The WAEC syllabus for Block Laying, Brick Laying and Concrete Works is the topic you must study to sit for the examination. It contains the aims and objectives, notes and format for the Block Laying, Brick Laying and Concrete Works exam.
Studying the Block Laying, Brick Laying and Concrete Works 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 Block Laying, Brick Laying and Concrete 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 Block Laying, Brick Laying and Concrete Works syllabus and recommended textbooks of the West African Examination Council (WAEC).
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WAEC Block Laying, Brick Laying and Concrete Works
There will be three papers, Papers 1, 2 and 3 all of which must be taken.
Papers 1 and 2 shall be a composite paper to be taken at one sitting in 1 hour 45 minutes for 100 marks.
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: This Will consist of five short-structured questions. Candidates will be required to answer any four in 1 hour for 60 marks.
Paper 3: It will be a practical test of 3 hours duration for 100 marks. It will be a workpiece involving laying of a total number of blocks not exceeding 30 and where the workpiece is made of bricks only, the total number of bricks shall not exceed 100.
Where the workpiece to be laid is a combination of bricks and blocks, this will not contain more than 20 blocks and 40 bricks. (i.e. in composite walling).
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 Test
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 compulsory questions to be answered in 3 hours for 100 marks.
WAEC Block Laying, Brick Laying and Concrete Works Syllabus
- Workshop and site safety
- Basic tools and equipment
- Site preparations and setting – out
- Manufacture, application and properties of blocks and bricks.
- Concreting materials
- Formwork for construction work.
- Concreting operations
- Basic principles of substructure construction work including ground floors
- Upper floors
- Walls
- Openings in walls.
- Stairs construction
- Scaffold and scaffolding
- Finishes
- Construction of drainage system.
- Kerbs
- Business opportunities in Building
List of Tools and Equipment
TOOLS EQUIPMENT
1. Internal angle trowel 1. A complete set of scaffolding, fittings and scaffolding pipes
2. External angle trowels 2. Block moulding machines
3. Pointing trowel 3. Buckets
4. Hand trowel 4. Concrete mixer
5. Block axe 5. Concrete vibrator (Poker and clamp-on)
6. Boat level 6. Gauge box
7. Bolster 7. Manual hand mould
8. Club hammer 8. Hand rammer
9. Builders square 9. Hand sieves (various sizes)
10. Brick hammer 10. Headpan
11. Cold chisel 11. Levelling instrument
12. Corner blocks 12. Measuring tape
13. Folding rule 13. Pick axe
14. Gauge rod or rule 14. Slump test apparatus.
15. Hawk 15. Tyrolean machine
16. Joint duster 16. Water hoses and roses
17. Jointers 17. Wheelbarrow.
18. Jointing board/caulking board 18. Terrazzo grinding machine
19. Line and pin
20. Mason’s hand saw
21. Metal float
22. Plastering trowel
23. Plumb rule and bob
24. Builder’s line
25. Spade
26. Shovel
27. Claw hammer
28. Gauge lath
29. Pointing tools
30. Pointing trowel
31. Range.
32. Spirit level.
33. Steel square
34. Straight edge
35. Skutch
36. Square and bevel
37. Tingle plate
38. Wire brush
39. Wooden float.
Recommended Textbooks
| S/NO. | TITLE OF BOOK | AUTHOR | PUBLISHER |
| 1 | Barry’s introduction to construction of Buildings | Stephen Emmett and Christopher A Gorse | Blackwell Publishing. |
| 2 | Building Technology | Ivor H. Seeley | Palgrave |
| 3 | Building Construction, Volumes 1 – 4 | Mckay | Longman |
| 4 | Principles of construction | Roger Greeno. | |
| 5 | Advanced Building Construction Volumes 1 & 2 | C. M. H. Baritt. | Longman |
| 6 | Construction Technology Volumes 1 – 4 | R. Chudley. | Longman |
| 7 | Building Construction for Senior Secondary Schools. Volumes 1 – 3 | L. A. Adesokan and M. O. Adeniyi. | Ilesanmi |
| 8 | Blocklaying and concreting Industrial Crafts Series | M. O. Obande | Longman |
| 9 | Brickwork Volume 1 – 3 | W. G. Nash |
