workshop Rules and Regulation  
(b) First Aid  
(c) Worksite Safety
Safety practices (personnel)

Safety devices (preventive and protective devices)

Safety rules (machines)        

Workshop layout.

Types of first aid materials.

Worksite aids e.g. ladder, steps, scaffolding, etc.

Worksite hazards
Safety precautions on the worksite.
          2Tools, Machines and Maintenance  
(a) Hand Tools  
(b) Portable power tools and maintenance  
(c) Machines and maintenance
Woodwork hand tools (e.g., cutting tools, drilling tools, measuring and marking out tools, etc)

Types of portable power tools e.g. jigsaw, sanders, portable power saws, etc.

Uses of hand tools and portable power tools.

Maintenance and precautionary measures for hand tools.

Sketches of hand tools or portable power tools may be required.

Types and uses of machines in carpentry and joinery workshop.
          3Materials: types and uses of   (a)   Timber;
(b) Adhesives;  
(c) Ironmongery. e.t.c
Growth and structure of timber.Conversion, seasoning and uses of timber.

Common defects in timber and their remedies.Reasons for seasoning timber.

Preservation and preservatives.Veneer and manufactured boards.

Types of adhesives; uses and characteristics (e.g. animal glue, casein glue, ureaformaldehyde).

Types of ironmongery (sketches may be required) e.g. screws, nails, hinges and locks.

Fixing of hinges and locks (specification for ordering nails may be required).
                      4Construction principles and Techniques  

Timber preparation  

Joints  

Doors and windows  

Form work and centering  

Estimating and costing  

Wall panelling, cladding and partitioning  

Pre-fabricated building   Stairs, handrail and balusters  

Scaffolding and ladder  

Estimation and costing
The sequence of timber preparation to sizes (plane wood surface to flatness and edge to planesquareness).

Sketching and developing working drawings.

Interpreting simple working drawings of wood projects.

Common woodwork joints, construction and uses.

Simple project requiring specified joint.Types of doors and windows.

Types of formworks, identification, construction and uses.

Identification, design or construction of centres for arches.Purpose of timbering.

Cost analysis of simple projects e.g. centre table, stool.
Projects may be presented in form of a working drawings.
          5.Finishes and Finishing  
(a) Abrasive  
(b) Finishes  
(c) Finishing
Abrading tools

Types and grades of abrasives

Uses of abrasives

Selection of grades of abrasives

Types of finishes e.g. varnishing lacquer, paints, etc.

Characteristics and application of finishes

Finishing tools – spray gunFinishing process e.g. scraping, filling, sanding and staining.

Simple project work involving finishing.
6Business Opportunities in Carpentry and Joinery Trade
(a) Furniture making  
(b) Material supply and merchandising
(c) Contract work
(i) Project work with commercial value e.g. dining table, doors, etc.

(ii) Description of a standard small scale workshop (layout/equipment).
(iii) Project work involving feasibility study reports.

Equipments Required

LIST OF FACILITIES AND MAJOR EQUIPMENT/MATERIALS REQUIRED:

ITEM NO.                 EQUIPMENTQUANTITY REQUIRED
      1.Standard Workshop with a good layout and ventilation1
      2.First aid box1
      3.Chart showing Safety Practices in Carpentry and Joinery Workshop                        3
      4.Complete Tool box3
      5.Work Bench3
      6.G Clamp or F Clamp10
      7.Safety Equipment – Fire extinguisher, Fire    bucket1 each
      8.Ratchet Brace or Wheel Brace2
      9.Hand Vice10
     10.Bench Vice6
     11.Rip Saw5
     12.Panel Saw5
     13.Crosscut Saw5
     14.Fret Saw3
     15.Coping Saw2
     16.Bow Saw2
     17.Tenon Saw10
     18.Dovetail Saw5
     19.Jack Plane5
     20.Smooth Plane5
21.Plough Plane2
22.Rebate Plane2
23.Grooving Plane2
24.Crow Bar2
25.Try Square5
26.Mitre Square3
      27.Sliding Bevel3
28.Marking Gauge3
29.Mortise Gauge3
30.Pincers2
31.Tape Rule(Metric)2
32.Firmer Chisel2 Sets
33.Mortise Chisel2 Sets
34.Carving Chisel2 Sets
35.Centre bit2 Sets
36.Twist bit2 Sets
37.Drill bit2 Sets
38.Star screw driver2 Sets
39.Long-nose pliers2
40.Combination plier (flat-nose)2
41.Flat screw driver2 Sets
42.Spoke shave2
43.Claw Hammer2
44.Cross Pein Hammer2
45.Ball Pein Hammer2
46.Scriber2
47.Steel rule2
48.Inside caliper1
49.Outside caliper1
50.Allen key1 Set

LIST OF RECOMMENDED TEXTBOOKS

S/N                         TEXT BOOK                  AUTHOR
   1BRIAN PORTER & CHRISTOPHER TOOKE 3rd Edition (Bks 1,2 and 3) 
    2WOOD TRADES (Part 1 and 2)A.Y.EMARY
    3CARPENTRY AND JOINERY (Bks 1 and 2)DAVID R.BATES
    4THE THEORY AND PRACTICAL OF WOODWORK 3rd EditionGEORGE LOVE  
    5JOINERYW.B.MACKAY
    6CARPENTRYW.B.MACKAY
    7CARPENTRY AND JOINERY (Bks 1,2 and 3)R.BAYLISS
    8WOODWORK IN THEORY AND PRACTICALJOHN A.WARTOR
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