How to calculate WAEC grades

The West African Examination Council (WAEC) has a special marking scheme and grading system that is used to grade students. WAEC is the body responsible for conducting exams for senior secondary school students in West Africa (WASSCE). WAEC conducts the Senior Secondary Certificate Exams (SSCE) which are written in May/June. It also organizes the private examination that is written in Nov/Dec. WAEC has a unique grading system that is used to classify the candidates. In this article, I am going to show you how to calculate WAEC grades. This article will cover how to calculate grades for both Objectives and Theory questions.

Firstly, I would like to explain WAEC’s standard grading system for every subject. Below is a brief description of the grading system WAEC uses.

WAEC’s grading system for every Subject.

WAEC’s grading scheme is indicated using alphabets. Letter A, B, C, D, E, and F are used to grade the candidates according to their scores.

The A1 grade which is the highest can be obtained by scoring at least 75% in your Examination. B2 is regarded as very good while B3 is good. However, C4, C5, and C6 represent a credit for the candidate.

D7 and E8 are Pass’ scores while F9 is interpreted as Fail.

The above paragraph shows the grading system used in WAEC grades. However, let us dive into the numbers to know the score range a candidate must get to reach a particular grade.

• A1 which is Excellent is obtained with a score ranging from 75% to 100%
• B2 is very good. B2 is gotten with a score between 70% to 74%
• B3 is good and has a score from 65% to 69%
• cC4, C5, and C6 are credit grades. However, C4 ranges from 60% to 64%
• C5 (55% to 59%)
• C6 is 50% to 54%
• D7 is regarded as a Pass. The score is between 45% to 49%
• On the other hand, E8 which is also Pass is from 40% – 45%
• Finally, F9 which is a Fail is a score between 0% to 39%

Each of the above grades and interpretation has a numeric value which is listed below:

You can calculate WAEC marking schemes in percentage for both the objective section and the Theory section.

If you want to calculate your WAEC grade, here is a brief explanation that can help you do that;

Calculating WAEC objective score in percentage

To calculate your WAEC percentage, divide the number of marks you expect to get by the total number of marks obtainable. After doing this, multiply the result by 100 and that is your score in percentage.

Let me give you a quick example to illustrate this explanation.

For Example: If Tunde was able to get 50 marks out of 60 obtainable marks in Chemistry.

Tunde’s percentage will be (50/60) X 100 = 83.3 = A1

The above calculation is possible for the objective questions. On the other hand, the theory section is calculated as explained below:

Calculating WAEC theory Grades in Percentage

Calculating the grades for the theory section is quite similar to the objective. Here you sum up the total number of marks you expect to get and divide it by the total obtainable mark. Then multiply the answer by 100.

Example: If Tunde is required to answer 5 questions in the theory section (With all questions carrying equal marks). However, Tunde was able to answer 4 questions from a possible 5 questions and got 15/20 marks from each theory question he answered.

His total marks:  15 marks X 4 (number of questions answered) = 60

The total obtainable mark is 20 X 5 =100

Tunde’s percentage score will be = (60/100) X 100 = 60% = C4

C4 is credit score.

Some frequently asked questions and answers

When is WAEC starting?

2021/2022 WAEC started on the 16^th of August 2021

Is this year’s WAEC timetable out?

Yes WAEC timetable is out! You can check the schedule and dates of each subject on WAEC official website at waecnigeria.org

How can I get an A WAEC Examination?

WAEC’s new grading system requires that you need to have a minimum of 75% score in the examination. The 75% score must be attained in all three sections of the Examination.

When is WAEC ending?

2021/2022 WAEC Examination is expected to finish on the 30^th of September 2021.

You can get more information by visiting WAEC’s official website at waecnigeria.org

I hope this post was helpful. By now I hope you can calculate WAEC grades for objective and Essay grades. Kindly share this post with your friends and family. Feel free to share this article with social media groups related to WAEC and WAEC candidates.

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