Accra SHS and St. Thomas Aquinas Students Raise Alarm Over High Difficulty of WASSCE Core Mathematics Paper

Candidates across the country, particularly from Accra Senior High School (SHS) and St. Thomas Aquinas SHS, have voiced significant concerns over the increased difficulty of the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) Core Mathematics paper. Students reported that the examination featured an overwhelming focus on real-life application problems, which departed from the traditional format they had anticipated. According to data from the West African Examinations Council (WAEC), more than 50 percent of candidates struggled with the paper, primarily due to the complex nature of translating word-based scenarios into mathematical expressions.

The specific areas of difficulty centered on financial mathematics and linear equations presented as word problems. While students were aware of a general shift toward an application-based curriculum, many expressed that the volume and intricacy of these questions exceeded their expectations. This shift is part of a broader educational reform aimed at making mathematics more relevant to real-world challenges, but the transition has proven taxing for the current cohort of candidates who found the exam more rigorous than previous years' papers.

In response to the changing examination landscape, teachers at the affected schools noted that they had intensified their preparatory sessions to align with the new curriculum standards. Despite the initial shock and the identified struggles, educators remain optimistic that the specialized training provided during the academic year will eventually yield better results than the previous year. They emphasized that the move toward application-based testing is a necessary evolution for Ghana's education system, even if it presents short-term hurdles for students.

Despite the challenges faced during the sitting, many students remain hopeful about their final grades, citing the extensive support and guidance provided by their instructors. The WAEC Chief Examiner’s Report highlighted these difficulties as a key area for pedagogical focus moving forward. As the education sector continues to adapt to these new assessment models, the performance of this year’s candidates will serve as a critical benchmark for future instructional strategies in Core Mathematics across Ghana.