WASSCE English Language: Mock Examination
Level: SHS 3 (WASSCE preparation) Paper 1: Objective test, 35 questions, 50 minutes Paper 2: Essay, comprehension and summary, 2 hours
This mock follows the WASSCE pattern (lexis and structure, oral English, reading comprehension, essay, and summary) but is shorter than the real paper. Use it as timed practice, then check your work against the answer key and marking guide at the end.
PAPER 1: OBJECTIVE TEST
Instructions: Choose the option that best answers each question. Answer all questions.
Section A: Lexis and Structure
1. The committee has finally ______ the new rules. A. adapted B. adopted C. adept D. adopt
2. Neither the teacher nor the students ______ present at the assembly. A. was B. were C. is D. has been
3. Esi is ______ honest girl. A. a B. an C. the D. some
4. The prefect, together with his friends, ______ been summoned by the headmaster. A. have B. are C. has D. were
5. Choose the word nearest in meaning to the underlined word: The headmaster's speech was concise. A. lengthy B. brief C. boring D. loud
6. Choose the word opposite in meaning to the underlined word: The minister's reaction was hostile. A. friendly B. angry C. cold D. violent
7. Choose the option that best explains the underlined idiom: When the principal asked who broke the window, the boys kept mum. A. ran away B. laughed C. remained silent D. confessed
8. I look forward to ______ you at the reunion. A. see B. seeing C. saw D. have seen
9. If I ______ the answer, I would have told you. A. know B. knew C. had known D. have known
10. The old man is too weak ______ walk without help. A. to B. for C. that he can D. so as
11. Choose the correct spelling. A. accomodation B. accommodation C. acommodation D. accommadation
12. The pair of trousers ______ on the bed. A. are B. were C. is D. have
13. He did not come to school yesterday, ______? A. did he B. didn't he C. does he D. was he
14. She ran so fast ______ she won the race. A. than B. that C. as D. which
15. The word benevolent means A. kind and generous B. cruel C. wealthy D. lazy
Section B: Oral English
16. Choose the word that rhymes with bough. A. though B. cough C. how D. rough
17. Choose the word that rhymes with read (past tense). A. reed B. red C. rude D. raid
18. Choose the word whose vowel sound is different from the others. A. cook B. book C. moon D. look
19. Choose the word that has the same vowel sound as seat. A. sit B. feet C. set D. sat
20. Choose the word that is stressed on the second syllable. A. table B. compare C. mother D. garden
21. Choose the word with the same consonant sound as the underlined letters in THought. A. that B. thin C. then D. these
22. Choose the word that has the same vowel sound as bird. A. beard B. heard C. board D. bard
23. Which pair contains words that are pronounced the same? A. bare, bear B. cot, coat C. bat, bait D. pull, pole
24. Choose the word that has the same vowel sound as pot. A. boat B. caught C. cot D. cut
25. Choose the word that has the primary stress on the first syllable. A. reply B. begin C. teacher D. today
Section C: Reading Comprehension
Read the passage and answer questions 26 to 35.
When the borehole in Asanteman village broke down, nobody thought much of it. The elders said the engineers would come within a week. A week became a month, and the women who had once fetched water a few steps from their doors now walked two kilometres to a muddy stream. Children arrived late at school, tired and thirsty. Cases of stomach illness rose at the clinic.
It was fifteen-year-old Efua who first asked why they were waiting. She wrote down the names of the district officials, copied the phone number from the faded metal plate on the pump, and convinced her classmates to join her. For two weeks, the students took turns calling the district office, until a tired voice promised to send a repair team. Still nothing happened. So Efua organised a peaceful march to the assembly's office, carrying empty buckets. The sight of fifty children with empty buckets made the local newspaper, and within three days the borehole was repaired.
The elders, who had at first been embarrassed by the children's boldness, now praised them. But Efua only shrugged. "We did not do anything special," she said. "We just refused to stay quiet."
26. Why did nobody worry when the borehole first broke down? A. The village had another borehole. B. The elders believed engineers would soon repair it. C. The stream was very close. D. Water was not needed.
27. Which two effects of the breakdown does the passage mention? A. Floods and drought B. Late arrival of children at school and a rise in stomach illness C. Loss of jobs and rising prices D. New roads and a new clinic
28. Efua began her campaign by A. marching to the assembly's office. B. recording the officials' names and the number on the pump. C. contacting the newspaper. D. asking the engineers to visit.
29. The phrase "a tired voice" suggests that the official was A. weary and unenthusiastic. B. angry and rude. C. joyful and eager. D. young and inexperienced.
30. What finally made the authorities act? A. The phone calls alone B. The march and the newspaper coverage C. A request from the elders D. The engineers' own decision
31. The word boldness is nearest in meaning to A. fear B. courage C. rudeness D. weakness
32. Efua's final remark shows that she is A. proud B. modest C. angry D. selfish
33. Which statement best expresses the main idea of the passage? A. Children should stay out of village affairs. B. Persistent, peaceful action by ordinary people can bring change. C. Elders are always wrong. D. Public officials never respond to requests.
34. The passage is mainly A. narrative B. argumentative C. descriptive D. expository
35. The most suitable title for the passage is A. The Broken Pump B. The Elders' Mistake C. Refusing to Stay Quiet D. A Journey to the Stream
PAPER 2: ESSAY, COMPREHENSION AND SUMMARY
Time: 2 hours. Answer one question from Section A and all questions in Section B.
Section A: Essay (choose ONE)
Write between 450 and 500 words. You will be marked on content, organisation, expression, and mechanical accuracy (spelling, punctuation, grammar).
1. Formal letter. Your school has no functional library. Write a letter to the Headmaster explaining why a library is needed and suggesting how one could be set up with the help of the PTA and old students.
2. Letter to the editor. Write a letter to the editor of a national newspaper on the problem of indiscipline among senior high school students, and suggest ways to curb it.
3. Speech. You have been chosen to speak at the Speech and Prize-Giving Day of your school on the topic: "Hard Work Pays." Write the speech you would deliver.
4. Article. Write an article for your school magazine on the topic: "The Effects of Social Media on Students."
5. Narrative. Write a story that ends with the sentence: "That day, I learnt that honesty is never a waste."
Section B: Comprehension and Summary (answer ALL)
Read the passage and answer the questions that follow.
Many schools have banned mobile phones, but the debate is far from over. Supporters of the ban argue that phones distract students during lessons, since a single notification can break a pupil's concentration for several minutes. They also point out that phones encourage cheating in examinations and cyberbullying among classmates. Some headteachers add that students who spend break time on their screens interact less with their friends and so develop weaker social skills.
Opponents, however, argue that a blanket ban ignores the useful role phones can play. Students can use them to look up the meanings of words, access past questions, and watch recorded lessons when teachers are absent. Parents also feel safer when they can reach their children quickly in an emergency. Some educators therefore suggest a middle path: phones may be kept in lockers during lessons and used only in designated areas, with clear punishments for abuse. Such an approach, they say, teaches responsibility rather than fear.
6. (a) Give two reasons why supporters want phones banned in schools. (2 marks)
(b) Explain the meaning of "a blanket ban" as used in the passage. (2 marks)
(c) What does the writer mean by the statement that the middle path "teaches responsibility rather than fear"? (3 marks)
(d) Pick out one word or phrase from the passage that means "places set aside for a particular purpose." (1 mark)
7. Summary. In not more than 70 words, summarise the arguments of the opponents of the ban and the middle path some educators suggest. Write in your own words as far as possible, in good continuous prose. (10 marks)
ANSWER KEY AND MARKING GUIDE
Paper 1: Answers
| Section A | Section B | Section C |
|---|---|---|
| 1. B | 16. C | 26. B |
| 2. B | 17. B | 27. B |
| 3. B | 18. C | 28. B |
| 4. C | 19. B | 29. A |
| 5. B | 20. B | 30. B |
| 6. A | 21. B | 31. B |
| 7. C | 22. B | 32. B |
| 8. B | 23. A | 33. B |
| 9. C | 24. C | 34. A |
| 10. A | 25. C | 35. C |
| 11. B | ||
| 12. C | ||
| 13. A | ||
| 14. B | ||
| 15. A |
Notes on selected answers
- Q2: With "neither… nor," the verb agrees with the noun nearest to it (students), so the plural were is used.
- Q4: "Together with" does not make the subject plural, so the verb agrees with prefect (singular).
- Q9: This is the third conditional, which needs the past perfect (had known) in the "if" clause.
- Q12: The subject is pair (singular), not trousers.
- Q16: Bough is pronounced like how.
- Q22: Bird and heard share the long vowel /ɜː/.
Paper 2: Guide
Section A (Essay), suggested allocation of 50 marks (the real WAEC scheme may differ slightly, so check your teacher's guidance):
| Criterion | Marks |
|---|---|
| Content (relevance, development of ideas) | 15 |
| Organisation (introduction, paragraphs, conclusion, correct format for letters and speeches) | 10 |
| Expression (vocabulary, sentence variety, style) | 15 |
| Mechanical accuracy (spelling, punctuation, grammar) | 10 |
Format reminders: a formal letter needs the sender's address, date, receiver's address, salutation, subject line, body, and "Yours faithfully" with your name. A speech should open by greeting the audience ("Mr Chairman, distinguished guests…"). A story must end with the sentence given.
Question 6 (Comprehension)
(a) Any two: phones distract students in lessons; they encourage cheating in examinations; they encourage cyberbullying; they weaken students' social skills.
(b) A rule that applies to everyone and every situation, with no exceptions.
(c) Students are trained to use phones sensibly and take charge of their own behaviour, instead of simply being frightened into obeying a total ban.
(d) "designated areas"
Question 7 (Summary): sample answer (61 words)
Opponents of the ban say phones help students look up words, get past questions, and watch recorded lessons, and that parents can reach children in emergencies. Some educators therefore suggest a compromise: keep phones in lockers during lessons, allow their use only in designated areas, and punish misuse, so that students learn responsibility rather than fear.
Summary marking: about 5 marks for content points (look up words; past questions; recorded lessons; parents' safety; lockers during lessons; designated areas; punishment for abuse; responsibility not fear) and 5 marks for expression (own words, correct grammar, within the word limit). Copying whole sentences from the passage loses expression marks.
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How to use this paper: attempt Paper 1 in 50 minutes without notes, mark yourself, and list the question numbers you missed. Group them by type (grammar, oral English, comprehension) to see where to revise.
