How To Write A Good WAEC Essay: [Best WAEC Essay Writing Practice In 2021]

Hi! Welcome to this page! Where we will be answering one of the most frequently asked questions by all WASSCE (GCE WAEC) candidates. You will get answers to How you can write a good WAEC essay and how WAEC essays are marked.

If you have successfully registered for the 2021/2022 WAEC or you have a plan of registering, then this page is for you.

For all WAEC candidates out there, “knowledge is not planted in a place neither is it stagnant water that everyone goes to only one place to fetch; it is everywhere. The incurable disease that grows in some students’ hearts, is the refusal to take a step towards the search for knowledge.

To know something, curiosity comes first, then our desires strive us to get it”. As a WAEC candidate, you have to drive yourself into researches, explore some topics before the commencement of the examination.

In regards to my findings on this particular topic,  which secrets are yet to be known to some students,  I will be revealing to you some concrete secrets that will be of help to you during your WAEC examination.

As a WAEC candidate, have you ever asked yourself if you can still give a good definition of an essay from your own perspective? Aside from the one being taught in the class. Do you feel as though want a good grade too, when some other students are being credited for writing a good essay while you are not, I guess you don’t know there are little secrets to it?

However, being intelligent is not enough if you can explore some things helpful to you. You might find it interesting to write an essay and still end up as a failure who knows nothing about writing a good essay.

The word ‘ ESSAY’ is broad, and oftentimes, difficult to attempt. Nevertheless, it is a must you write an essay in your WAEC examination whether you like it or not.

‘ESSAY’ is like a session with the basic aim of expressing your ideas and support them with facts, statements, analysis, and interpretations.

At this juncture, each WAEC candidate should know that all these aforementioned are piled into part A theory question in the English waec exam. This article emphasized igniting WAEC candidates on ‘How to write a good essay’ as every essay is a test of how to make your ink flow along with your ideas on a particular given topic.

Oops! What a long introduction.

How To Write A WAEC Standard Essay

Below are the tips on how you can write a waec standard essay in your fourth coming WAEC exam

1. Identification

To write a good waec standard essay, candidates must get used to identifying. It is not enough for you if you know what an essay is without the components in which I have mentioned earlier.

Candidates need to get used to familiarisation with the topics they are meant to attempt in part A. To identify gives you a hint on the given title/topic. Examiners might not be nice enough to tell you if the different topics you are asked to write on are expository, descriptive, narrative, article, and argumentative. You will be expected to figure this out yourself.

Being familiar with those topics you met in the WAEC examination preparatory class/past questions will enable you to know about the type and the different topics derived from each type.
For instance, for the theoretical questions in part A;

Likely Essay Writing Questions You Might Meet In 2021/2022 WAEC

• As a citizen of a country, write on “the role of government in education“.
• Write on any childhood memories you would love to remember
• Write a letter to your school principal, stating “some methods on how to inculcate academics morale in students”
• Write a letter to your friend about “the new development in your school”
• Write a debate topic on “Schooling in public school is better than private school“. Write out your speech for or against the motion.
• You saw the Great Wall of China in your textbook, write something about it, describing how it is to your classmates as a tourist you embarked on
• For the publication of your school magazine. Write an article on “reasons, some students interest in the educational system in your country diminished“.

Seeing from the above, WAEC UTME candidates need to be familiarised with the features. Hence, never confuse an expository essay with an argumentative essay. If an expository tends to expose the causes, a role so argumentative tends to argue its points for acceptance. To know the task in front of you. “Never restrict yourself to a spot, move beyond also”. Make more researches, revises, and be familiar with the UTME English theory questions in part A.

Another secret on ‘how to write a good essay in WAEC is to discover your niche. As writers are meant to discover their niche in the area of writing, so you as a WAEC candidate must do that to avoid confusion.

Candidates must at least be good at three out of the types under essay. Discovering your niche makes the journey of writing a good essay give birth to awesome write-ups.
Having discovered your niche.

2. Good Introduction

You should not ignore a good introduction to the essay you are meant to write on.

As we are all aware of the introduction in WAEC letter writing, you also have to be aware of the introduction in other essays. Think of an idea to shoot in your introduction to an essay.

Think creatively, interpret the title of the essay before starting your introduction. “Your introduction in any of the essay you are given to write on in WAEC is an eye-opener to the examiners”. What I meant by eye-opener is that “the construction of your introduction will determine the mark to get.

Your introduction should be in your mind, practice how to introduce beautiful ideas if you really want to attract more marks to your Essay. Learn how to entice the examiners with your introduction.

Captivate their hearts with your overwhelming construction of introduction. This would trigger examiners to have the interest to carry on and read your essay body/content and eventually fetch you more marks.

3. Your Paragraph

As a candidate, learn how to get yourself accustomed to paragraphs in an essay. The best way to write a good essay is to make use of paragraphs. An essay might be five paragraphs, depending on the ideas you have. Don’t give room to carelessness in paragraphing your essay. It is important to introduce paragraphs in essay writing.

The hidden secret of a paragraph in the essay is that; it permits you to introduce an idea per paragraph before moving to another paragraph. As a WAEC candidate, considered your paragraph as your utmost priority, don’t forget to paragraph your ideas. Paragraphs are highly recommended and appreciated by the examiners

If you can hit the ball well, you will have a good score on paragraphing your ideas step by step. Don’t make it difficult to do, makes it easier and beautiful to work on to avoid failure in the English language examination.

In every essay, you are to write on, your level in which you are capable of making ideas birthed depends on how talented you are in developing the ideas. A good secret behind a good essay is to state down those ideas somewhere in your question pain before putting them on your answers sheet. As you tried to state ideas, try to analyze the ideas, put them into situations in reality. Learn how to avoid diversion from a topic to another topic when stating and developing your ideas.

Be conscious of your ideas, don’t digress, follow the stipulated number of words given to you. You might have to write 450 words in an essay, be sure of how to go about it. The difference between stating ideas and developing ideas are too clear in the sense that, if you can state your ideas, try to endeavor to develop them constructively with examples. Let your mind flow consciously with your tenses, Concord, punctuation marks. That is very important to do.

4. Proofread

In conclusion to how to write a good essay, all candidates should spend time proofreading their essay. The essence of proofreading is to extract some grammatical errors which you might have made while writing. “Nobody is perfect when it comes to writing on an essay”.

5. Conclusion

To all WAEC candidates, make sure you have a good ending in your essay. As you tend to start with a good introduction, remember the ending also. The examiners are your readers in the WAEC examination. Try to put them into consideration as you will not be present when essays are being marked to explain yourself.

Always note that;
All topics in the essay are based on what has happened in reality and not abstract. Then, be current about things happening around you to make you have an insight into the topics on giving ideas.
Your average performance and contribution to essay writing in the class will determine how well prepared you are for the essay in your WAEC examination.
All WAEC candidates must work more on their essay writing ability to make researches, get familiar with the questions in your UTME series, be ready to express their ideas brilliantly. Make your essay meaningful.
The secrets to “HOW TO WRITE GOOD ESSAY” have been analyzed for all WAEC candidates. Your essay is not fiction writing. Take notes and make sure you worked harder to write a good essay after reading this article. “The best way to help yourself is to be creative in your essay”. “IF THE TOPICS IN ESSAY ARE NON-FICTION, LET YOUR IDEAS BE WRITTEN WITH FACTS”.

How WAEC Awards Marks Essay Writing

Below are what examiners look at when marking your WAEC English essay paper.

 1. Content

For each essay “content” has a maximum of 10 marks.

2. Organization

For each essay, “organization” has a maximum of 10 marks.

3. Expression

For each essay, “expression” has a maximum of    20 marks.

4. Mechanical Accuracy

For each essay, “mechanical accuracy” has a maximum of   10marks.

Those are the major things examiners look out for, to grade your easy writing in WAEC.