BECE questions, answers and notes that you are likely to encounter

Once a student completes three years of junior high school in Ghana, they take the national Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE), and those who pass join Senior High Schools and Technical Institutes. Candidates preparing for these exams are advised to thoroughly revise BECE questions and answers from past papers and take notes.

The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) administers the annual BECE exams. Students should revise past papers because some questions may be repeated in the upcoming exams.

BECE questions and answers from past papers

Your BECE results are based on Continuous Assessment (CA) and the external exam. The external exam forms 70%, while the CA forms 30% of the total assessment. The subjects candidates sit for include:

• English Language
• Mathematics
• Ghanaian Language and Culture
• ICT
• Basic Design and Technology
• Religious & Moral Education
• Social Studies
• Integrated Science
• Creative Art and Design
• French
• Arabic

Each subject has two papers. The first paper has an objective test (40 questions), and the second has an essay test (40 items). Check below samples of BECE 2024 questions and answers for different subjects:

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BECE 2024 questions and answers for English

The BECE English exam comprises two papers. Paper 1 has 32 lexis & structure questions and literature questions, while paper 2 consists of essay writing and comprehension. Some of the 2024 BECE English questions and answers:

Paper 1: Lexis and structure (Part A)

Candidates must choose the most appropriate option when completing the sentences below.

1. Which of these sounds contains the sound /u:/ as in “shoot”?

A. burn

B. surge

C. blue (correct)

D. green

2. Which one of these words contains the sound /Ↄ:/ as in “wrought”?

A. cod

B. cord (correct)

C. shut

D. rot

3. Which one of these words does not contain the sound /Ә:/ as in “search”?

A. burst

B. hurt

C. shut (correct)

D. shirt

4. Every one of the students _______ to be excited about the excursion.

A. seems (correct)

B. is seeming

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C. seem

D. was seeming

5. We should assist the poor, _______?

A. shall we

B. shouldn’t we (correct)

C. isn’t it

D. we shouldn’t

Paper 1: Literature (Part B)

OLIVER TWIST: CHARLES DICKENS

"The boy is yours for five pounds!" said Mr. Bumble. Oliver gathered all his belongings, which were so few in number that they all fit into a paper bag. He went with Mr. Bumble to the undertaker's house, crying the entire way. "Stop crying!" shouted Mr. Bumble, "Be thankful that you're going to have a home because of the undertaker. Oliver's sobs subsided into hiccups.

Questions

6. What incident led to the selling out of Oliver Twist?

A. He was so rude

B. He was too old to be adopted

C. He asked for more food from the cook (correct)

D. He fought at the parish

7. The undertaker in the passage is who…..

A. Mr. Limbkins

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B. Mr. Sowerberry (correct)

C. Mr. Gamfield

D. Mr. Brownlow

8. What is the work of an undertaker?

A. Taking notes of someone’s properties

B. He looks for children to buy.

C. He is a wrestler

D. He takes dead people and buries them (correct)

THE DILEMMA OF A GHOST

Speaker X: Ah, well, I don't know the difference, and I don't care. Coconut palms and palm-palms aren't all the same? And anyway, why should I not go to see your folks?

Speaker Y: You may not be impressed

9. Who is represented as speaker X…….?

A. First woman (correct)

B. Ato

C. Monka

D. Eulalie

10. Where was the setting of the extract?

A. Africa

B. America

C. A village (correct)

D. Ato’s family house

The Dawn’s Awake

A flash of smoldering flames and fire Ignites the East. Then, higher, O'er all the sky so gray, forlorn, The torch of gold is borne. The dawn of a thousand dreams and thrills. And music singing in the hills. A tribute of eternal spring Voices the new awakening.

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11. What is the rhyme scheme of the above stanzas of the extract?

A. Aabcdcbd

B. Ababccdd (correct)

C. Abbccadd

D. Aabbccdd

12. "The dawn of a thousand dreams and thrills." What literary device has been used here?

A. Hyperbole (correct)

B. Oxymoron

C. Alliteration

D. Paradox

Paper 2: Comprehension questions

Here are samples of BECE English Comprehension questions:

Okonkwo had just blown out the palm oil lamp and stretched himself on his bamboo bed when he heard the ogene of the town-crier piercing the still night air. Gome, gome, gome, gomes boomed the hollow metal. Then the crier gave his message and beat an instrument again at the end.

And this was the message. Every man of Umuofia was asked to gather at the marketplace tomorrow morning. Okonkwo wondered what was amiss. He had discerned an apparent overture of tragedy in the crier's voice, and even now, he could still hear it as it grew dimmer and dimmer in the distance.

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Adapted from Things Fall Apart.

1. According to the passage, “ogene” was used to

A. assemble people

B. draw attention to a message about to be passed

C. echo the voice of the town-crier (correct)

D. lure people to sleep

E. produce music

2. The expression "… gome, gome" in the passage is an example of

A. irony

B. metaphor

C. onomatopoeia (correct)

D. personification

E. simile

3. Every man of Umuofia was to gather at the marketplace so that they would

A. attend a community meeting (correct)

B. be informed of how their daughter was murdered (correct)

C. chant a war slogan (correct)

D. listen to Ezeugo, the village orator (correct)

E. sympathize with Ogbuefi Udo (correct)

BECE questions and answers for Social Studies

Paper 1 has an objective test, while Paper 2 is an essay test. Questions cover environmental, social, and economic development, governance, moral upbringing, politics, and stability. Check out some likely Social Studies questions below:

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Paper 1: Objective test

1. Some Ghanaians mishandle the Cedi Notes by

A. burning it

B. crumpling it (correct)

C. saving it

D. spending it

2. A major way of spreading HIV and AIDS is through

A. eating in public places

B. indiscriminate sexual relations (correct)

C. mosquito bites

D. shaking hands with infected persons.

3. Adolescent abstinence from sexual-related activity is

A. chastity (correct)

B. health

C. paternity

D. sincerity

4. The set of guidelines for governing a nation is provided by the

A. constitution (correct)

B. council of state

C. judiciary

D. legislature

5. What a person is obliged to perform as a duty in the society constitutes their

A. achievements

B. dignity

C. responsibility (correct)

D. rights

Paper 2: Essay

Question 1

(a) Differentiate between a map and a sketch.

Answer:

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(b) List the four main cardinal points that are used in showing direction.

Answer: North, south, east and west

(c) State the two main seasons and the periods in which they occur in Ghana.

Answers:

• The wet season and the dry season
• The wet season is from March to October
• The dry season is from November to February

(d) Describe how a cyclonic rainfall occurs.

Answers:

• Two air masses (one warm, the other cold) meet and form a front.
• The warmer air rises over the colder air since it is lighter /has a lower density
• As the warm air continues to rise, it cools and condenses to form cumulus clouds as the temperature falls within the troposphere.
• As the cooling continues, the clouds condense further and fall as rain

Question 2

(a) List any two major relief features in Ghana.

Answers:

• Mountain Afadjato,
• Akwapim-Togo range
• Mampong scarp,
• Gambaga escarpment, etc.

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(b) List four oceans of the world.

Answers: Arctic, Atlantic, Pacific, Indian, and the Antarctic / Southern oceans

(c) Outline four ways in which forest vegetation in Ghana can be preserved.

Answers:

• Creating forest reserves – forests that are kept from human exploitation
• Preventing overgrazing by cattle and other animals
• Preventing bushfires by public education and other measures
• Planting trees on farms for various reasons – (Agroforestry)

BECE Math past questions

Mathematics questions cover topics like algebra, geometry, and more. Paper 1 has an objective test, while Paper 2 is an essay test. Here are some past Math Paper 1 questions that will strengthen you in the upcoming exams.

1. Which of the following is the set of prime factors of 12?

A. {2, 3} (correct)

B. {1, 2, 3}

C. {1, 2, 4, 6}

D. {2, 3, 4, 6}

2. Expand 3a (a – 4b)

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A. 3a – 12ab

B. 3a2 – 12ab (correct)

C. 3a2 – 12b

D. 3a2 – 12a

3. Express 5 as a percentage of 4

A. 125% (correct)

B. 120%

C. 25%

D. 20%

4. The ratio of mangoes to oranges in a basket is 3:2. If there are 36 mangoes, how many oranges are in the basket?

A. 90

B. 60

C. 24 (correct)

D. 12

5. An article that cost GH¢ 25.00 was sold for GH¢ 35.00. Find the percentage profit made.

A. 10%

B. 28%

C. 40% (correct)

D. 70%

BECE 2024 questions and answers for Science

BECE Integrated Science BECE exams cover different areas, including systems, diversity of matters, and cycles. Paper 1 contains objective questions, while paper 2 contains essays. Below are samples of the 2024 BECE Integrated Science Paper 1: Objective questions and answers:

1. Which of the following human activities contribute to the proliferation of greenhouse gases?

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A. Cooking of food

B. Deforestation (correct)

C. Afforestation

D. Shifting cultivation

2. The economy that aims at reducing environmental risk is known as …

A. blue economy

B. flattened economy

C. green economy (correct)

D. developed economy

3. Which of the following rocks is rich in calcium?

A. Schist rock

B. Limestone (correct)

C. Marble rock

D. Pumice rock

4. The IUPAC name for FeO is ….

A. Ferious Oxide

B. Iron Oxide

C. Iron (II) Oxide (correct)

D. Trinitrate(v) acid

5. All the following elements exist as molecules except…

A. Fluorine

B. Chlorine

C. Carbon (correct)

D. Oxygen

BECE Religion and Moral Education questions

Paper 1 has objective questions, while Paper 2 has essay, religion, moral, and social life sections. Questions include family, being a good citizen, and religious practices. Below are a few religious and moral education questions:

Paper 1: Objective test

1. The Omniscience of God portrays Him as

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A. all-knowing (correct)

B. very gracious

C. all forgiving

D. ever-present

2. Jacob's children went to Egypt because

A. there was a great famine (correct)

B. Joseph was a governor

C. there was good pasture for cattle

D. people were losing their lives

3. The aboakyir festival is celebrated by the

A. Anlo

B. Akan

C. Dangbe

D. Efutu (correct)

4. The Janazah prayer is performed

A. when a Muslim is traveling

B. during Friday worship

C. after a Ramadan fast

D. when a Muslim dies (correct)

5. The outpouring of the Holy Spirit on Christians occurred during the

A. Ascension

B. Passover

C. Pentecost (correct)

D. Resurrection

Paper 2: essay, religion, moral, and social life questions

6. State four ways by which God's creation can be protected

Answers:

• Reforestation - planting more trees to replace ones cut down
• Afforestation – planting more trees to create a forest
• Encouraging miners, farmers, fishermen, etc to use appropriate methods
• Public education on the protection of the environment
• Ensuring proper disposal of sewage and industrial waste

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7. Outline five contributions of Caliph Abu Bakr to Islam

Answers:

• Out of compassion for enslaved people, he deliberately purchased enslaved people and freed them.
• He gave the first public address inviting people to convert to Islam
• Together with the prophet Muhammed, he led the flight to Medina
• He bought land for the construction of a mosque in Medina
• He helped to construct a mosque in Medina

8. State two lessons that can be learnt from the life of Caliph Abu Bakr

Answers:

• Compassion – we must be compassionate
• Kindness –we must be kind and willing to give to others
• Commitment – we must show commitment in everything we do
• Perseverance – we must persevere in doing good things and never give up

BECE Basic Design and Technology questions

The BECE BDT questions for papers 1 and 2 usually cover topics like designing and constructing minor machines for ease of everyday tasks. Below are some questions and their answers:

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1. The basic stitch which starts all crocheted articles is

A. Chain (correct)

B. Cross

C. Loop

D. Stem

2. Which of the following is inexpensive to use in a rural area?

A. Coal pot (correct)

B. Electric cooker

C. Gas cooker

D. Kerosene stove

3. In drawing, objects nearer the viewer are in the

A. Background

B. Foreground (correct)

C. Horizon

D. Middle ground

4. Rhythm, balance, and emphasis are

A. Design processes

B. Elements of art

C. Idea developments

D. Principles of design (correct)

5. The final stage of the design process is the

A. Evaluation (correct)

B. Possible solutions

C. Specification

D. Working drawings

BECE ICT questions

The BECE ICT questions cover topics ranging from identifying computer parts and differentiating between hardware and software. So, prepare for your Paper 1 (objective questions) or Paper 2 (essay) well. You should expect questions like these in Paper 1:

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1. The brain of the computer is the

A. Monitor

B. System software

C. Read-only memory

D. Central processing unit (correct)

2. One byte is equal to

A. Two bits

B. Eight bits (correct)

C. Sixteen bits

D. One thousand bits

3. A folder within another folder is called

A. File

B. Subfolder (correct)

C. Inside folder

D. Innermost folder

4. The copyright laws protect the works of an author for a period of his life and

A. 40 years after his death

B. 50 years after his death

C. 60 years after his death

D. 70 years after his death (correct)

5. The following devices can be found in the system unit except

A. Ports

B. Memory

C. Motherboard

D. Scroll wheel (correct)

BECE French questions

The French BECE questions are divided into sections. Paper 1 (objective questions) has sections on listening comprehension, written comprehension, and vocabulary. Paper 2 is for written expression, while Paper 3 is for oral expression sections. Here are samples of Paper 1 objective questions:

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1. Est-ce que tu ………la vérité?

A. Dites

B. Dis (correct)

C. Dire

D. Dit

2. ……pays est en Afrique de l’Ouest.

A. Nos

B. Notre (correct)

C. Leurs

D. Sa

3. A l’âge de deux ans, ……….append à parler.

A. Nous

B. On (correct)

C. Tu

D. j’

4. Mon pantalon est bleu mais ………de Pauline est noir

A. Celle

B. Celui (correct)

C. Celle-ci

D. Celui-ci

5. La plupart ………enfants aiment s’amuser.

A. De

B. D’

C. Du

D. Des (correct)

Comprehension passage

Deux amis malheureux

C’est le mois d’août, les vacances commencent déjà et toutes les écoles sont fermées. Ahmed et son ami Jones veulent passer leurs vacances à Huni-Valley. Ils vont prendre le train à Kumasi. Quand ils arrivent à la gare, le train le leur destination est déjà là. Il doit partir dans un quart d’heure. Les deux amis achètent leurs billets et attendant le départ.

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Naturellement, ils vont regarder les magasins et les restaurants à côté de la gare. On y trouve des gâteaux, des beignets et des boissons de toutes sortes. Ils commencent à avoir faim. Ils entrent alors dans le restaurant "Akwaaba."

Assis devant deux assiettes de riz au poulet, les deux amis mangent et bavardent quand le départ du train est annoncé. Ils n’entendent rien du tout. Après un bon repas, ils se lèvent pour aller prendre le train; mais c’est déjà parti. Le train est déjà parti. Quelle d’hommage!

Comme les deux écoliers n’ont pas assez d’argent, ils décident de prendre un camion à Asafo. Pauvre Ahmed! Pauvre Jones!

6. Les deux amis ont l’intention de voyager par ……

A. La route

B. L’air

C. Le chemin de fer (correct)

D. L’eau

7. A la fin du passage, les deux amis sont ………

A. Contents

B. Déçus (correct)

C. Satisfaits

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D. Malades

8. Qu’est-ce qu’ils prennent au restaurant?

A. Des gâteaux

B. Du boisson

C. Des beignets

D. Du riz (correct)

9. Pourquoi entrent-ils dans le restaurant? – Pour………

A. Regarder le train

B. Manger quelque chose (correct)

C. Prendre le train

D. Acheter des billets

10. La destination des deux amis est …………

A. Huni-Valley (correct)

B. Kumasi

C. Akwaaba

D. Asafo

BECE questions for the Ghanaian language

The Ghanaian Languages (Asante Twi, Akuapim Twi, and Fante) exams are about culture and language. Paper 1 has objective questions, while Paper 2 has composition, comprehension, language, and usage sections. Below are some Fante objective questions:

1. Ntafo h4n amona w4fr1 no d1n?

A. Kakra

B. Tawia

C. Abam

D. Nyankomago

2. Nhwehw1mu a akanfo y1 ansaana egya ekebisa awar ama ne ba banyan ………………..

A. Mpaekyir

B. Abowmub4dze

C. Tambobaa

D. Ehyiadze

3. Eb1n Akan ebusau na h4n ahy1nsew nye seb4?

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A. Ns4na

B. Twidan

C. An4na

D. K4na

4. Iyinom mu woana na oyi mpaa ansaana woato 4hen fofor dzin?

A. $henbaa

B. Gyaasehen

C. Annk4beahen

D. Nkonguahen

5. Eb1n kasafua anaa akyer1wamba na ibotum dze as4w d1m kasafua yi do ma oedi mu anaa ntseasee aba mu ri……………?

A. nom

B. su

C. dzi

D. saw

What type of test is a BECE?

The Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) is an annual national examination students take in their final year of junior secondary school. It determines which students can transition from JSS 3 to senior secondary school.

Where can you get BECE past papers?

Various websites and mobile apps post downloadable BECE past papers to aid your revision. Such apps include:

• BECE Hub
• BECE practice app for JHS students
• BECE NECO
• BECE TestDriller
• BECE Questions 2022
• BECE Inside
• English BECE Pasco for JHS
• Bece past questions and answer for Android

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The websites include:

• educationnewsconsult.com
• scribd.com
• mingycomputersgh.wordpress.com
• icanmakeits.wordpress.com

How do schools register for BECE?

The District Director of Education oversees the registration of all candidates in their district.

Who sets BECE exams?

BECE examiners are knowledgeable persons, experts, or professionals specializing in different subjects. They are commissioned to set questions.

How can one become a BECE examiner?

To be a WASSCE, GBCE, or ABCE examiner, one must have a university degree in the subject they want to examine and have taught it for at least three years. The minimum academic qualification for a BECE examiner is the Post-Secondary Teachers' Certificate.

Interested persons with these qualifications must apply for the appointment. The application forms can be obtained from the WAEC council’s website.

Appointment as an examiner depends on vacancies for the position in the subject area of the applicant's choice. Qualified applicants not appointed in a particular year may be considered in subsequent years if there are vacancies.

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How are BECE questions set?

BECE examiners who are not JSS teachers are selected to set the questions. Each person sets questions, and all examiners' questions are reviewed. Some questions are chosen to create a paper students will sit for.

Can one re-sit BECE exams?

A candidate can re-sit the BECE exams by registering as a private candidate. You can register on the WAEC council’s website. Remember to capture your fingerprints at an internet café and send the data with your application. Without fingerprints, your registration is null and void.

Does WAEC upgrade BECE results?

WAEC does not upgrade BECE results. Nonetheless, a candidate can re-sit the BECE exams by registering as a private candidate. Universities and other institutions in Ghana will only register you after verifying your results from WAEC. So, be careful of fraudsters who promise to change candidates’ results for a fee.

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What is the 2024 BECE timetable?

The 2024 BECE exams commenced on Monday, July 8, 2024, and concluded on Friday, July 12, 2024, with an additional session on Monday, July 15 for students taking Arabic.

If you are committed to passing your forthcoming examination, revise the BECE questions from past papers to improve your understanding. Also, these papers can help you familiarize yourself with the basic instructions that WAEC usually repeats on every paper.

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