Waec Syllabus

Mathematics Waec Syllabus

Below is this 2024 Waec Syllabus for Mathematics. Note that this syllabus is for both internal
and external candidates.

Aims and Objectives

Mathematical competency and computational skills
Understanding of mathematical concepts and their relationship to the acquisition of entrepreneurial
skills for everyday living in the global world
The ability to translate problems into mathematical language and solve them using appropriate methods
The ability to be accurate to a degree relevant to the problem at hand
Logical, abstract, and precise thinking

Scheme of Examination
There will be two papers, Papers 1 and 2, both of which must be taken.

PAPER 1:
The first paper will consist of fifty multiple-choice objective questions, drawn from the common areas of the
syllabus, to be answered in 1½ hours for 50 marks.

PAPER 2:
The second paper will consist of thirteen essay questions in two sections, Sections A and B, to be answered in 2½
hours for 100 marks. Candidates will be required to answer ten questions in all.

Section A
Section A will consist of five compulsory questions, elementary in nature, carrying a total of 40 marks. The questions
will be drawn from the common areas of the syllabus.

Section B
Section B will consist of eight questions of greater length and difficulty. The questions shall include a maximum of
two, which shall be drawn from parts of the syllabuses that may not be peculiar to candidates’ home countries.
Candidates will be expected to answer five questions for 60 marks.

Detailed Mathematics Syllabus

NUMBER AND NUMERATION

Number bases
conversion of numbers from one base to another
Basic operations on number bases

Modular Arithmetic Privacy - Terms

 Concept of Modulo Arithmetic
Addition, subtraction, and multiplication operations in modulo arithmetic
Application to daily life

Fractions, Decimals and Approximations

Basic operations on fractions and decimals.
Approximations and significant figures.

Indices
Laws of indices
Numbers in standard form ( scientific notation)

Logarithms
Relationship between indices and logarithms: e.g., y = 10k implies log10y = k.
Basic rules of logarithms
Use of tables of logarithms and anti-logarithms
Calculations involving multiplication, division, powers, and roots.

Sequence and Series

Patterns of sequences.
Arithmetic progression (A.P.) and Geometric Progression (G.P.)

Sets
Idea of sets, universal sets, finite and infinite sets, subsets, empty sets, and disjoint sets.
Solution of practical problems involving classification using Venn diagrams.

Logical Reasoning
Simple statements.
True and false statements.
Negation of statements and implications.
Use of symbols: use of Venn diagrams

Positive and negative integers, rational numbers

The four basic operations on rational numbers.
Match rational numbers with points on the number line.
Notation: natural numbers (N), integers ( Z ), and rational numbers ( Q ).

Surds (Radicals)
Simplification and rationalization of simple surds.
Surds of the form, a and b, where a is a rational number and b is a positive integer.
Basic operations on surds (exclude surd of the form ).

Matrices and Determinants

Identification of order, notation, and types of matrices.
Addition, subtraction, scalar multiplication, and multiplication of matrices.
Determinant of a matrix

Ratio, Proportions and Rates

The ratio between two similar quantities.
The proportion between two or more similar quantities.
 Financial partnerships, rates of work, costs, taxes, foreign exchange, density (e.g.,
population), mass, distance, time, and speed.

Percentages
Simple interest, commission, discount, depreciation, profit and loss, compound interest,
hire purchase, and percentage error.

Financial Arithmetic
Depreciation/Amortization.
Annuities
Capital Market Instruments

Variation
Direct, inverse, partial, and joint variations.
Application to simple, practical problems.

ALGEBRAIC PROCESSES

Algebraic expressions
Formulating algebraic expressions from given situations
Evaluation of algebraic expressions

Simple operations on algebraic expressions

Expansion
Factorization

Solution of Linear Equations

Linear equations in one variable
Simultaneous linear equations in two variables.

Change of Subject of a Formula/Relation

Change of subject of a formula or relationship
Substitution.

Quadratic Equations
Solution of quadratic equations
Forming a quadratic equation with the given roots.
Application of a solution to a quadratic equation in practical problems.

Graphs of Linear and Quadratic functions

Interpretation of graphs, the coordinate of points, tables of values, drawing quadratic
graphs, and obtaining roots from graphs.
Graphical solution of a pair of equations of the form: y = ax2 + bx + c and y = mx + k
drawing tangents to curves to determine the gradient at a given point.

Linear Inequalities
Solution of linear inequalities in one variable and representation on the number line.
Graphical solution of linear inequalities in two variables.
 Graphical solution of simultaneous linear inequalities in two variables.

Algebraic Fractions
Operations on algebraic fractions with:

Monomial denominators
Binomial denominators

Functions and Relations

Types of Functions
One-to-one, one-to-many, many-to-one, many-to-many.
Functions as a mapping, determination of the rule of a given mapping or function.

MENSURATION

Lengths and Perimeters

Use of Pythagoras theorem, sine, and cosine rules to determine lengths and distances.
lengths of arcs of circles, perimeters of sectors, and segments.
Longitudes and latitudes.

Areas
Triangles and special quadrilaterals: rectangles, parallelograms and trapeziums
Circles, sectors, and segments of circles.
Surface areas of cubes, cuboids, cylinders, pyramids, right triangular prisms, cones, and
spheres.
Areas of similar figures. Include the area of the triangle = ½ base x height and
½absinC.
Areas of compound shapes.
Relationship between the sector of a circle and the surface area of a cone.

Volumes
Volumes of cubes, cuboids, cylinders, cones, right pyramids and spheres.
Volumes of similar solids

PLANE GEOMETRY

Angles
Angles at a point add up to 360 degrees.
Adjacent angles on a straight line are supplementary.
Vertically opposite angles are equal.

Angles and intercepts on parallel lines

Alternate angles are equal.
Corresponding angles are equal.
Interior opposite angles are supplementary
Intercept theorem.

Triangles and polygons

 The sum of the angles of a triangle is 2 right angles.
The exterior angle of a triangle equals the sum of the two interior opposite angles.
congruent triangles.
Properties of special triangles: isosceles, equilateral, right-angled, etc
Properties of special quadrilaterals: parallelogram, rhombus, square, rectangle, trapezium.
Properties of similar triangles.
The sum of the angles of a polygon
Property of exterior angles of a polygon.
Parallelograms on the same base and between the same parallels are equal in area.

Circles
Chords.
The angle at which an arc of a circle subtends at the centre of the circle is twice that
which it subtends at any point on the remaining part of the circumference.
Any angle subtended at the circumference by a diameter is a right angle.
Angles in the same segment are equal.
Angles in opposite segments are supplementary.
Perpendicularity of tangent and radius.
If a tangent is drawn to a circle and from the point of contact a chord is drawn, each angle
that this chord makes with the tangent is equal to the angle in the alternate segment.

Construction
Bisectors of angles and line segments
Line parallel or perpendicular to a given line.
Angles, e.g., 900, 600, 450, 300, and an angle equal to a given angle.
Triangles and quadrilaterals from sufficient data.

Loci
Knowledge of the loci listed below and their intersections in 2 dimensions.

Points at a given distance from a given point.

Points equidistant from two given points.
Points equidistant from two given straight lines.
Points at a given distance from a given straight line.

COORDINATE GEOMETRY OF STRAIGHT LINES

Concept of the x-y plane

Coordinates of points on the x-y plane

TRIGONOMETRY

Sine, Cosine and Tangent of an angle.

Sine, Cosine and Tangent of acute angles.
Use of tables of trigonometric ratios.
Trigonometric ratios of 300, 450, and 600
Sine, cosine, and tangent of angles from 00 to 3600
 Graphs of sine and cosine.
Graphs of trigonometric ratios.

Angles of elevation and depression

Calculating angles of elevation and depression.
Application to heights and distances.

Bearings
Bearing of one point from another.
Calculation of distances and angles

INTRODUCTORY CALCULUS

Differentiation of algebraic functions.

Integration of simple Algebraic functions.

Concept/meaning of differentiation/derived function: the relationship between the
gradient of a curve at a point and the differential coefficient of the equation of the curve at
that point.
Standard derivatives of some basic function, e.g., if y = x2, = 2x. If s = 2t3 + 4, = v = 6t2,
where s = distance, t = time, and v = velocity.
Application to real-life situations such as maximum and minimum values, rates of change,
etc.
Meaning or concept of integration, evaluation of simple definite algebraic equations.

STATISTICS AND PROBABILITY

Statistics
Frequency distribution
Pie charts, bar charts, histograms and frequency polygons
Mean, median, and mode for both discrete and grouped data.
Cumulative frequency curve (Ogive).
Measures of Dispersion: range, semi inter-quartile/inter-quartile range, variance, mean
deviation and standard deviation

Probability
Experimental and theoretical probability.
Addition of probabilities for mutually exclusive and independent events.
Multiplication of probabilities for independent events.

VECTORS AND TRANSFORMATION

Vectors in a Plane
Vectors as a directed line segment.
Cartesian components of a vector
 The magnitude of a vector, equal vectors, addition and subtraction of vectors, zero vector,
parallel vectors, and multiplication of a vector by a scalar.

Transformation in the Cartesian Plane

Reflection of points and shapes in the Cartesian Plane.
Rotation of points and shapes in the Cartesian Plane.
Translation of points and shapes in the Cartesian Plane.
Enlargement

UNITS

Length
1000 millimetres (mm) = 100 centimetres (cm) = 1 metre(m).
1000 metres = 1 kilometre (km)

Area
10,000 square metres (m2) = 1 hectare (ha)

Capacity
1000 cubic centimeters (cm3) = 1 litre (l)

Mass
milligrammes (mg) = 1 gramme (g)
1000 grammes (g) = 1 kilogramme( kg )
1000 kilogrammes (kg) = 1 tonne.

Currencies
The Gambia – 100 bututs (b) = 1 Dalasi (D)
Ghana – 100 Ghana pesewas (Gp) = 1 Ghana Cedi ( GH¢)
Liberia – 100 cents (c) = 1 Liberian Dollar (LD)
Nigeria – 100 kobo (k) = 1 Naira (N)
Sierra Leone – 100 cents (c) = 1 Leone (Le)
UK – 100 pence (p) = 1 pound (£)
USA – 100 cents (c) = 1 dollar ($)
French Speaking territories: 100 centimes (c) = 1 Franc (fr)

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