WAEC 2026 Guide: Arts Students

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1. COMPULSORY SUBJECTS (8-9 Total)

To qualify as an Arts student and meet university requirements for courses like Law, Mass Comm, or International Relations, you generally register for:

• Core:
  • English Language
  • Mathematics
  • Civic Education
• Arts Core:
  • Literature-in-English
  • Government OR History
  • Religious Studies (CRS or IRS)
• Languages (Compulsory):
  • One Nigerian Language (Yoruba, Igbo, or Hausa)
• Social Science/Humanities:
  • Economics
• Trade Subject (Choose 1):
  • e.g., Marketing, Catering Craft Practice, Dyeing & Bleaching, Visual Art

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2. EXAM STRUCTURE (Per Arts Subject)

• Paper 1 (Objective): 50 Multiple-choice questions. Tests broad knowledge and definitions.
• Paper 2 (Essay/Theory): Detailed essay questions.
  • Tip: In Arts subjects (Govt, CRS, History), marks are awarded for logic, expression, and citing specific examples/dates.
• Paper 3 (Specifics):
  • English Language: Test of Orals (Oral English).
  • Literature: Drama & Poetry analysis (often separated from Prose).
  • Visual Arts: Practical project (Drawing/Painting).

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3. KEY SYLLABUS HIGHLIGHTS & VISUAL AIDS

A. LITERATURE-IN-ENGLISH

Focus Areas: African Prose, Non-African Prose, Shakespearean Drama, African Drama, and Poetry.

Key Concept: Literary Devices You must master figures of speech (Metaphor, Simile, Irony, Hyperbole) to analyze unseen poetry and prose passages effectively.

B. GOVERNMENT

Focus Areas: Basic concepts of government (Power, Authority, Legitimacy), Political Parties, Electoral Systems, Nigeria's constitutional development, and International Organizations (UNO, AU, ECOWAS).

Key Concept: Arms of Government Understanding the separation of powers is the foundation of the Government syllabus.

C. ECONOMICS

Focus Areas: Basic tools of economic analysis, Demand & Supply, Production, Market Structures, Inflation, and Public Finance.

Key Concept: Demand and Supply Curves You will almost certainly be asked to draw or interpret a shift in equilibrium curves in Paper 2.

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4. SUBJECT COMBINATIONS FOR UNIVERSITY

Arts students must choose subjects carefully based on their intended course.

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5. GENERAL INFORMATION

• Exam Timing: May/June 2026.
• Grading System:
  • A1: Excellent (75%+)
  • B2 - B3: Very Good
  • C4 - C6: Credit (Crucial for Admission)
  • D7 - E8: Pass
  • F9: Fail
• Success Tip: For Arts, handwriting and clarity of expression count significantly in Paper 2 essays.
• Official Resources: waecnigeria.org