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How to pass WASSCE English (and get a credit)

To pass WASSCE English well, you need a credit: grade C6 or better. You get there by practising Paper 1 a little every day, learning why each wrong answer is wrong, reading every day and writing one essay a week. Below is what is in the exam and 8 steps that work.

Updated 22 October 2026 by the Sabi team.

What does "pass" mean in WASSCE English?

Most students mean a credit: any grade from A1 to C6. D7 and E8 are passes, but they are not credits, and universities ask for a credit in English.

See what a credit in WASSCE English is and the full grading system.

Why do so many students fail WASSCE English?

In the 2025 WASSCE, only 11.77% of students in Sierra Leone got a credit in English. That is about 12 in every 100.

Our students are smart. But many study alone from a pamphlet, and nobody tells them why an answer is wrong. WAEC's Chief Examiner's reports for 2022 and 2023 list the same grammar mistakes: wrong tenses and poor use of prepositions and articles. The 2023 report adds wrong concord.

What is in the WASSCE English exam?

WASSCE English has three papers: Paper 1 (objective questions), Paper 2 (essay, comprehension and summary) and Paper 3 (oral English, a listening test in Sierra Leone).

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Play 5 free questions on Sabi

Free. No download. Play your padi or the Sabi Bot, and see why every answer is right.

How do I prepare for WASSCE English?

Practise a little every day, learn from every mistake, read every day and write every week. Here are 8 steps.

  1. Practise Paper 1 for 10 minutes every day. Short and often beats long and rare.
  2. Learn why you missed it. After every wrong answer, read the reason. Write the word and its meaning in a notebook.
  3. Learn the traps. Look-alike words in synonyms, a same-meaning word hiding in antonyms, and the word-for-word option in idioms.
  4. Fix the grammar examiners keep marking down. Start with concord, then tenses, prepositions and articles.
  5. Read something in English for 15 minutes a day. A newspaper, a storybook or a textbook. Wide reading is how you build vocabulary.
  6. Write one essay a week and ask a teacher to mark it. Practise letters, speeches and articles. The syllabus asks for at least 450 words.
  7. Practise summary. Find the main points, then write each one as one clear sentence in your own words.
  8. Sit a timed mock before the exam. Do a full paper with a clock, so the real day feels normal.

How many questions are in WASSCE English Paper 1?

Paper 1 has 80 multiple-choice questions on lexis and structure, according to the WAEC English syllabus.

Can I practise WASSCE English for free?

Yes. Sabi is a free WASSCE English quiz game. You play 5 questions against your padi or the Sabi Bot, and it shows you why every answer is right. No download.

Play free on Sabi, or start with the lexis and structure practice questions.

Practice by topic

Synonyms10 practice questions with answersAntonyms10 practice questions with answersIdioms10 practice questions with answersLexis and structure10 practice questions with answersConcord10 practice questions with answers

More guides

What is a credit in WASSCE English?A credit in WASSCE English is C6 or better (A1 to C6).WASSCE grading systemThe nine WASSCE grades from A1 to F9: which are credits, which are passes, the marks often shown for each, and what C6 and F9 mean..WASSCE English Paper 1WASSCE English Paper 1 has 80 multiple-choice questions on lexis and structure.

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