Should I Write Another WASSCE or NOVDEC? This is How to Decide

The West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) is conducted every year by the West African Examination Council (WAEC) for final-year students in Senior High Schools. WASSCE is used to determine how well senior high students performed throughout the three-year period, and what tertiary institution they will be attending, as WASSCE is a major (not the only) entry requirement for universities and other tertiary institutions.

In this post, we will look at how to improve your WASSCE results and how to finally decide if you should write another WASSCE or NOVDEC.

How can you improve your WASSCE results?

Below are a few ways you can improve your WASSCE results;

1. WASSCE Results Cross-Check or Remarking
2. Writing NOVDEC
3. Re-Writing WASSCE

WASSCE Results Cross-Check or Remarking

If you are sure the WASSCE results do not reflect your effort in the examination, then you can have your papers remarked by WAEC with the assistance of the institution you registered for the examination with. In some cases, it may just be an issue of wrong calculation but you should bear in mind that if you end up getting the same or lower grades after the remarking, WAEC may penalize you. However, this should not deter you, as long as you are very sure of your claim.

Writing NOVDEC

Nov/Dec is the private examination for SHS leavers, willing to improve their grades. This examination is conducted by WAEC between August and December annually. Like the WASSCE for school candidates, the Nov/Dec or the WASSCE for private candidates is another type of WAEC exam for students who failed their WASSCE in SHS.

I have seen students who got much better grades after sitting for the Nov/Dec. You just need adequate preparation. The good news is you can rewrite as many times as you wish, till you get the results that you want for any subject.

Re-Writing WASSCE

This may be the most difficult for students but it is very possible to go back to Senior High School to prepare and sit for the WASSCE a second time. Most students have no interest in going back to SHS but this may be the best for you, especially if you failed in many subjects and not just a few. There are a lot of private senior high schools in Ghana that openly accept students who failed in the WASSCE and want another chance. These schools prepare you for the WASSCE and ensure that you pass the examinations, but you need to be very motivated and determined. This is arguably the best alternative if you failed in all or almost all the subjects during the WASSCE.

How to Decide if You Should Write Another WASSCE or Register for NOVDEC

Below is a guide on how to decide if you should write another WASSCE or register for NOVDEC

1. Cross-check your current WASSCE results and note all the subjects you got bad grades
2. Check how many core subjects and electives you performed well and the ones you did badly in
3. Check the cut-off point for the programme you want to pursue in tertiary
4. Now list the number of subjects you need to improve to meet the cut-off point
5. If you need to write more than 4 subjects to improve your WASSCE grades, I suggest you consider a second WASSCE sitting
6. If you need to write between 1 and 4 papers, you can consider registering for NOVDEC

Kindly note: If the subjects you need to re-write to get better grades are somewhat difficult for you to learn and pass, consider an intensive 1-year remedial school to re-write WASSCE again but if you believe you can do well with NOVDEC, you can register and prepare for it.

Is it possible to upgrade my WASSCE results?

No, it is not possible to upgrade your WASSCE results. Do not give any attention to ads on results upgrade ads you come across on social media. You cannot upgrade your WASSCE results, you can only improve them through the NOVDEC, WASSCE or remarking.

If you are unable to get the appropriate grades to further your education, is this the end of the road for you?

The fact that you did not achieve good grades after your WASSCE does not mean it is the end and you should definitely not take it too hard on yourself by comparing yourself to others. This only worsens your anxiety.

Conclusion

You should not take it too hard on yourself if you failed WASSCE. The fact that you achieved poor results does not mean you can not further your education, and the fact that you failed WASSCE does not mean you can not pursue your dream career.

You can definitely salvage the situation by trying again and being more prepared this time, using any of the explained methods above. So buckle up!

If you have any questions, you can leave them below or click here to ask our LearninGhana community.