The performance of the candidates was affected by the following weaknesses:
- delibrate alteration/cancellation of titre values/table to agree with/within the range of the teacher’s titre value(s)
- averaging of non concordant titres
- non adherence to instructions
- poor/wrong inferences
- inability to express answers to 3 significant figures
- omission/wrong units
- wrong terminologies e.g chalky ppt instead of gelatinous ppt
- poor time management by recopying the questions
- shallow understand of mole concepts calcualtion
- inability to differentiate between number of moles and concentration in mol dm-3
- inability to calculate the value of water of crystalization in Na2 CO3.yH2O
- inadequate knowledge on separation techniques
- inadequate knowledge on the used of laboratory apparatus.
The following remedies were suggested to overcome the weaknesses:
- adequate preparations by candidates
- prolong exposure to laboratory practical works
- correct and acceptable procedure of presenting experimental results should be stressed by teachers during teaching
- teachers/supervisors should not disclose their titre values to candidates
- school laboratories should be adequately equiped with apparatus and analytical chemicals and not industrial chemicals
- subject teachers should take part in the marking exericse so as to equip themselves with new pratices
- schools should employ qualified chemistry teachers.