Past Questions vs Textbooks: What Really Works for WAEC and JAMB

You've probably heard it from an older cousin: "Forget the textbook. Just do past questions." Is that genius advice or a shortcut that backfires?

Here's why it matters. In the 2026 WASSCE, 1,950,726 candidates sat the exam and 1,200,514 got five credits including English and Maths. By our sum, that means 750,212 didn't. That's roughly 2 in every 5 candidates. How you prepare really does count.

What WAEC itself says

You don't have to guess. WAEC's Chief Examiners write reports every year about where candidates go wrong, and their advice is clear. In one report, the remedies include both of these lines:

"Candidates should cover the syllabus before taking the examinations" WAEC Chief Examiner's report, WASSCE 2020

"Candidates should study past questions and Chief Examiner's Report" WAEC Chief Examiner's report, WASSCE 2020

So WAEC says do both. Past questions alone won't cover everything. Textbooks alone won't train you for the exam.

What the research says

There's solid science behind past questions. A major 2013 review of ten popular study methods found that testing yourself and spreading your study over time were the two most useful.

Here's the surprising bit. By our count, half of the ten methods they looked at, including rereading, highlighting and summarising, were rated low value. Those are exactly the things most students spend the most time doing.

Past questions are self-testing. That's why they work so well. But you still need to understand the topic first, or you're just guessing faster.

Why past questions deserve a big place

• They show you the style. You learn how WAEC, NECO and JAMB actually ask things.
• They show repeated topics. Some ideas come up year after year. Past papers help you spot them.
• They build speed. Knowing a topic and answering a question on it in under a minute are different skills.
• They expose your real weak spots. You might feel fine about a topic until a past question shows you a gap.

The method that works

1. Learn the topic once, properly. One focused read of your notes per topic. Don't reread the same page five times.
2. Switch to past questions. Many students aim for about ten years of papers per subject. That's a rule of thumb, not an official number, but it gives you plenty of practice.
3. Check every wrong answer the same day. Go back to just the part of your notes that explains it, not the whole chapter.
4. Read the examiner's comments. They tell you exactly how marks were lost in that paper.
5. Do a full timed paper every week near the exam. Same time limit, no phone, no breaks.

Where to find them for free

WAEC launched its own E-Study portal with past questions, marking schemes and Chief Examiners' reports. Its then head of office called it the official place to prepare.

"WAEC E-Study Portal is the approved exams preparatory platform" Dr Amos Dangut, WAEC, April 2025

WAEC's e-Learning site also has past papers with examiners' comments.

The verdict

"Past questions only" is the wrong slogan. The right one is "less rereading, more testing". Learn each topic once, then test yourself on the real exam questions again and again.

If you want someone to explain the topics that keep tripping you up, Scholarleveling has live classes and quizzes for WAEC, NECO and JAMB on any phone.

Read next: how to raise your JAMB score, or how to prepare for WAEC practicals without a lab.