SUMMARY OF CANDIDATES' WEAKNESSES
Many candidates were reported not to adhere to the rubrics of the paper. Others could not interpret given problems into mathematical statements and solve them correctly. Some of them also, did not write answers correct to the required degree of accuracies.
Other areas where candidates' weaknesses were observed are:
Solving problems on mensuration in three dimensions. Majority of the candidates were also reported not to be able to recall the properties of a Rhombus.
Everyday Arithmetic as in questions 6b and llb
Geometry: Questions on this topic were reported to be avoided by majority of the
candidates and the few who attempted them performed poorly .
Arithmetic Progression
Reading and drawing inferences from graphs
Statistics: many candidates did not draw the cumulative frequency curve using the
upper class boundaries.
Representing given information on diagrams.
Although the question on Longitude and Latitude was reportedly well attempted by majority of the candidates, majority of them were not able to find the vertical distance between the center of the earth and the center of the small circle on which P and Q lie.
SUGGESTED REMEDIES
Candidates should read the instructions carefully before answering the questions so as to know the demands of the question.
Candidates are encouraged to draw necessary diagrams that would help them in solving problems in areas requiring diagrams.
Candidates are encourage to adequately cover the syllabus and solve a lot of practice problems while preparing for the examination.
Candidates are encouraged to familiarize themselves with/acquire necessary materials such as mathematical sets, mathematical and statistical tables published for WAEC, etc, for use while preparing for the examinations and during the examination.
Teachers are encouraged to emphasize these areas of weaknesses during instruction.
Teachers are encouraged to adopt teaching techniques that would demystify the subject
Candidates are encouraged to avail themselves of past WASSCE General mathematics question papers while preparing for the examination