The candidates’ weaknesses were

- non adherence to rubrics;
- answering more than one question on the same page of the answer script;
- lack of understanding of the demands of the questions;
- poor quantitative skills;
- inability to write correct formulae of compounds such as FeCl instead of FeCl3 or Na CO3 instead of Na2 CO3 ;
- inability to write correct balanced chemical equations of reactions;
- shallow knowledge of hydrolysis;
- poor communication skills;
- inadequate preparation.

The following remedies were thus suggested to overcome the weaknesses

Candidates should:
- learn to read and adhere to rubrics;
- improve on both their communication and quantitative skills;
- be conversant with the examination syllabus and constantly visit the public libraries to familiarize themselves with reference text materials;
- prepare adequately for the examination.