Various reasons were adduced for the flaws identified in the candidates’ responses.  Prominent among them were:  

1. Inadequate coverage of the syllabus;
2. Poor interpretation of the demands of the questions;
3. Limited vocabulary, resulting in poor articulation of points and imprecise statements;
4. Shallow understanding of a large variety of scientific concepts;
5. Rote learning coupled with inadequate preparation for the examination;
6. Loose definitions and wrong spelling of scientific terminologies;
7. Inaccurate readings and poor handling of numerical problems; 
8. Inability to use knowledge of basic principles to explain common phenomena, trends and observations; 
9. Poor drawing skills;
10. Lack of competence to describe performance activities satisfactorily;
11. Inability of majority of Biology candidates to plot graphs and interpret them properly;
12. Non-familiarity with the following concepts: Health Insurance, Genetics; Farm mechanization, Cocoa production, Fishery regulations, Inventory records.

SUGGESTED REMEDIES

The remedies suggested for overcoming the weaknesses include the following:

  Schools should be provided with qualified teachers  and adequate laboratory facilities and equipment;

1.   Classroom teachers should make a conscious effort to cover the syllabuses and make the teaching of Science subjects practical – based in order to enhance students’ understanding and interest;
2.   Mathematics teachers should assist students to grasp the plotting and interpretation of graphs;
3.  Teachers should be given proper exposure through Conferences, Workshops,  
4. Seminars and Courses in addition to being retrained to improve their competence;
5.  Teachers should be adequately motivated and provided with appropriate   instructional materials, to make them more committed to their job;
6.  Field Trips and excursions should be organized for students, to enable them relate classroom instructions to their environment;
7.   Schools should place emphasis on oral and written English;
8. Students should be drilled on proper drawing of diagrams and spelling of scientific terminologies;
9.  Students should be encouraged to cultivate good reading habits and prepare adequately for  examinations.