The WASSCE season often brings about an overwhelming sense of pressure and anxiety for many candidates.[1] It harbours more than just examination stress; there’s the weight of family expectations, the fear of failure and the big question of university admissions.
The emotional and mental strain can be just as intense as the academic workload students bear throughout their three years of high school. And even with hours of preparation, some students still don’t perform as expected.
This is why it’s worth exploring highly effective study techniques that go beyond the usual routine of early revision and productive group studies. I will highlight a few overlooked yet efficient study techniques for WASSCE to help you thoroughly prepare.
01. Simulate the exam setting
Preparing a simulation of the exam setting ahead of time is a valuable technique to consider for WASSCE preparation. Rather than going through with the usual practice, that is, casually solving past questions to see what you’ve retained, take it up a notch.
Try finding a quiet space, set a timer and attempt a full mock paper with your only tools being your pen and memory. For this simulation, perhaps you could go the extra mile and imagine you’re surrounded by other candidates also taking the exam, with a good number of invigilators observing.
The goal of this is to help you build focus, sharpen your time management skills, and develop mental stamina for the real exam.[2] It also trains your mind and body to handle the pressure and intensity of the exam.
02. Curate a mistake log
Mistakes are part of the learning process[3], so don’t overlook them. Keep a mistake log, i.e., a dedicated notebook or exercise book where you record all your wrong answers. You can even add that confusing maths formula you often misquote.
After writing down all your revision errors, also note down their correct answers and how you plan on remembering them. Maybe make a little song, or relate it to something remotely interesting for you.
Sometimes, repeating it to yourself a dozen times till it plays as a loop in your head helps. Here’s an example of a mistake log:
| Mistake | Correct Answer | Correction Tip |
| Forgot the formula for the area of a circle | πr² | Review geometry flashcards |
| Misspelled “accomodate” | accommodate | Practice spelling it 5 times |
| Mixed up photosynthesis and respiration | Photosynthesis = makes food, Respiration = uses food | Draw a diagram to compare |
This approach is to help you focus on areas that need improvement, rather than just skipping them and reviewing what you already know.
And as the exam approaches, your mistake log becomes a powerful tool for targeted revision.
03. Margin scribbles
Not many people realise just how beneficial this next study technique is. But believe me when I say that using marginalia[4], that is, writing brief notes or remarks in the margins of texts while you read, can significantly improve reading sessions for WAASCE prep.
It’s a simple habit, but it can completely transform how you interact with your study material.[5] Rather than just skimming through or passively absorbing information in your study material, this technique encourages you to engage with it for better retention.
You can do this by writing a short summary beside a paragraph or noting down certain key words in the text margin for better recall of what is being read. These little actions help you process what you’re reading more deeply, making it easier to understand and remember, as they act as shortcuts to the most significant parts of your text.
Marginalia also turns your study material into a more personalised revision guide. So when it’s revision time, a quick scan of your marginalised notes will be all it takes to bring the main ideas back to mind; there might even be no need to go through the text all over again.
04. Roleplay as a teacher
Memorising the content of your study material is a pretty common revision method. However, the issue with this approach is that memorisation without a proper understanding of the material can backfire, especially when exam questions are phrased differently or require deeper reasoning to be answered.
Real understanding is what helps you think critically when tackling tricky questions, and one effective way to check how well you’ve grasped an exam topic is to teach it to someone else.[6] Explaining a topic, whether to a classmate, a friend or even a junior who might benefit from the free lesson is a great way to test your own knowledge on it.
For instance, walking a friend through a biology concept or breaking down a complex literature analysis for someone who hasn’t read the book. The reasoning here is that if you can explain a topic concept clearly to someone else, chances are you’ve grasped it pretty well.
If not, then it may be a sign to revisit the material and do some additional reading for yourself. Teaching also forces you to think critically and connect concepts, which is what WASSCE questions often demand.
05. Brain dumping
Brain dumping is yet another underutilised technique that can be used to check what has been retained after studying.[7]
And it’s a pretty simple process! Take a blank sheet of paper and write down everything you remember from studying: definitions, formulas, and keywords. Do this, of course, without looking at your notes.
Then, when you’re done, compare what you’ve written down with your study material. Pay attention to what you missed in your recall or the little errors you made.
This technique is an effective way to identify revision gaps and topic areas that require reinforcement. You can use it as a post-study exercise to help retain newly learnt material or as a warm-up to activate existing knowledge.
06. Decode the exam structure
Believe it or not, past questions aren’t just for practice; they’re like secret codes waiting to be cracked. WASSCE papers have a tendency to repeat certain concepts, phrases, and question styles.
Take this, for example: a question about the definition of photosynthesis appeared in 2019. The same question resurfaces again in 2021. Coincidence? Not quite. And isn’t it interesting how you can never escape logarithms? It seems like an examiner’s favourite, considering how it’s appearing almost every single year!
These are the little clues you need to watch out for. If you really want to crack the code, don’t just solve past questions, analyse them too. Look for recurring topics, familiar wording, and commonly tested questions.
You’ll start to notice patterns. Although the questions may be phrased differently from year to year, the core ideas often remain the same.
Once you spot those patterns, please write down the recurring topics and study them thoroughly. That way, when exam day comes, you won’t spend your time trying to guess what might be included or excluded.
Instead, you’ll be anticipating how the expected questions might be framed and approaching them with a bit more clarity when they actually do appear.
07. Gamified study sessions
Preparing for WASSCE doesn’t always have to be rigid or boring. If you’re tired of the same old study routines, why not spice things up with some friendly learning competitions and creative games?[8]
Imagine turning your revision sessions into engaging quiz battles or flashcard[9] speed rounds. Suddenly, even the driest topics become fun and dynamic challenges. This was one of my favourite ways of learning when I was preparing for WASSCE.
Picture this: you and your friends racing to solve a math problem in under 30 seconds, or having a mini quiz on the structure of a human cell during break time.
These little games make studying more enjoyable and help you learn from friends, correct mistakes and strengthen areas you might struggle with.
To wrap up
At the end of the day, it’s essential to recognise that the journey towards WASSCE success begins with identifying effective study techniques that can truly enhance your exam preparation.
These study techniques must be intentional and effective, strategies that can be easily tailored into your revision approach, ensuring that you are in control of your study process and steered in the right direction to excel.
Whether it’s scribbling in margins, teaching a topic to a friend, or even turning study sessions into games, each method encourages deeper understanding and better study retention.
References
- The Pressures Of WASSCE: The Story Of Master Samuel Kwame Kissi, ModernGhana. modernghana.com/news/483767/the-pressures-of-wassce-the-story-of-master-samuel-kwame-ki.html
- Student Hacks: How to Simulate Exam Conditions and Practice Exam-taking Strategies, SigmaOS. sigmaos.com/tips/students/student-hacks-how-to-simulate-exam-conditions-and-practice-exam-taking-strategies
- Formatting and organizing your error log (with template), Magoosh Help Center. magoosh.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/115005333646-Formatting-and-organizing-your-error-log-with-template
- YouTube video: Lecture #9: How to Read so that you Retain Information. youtube.com/watch?v=uiNB-6SuqVA
- A Reading Activity to Enhance (Marginalia), University of Scranton. scranton.edu/academics/cte/Fac-dev/Marginalia.shtml
- Learning by Teaching: Extremely Effective, BPS Research Digest. bps.org.uk/research-digest/learning-teaching-others-extremely-effective
- Brain Dump: A small strategy with a big impact (Free Recall), RetrievalPractice.org. retrievalpractice.org/strategies/2017/free-recall
- How to Gamify Studying and Level Up Your Motivation, Lecturio Blog. lecturio.com/blog/how-to-gamify-studying-and-level-up-your-motivation
- YouTube video: The Ultimate Flashcard Tutorial (step by step). youtube.com/watch?v=47yVbdReyXw
