THE MALAWI NATIONAL EXAMINATIONS BOARD

2024 JUNIOR CERTIFICATE OF EXAMINATION

CHIEF EXAMINERS’ REPORT

CHICHEWA (J032/I & II)

General Comments on:

A. Quality of the Paper

Paper I
The 2024 Chichewa Paper I was rated fair and it covered the syllabus adequately. All the
questions reflected the skills in the syllabus upon which the success criteria are attained.
The questions were clear and there were no typographical errors.

Paper II
The paper was developed to the appropriate level of JCE. The questions were clear and
the paper covered the syllabus adequately. The language used was suitable to JCE
candidates.

B. Candidates’ Performance
Paper I
Generally, the performance of candidates was good. However, the performance of some
candidates in some centres showed lack of syllabus coverage by teachers.

Paper II
Generally, the performance of most candidates was good. However, some candidates were
quick to respond to the questions without understanding the demands of the questions. For
instance, Question 3 (c) demanded the candidates to give three literary devices that were in
the story. Instead of giving the literary devices, they gave examples of literary devices.

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C. Comments on Performance of Candidates on Individual Questions

Paper I

Section A: Multiple Choice

In this section, candidates were required to choose the letter representing the correct
answer for each question.

Questions 1 to 5
In this part, the candidates were asked to choose the correct type of the underlined adverbs
in the given sentences. The following was an individual question analysis.

Question 1: Chule wagwera m’madzi.

This was the most popular question and most of them got it right. The expected response
was option C (wamalo). A few candidates that got it wrong chose option D
(wamaonekedwe).

Question 2: Atate adanyamuka dzana.

Most candidates that attempted this question got it right. The correct response was option
A (.wanthawi) However, a few candidates that got it wrong chose options B (wamalo).

Question 3: Ana awa amadya mofulumira.

The question was well done by most candidates. The correct response was option D
(wamchitidwe). Those that got it wrong chose option B (wamkhalidwe).

Question 4: Ichi chili bwino.

Most candidates that attempted it got it right. The correct response was option B
(wamkhalidwe). A few candidates that got it wrong chose option C (wanthawi).

Question 5: Iye wachapa modera mokha mwa malayawo.

Most candidates that attempted the question got it wrong as they chose option B
(wamchitidwe) instead of option C (wamaonekedwe)..

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Question 6 to 10
In this part, the candidates were asked to choose the correct type of the underlined adverb clauses
in the given sentences. The following was an individual question analysis.

Question 6: Agogo ake anafika mmene tinkadya.

Most candidates that attempted it got it right. The correct response was option A (wanthawi)
although few candidates chose option D (wachifukwa).

Question7: Iwo ankakondedwa ndi ophunzira poti ankaphunzitsa bwino.

Most candidates got it wrong as they chose option C (wacholinga) instead of option D
(wachifukwa).

Question 8: Ndipitabe ngakhale andiletsa.

The question was poorly done by most candidates as they chose options C (wazotsatira) and D
(wachifukwa). The correct response option was B (wolabadira).
Question9: Ngati Maria abwere ndimugulira mabuku.
The question was poorly done by most candidates as they chose options A (wacholinga) and C
(wazotsatira). The correct response was option D.

Question10: Akulimbikira kwambiri kuti akhoze mayeso.

Most candidates got it right. The correct response was option A (wacholinga). A few candidates
that got it wrong chose option B (wazotsatira).

Question 11 to 15
In this part, the candidates were asked to choose classes of the given nouns. The following was
an individual question analysis.

Question 11: ufa

Most candidates got it right. The correct response was option C (U-, Ma-). A few candidates that
got it wrong chose option A (Mu-, A-).

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Question 12: malovu
Most candidates that attempted it performed poorly as they chose option C (Mu-,A-). The correct
response was option B (Li-, Ma-).

Question 13: gwape

Most candidates that attempted it did well. The correct response was option A (Mu-,A-) although
a few candidates got it wrong by choosing option C.

Question 14: mwambo

Most candidates got it right. The correct response was option D (Mu-, Mi-). However, a few
candidates that got it wrong opted for B (Mu-, A-).

Question 15: kalata

Most candidates got it wrong as they chose option D (Ka-, Ti-). The correct response was option
B (I-,Zi-).

Question 16 to 20
In this part, the candidates were asked to choose the correct underlined idiomatic expressions in
the given sentences. The following was an individual question analysis.

Question 16: Wodwala timamupenyera pakhosi uja watisiya.

Most candidates got it wrong as they chose option D (wamtali khosi). The correct response was
option C (wodwala kwambiri).

Question 17: Munthuyu ndipsuta.

The question was poorly performed by most candidates as they chose option A (wochenjera).
The correct response was option D ( wakuba).

Question 18: Amuyeretsa m’maso kutawuni.

Most candidates got it right. The correct response was option B (amubera). A few candidates
chose option D (amumenya) and got it wrong.

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Question 19: Iye adatsamira dzanja chaka chatha.
The question was fairly done by most candidates. The correct response was option C
(adamwalira). A few candidates that got it wrong chose option A (adavulala).

Question 20: Achimwene aja apeza kodya kokha.

Most candidates got it right by choosing option D (mwana). A few candidates that got it wrong
chose option B (mkazi).

Section B
In this section, candidates were asked to write either a composition or a letter. The following was
an individual question analysis.

Question 21
The questions asked the candidates to write a composition entitled ‘Ubwino wankhalango za
m’dera”. The expected responses were: kuchitiramo ulimi wanjuchi, kupezamo matabwa,
kuthandiza kuteteza nthaka, kupezamo nkhuni. However, some candidates lost marks because
they gave off point responses e.g. kupalira mitengo, kulima tinjira m’mbali, osadula mitengo
mwachisawawa.

Question 22
The question asked the candidates to write a letter to a friend explaining to her or him the
importance of gender balance. The expected responses were: kumathandiza kuti pasakhale
kusalana pakati pa amuna ndi akazi, kumathandiza kupititsa chitukuko patsogolo. The question
also demanded candidates to produce proper layout of a letter, use expressions properly and
demonstrate knowledge of grammatical rules. Most candidates performed poorly. On layout,
they did not know how to write the address, date, salutation, introduction and conclusion. It was
also noted that others could not come up with supporting points to the main points they raised in
their letter.

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Section C: Malonje

Question 23
The question demanded the candidates to answer questions based on the given dialogue. In this
section, most candidates did not do well. It appeared that most candidates did not know the
norms for answering questions under this section. The following was an individual question
analysis.
a. (i) The question asked the candidates “kutchula malo komwe malonjewo
angachitikire”. The correct response was “pamsika/pamalonda/pamalo
wochitira malonda”. Most candidates got it wrong as they gave responses such as
“pamsewu; kusukulu; kwa sing’anga”.

(ii) The question demanded the candidates to mention the speaker of the salutation.
The correct responses were “wogulitsa malonda; mnzake wamalonda”. A few
candidates got it wrong because they gave “munthu; mwamuna; sing’anga;
dotolo” as answers.

(iii) The question asked the candidates to explain what made the speaker say those
words. The correct response was “malonda a woyankhulidwayu akugulidwa
kwambiri”.Most candidates got it wrong as they gave responses such as
“mnzakeyo ndi mfiti; anthuwo akusewera”.

(iv) The question demanded the candidates to give the meaning of the expression
“wasamba pati?” The correct response was “wachita chiyani? / chinsinsi chako
n’chotani? / Wapeza mankhwala kuti? ‘Most candidates got it wrong as they gave
responses such as “wasamba Nyanja iti? / Ndiwe ndani?’

b. The question demanded the candidates to state three pieces of advice they could give to a
friend to avoid falling ill regularly. The correct responses were any three of the following:
“azichapa zovala zake; azichapa zogonera zake; azisamala malo ake ogona”. Most
candidates got it wrong as they gave responses such as “kuchapa zovala; kusamala malo
ogona”.

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c. The question asked the candidates to give three things that can be found in a
business message. The expected responses were any of the following: “komwe
malondawo akupezeka; kuchuluka kwa malondawo; mtengo wake; kaperekedwe ka
ndalama”. Most candidates failed it as they gave responses such as “pa wailesi;
kukhoma zikwangwani; kuyenda khomo ndi khomo”. This indicated that the
candidates misunderstood the question as if it demanded them to state ways of
advertising a business.

Paper II

Section A: Comprehension

Question 1
The candidates were given a comprehension passage and were asked questions based on it. The
following was an individual question analysis.
a. The question asked the candidates to name the school where Chikweza Aliseni was
learning. The expected response was ‘kusukulu yasekondale ya Mchenga’.Most
candidates got it right.A few candidates that got it wrong failed to follow orthographic
rules. They wrote the name of the school “mchenga” with a smaller letter “m”.
b. The question asked the candidates to give a reason why Chikweza wanted to sit down
under the tree. The expected response was “ankafuna kuti apumule atatha kudya”.Most
candidates got it wrong. They gave the expression “ankafuna kukhetsa mkhuto”.
c. The question asked the candidates to state the established rule at the school. The expected
response was “ophunzira asamatulutse mipando m’makalasi”.Most candidates got it
right.A few candidates that failed it gave “ophunzira azilowa m’kalasi”.
d. The question asked the candidates to give a reason why the rule was established at the
school. The expected response was “kuteteza ndi kusamalira katundu kuti asabedwe
ndiponso asaonongeke”. Most candidates got it right. A few candidates that got it wrong
gave “anthu ena asamagwiritse ntchito”.
e. The question demanded the candidates to state the established rule at that school that
Timvana reminded Chikweza.The expected response was “Suyenera kutulutsa mipando
m’kalasi”.Most candidates got it wrong because they presented their response in a
question form “Kodi sudziwa kuti kutulutsa mpando m’kalasi ndikoletsedwa?”
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f. The question required the candidates to explain what Mr Chete did when Chikweza
kicked the chair down. The expected response was “Adamutengera Chikweza kuofesi ya
mphunzitsi wamkulu”. Most candidates got it right. A few candidates got it wrong
because they wrote “adamupatsa chibalo”.
g. The question demanded the candidates to give a reason why Chikweza was punished. The
expected response was “adamenya mpando / adatulutsa mpando m’kalasi”. The question
was well done by most candidates. A few candidates that got it wrong gave ‘Sadamvere
malamulo”.
h. The question demanded the candidates to mention the punishment that was given to
Chikweza. The expected response was “Adauzidwa kupita kwawo kwa masabata awiri
ndipo pokabwera adzabwere ndi makolo ake”. Most candidates got it right. A few
candidates wrote “Adamuchotsa sukulu” which was wrong.
i. The question demanded the candidates to explain what made Chikweza cry when he got
punished. The expected response was “Adadzimvera chisoni”. Most candidates got it
wrong as they gave “Adachotsedwa sukulu”.
j. The question asked the candidates to give meanings of the following expressions: (i)
kunong’oneza bondo; (ii) adangozitayira kunkhongo. The expected responses were: (i)
kudandaula atazindikira kulakwa kwake (ii) adangosiya osamvera. Most candidates got it
right. A few candidates had problems with “kunong’oneza bondo”. They gave “adavulala
bondo lake”.

Section B: Short Story

Question 2
a. The question demanded the candidates to give the setting of the story.The expected
response was “kusukulu”. Most candidates got it right. A few candidates that got it wrong
gave “kutawuni / kunyumba”.
b. The question demanded the candidates to explain in which irony was portrayed in the
given story.The expected response was ‘Chisomo adali wanzeru kwambiri koma
adathawa kulemba mayeso”. Most candidates got it wrong because they gave responses
like “adapita kukasewera mpira”..

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c. The question asked the candidates to give an example of each of the following literary
devices as used in the poem: chining’a and chifanifani. The expected responses were
‘puludzu and womvetsa chisoni ngati mtembo’. Most candidates failed to give the correct
example of chifanifani. They gave “adamenyetsa chitseko kuti pha!”
d. The question demanded the candidates to state the point of view of the story. The
expected response was “mkambazawina”. A few candidates got it right. Most candidates
that got it wrong failed to write “mkambazawina”properly. They wrote it disjunctively
i.e.“mkambazawina”.
e. The question demanded the candidates to explain why Chisomo was very understanding.
The expected response was “Adapepesa kwa aphunzitsi ake atamuzazira pa zomwe
adachita”. Most candidates got it right. A few candidates that got it wrong gave
“Adamvetsera zomwe aphunzitsi ake adamuuza”.
f. The question demanded the candidates to identify two themes from the short story. The
expected responses were any two of the following: “chikondi; udindo; kuganizirana”.
Most candidates got it wrong. They gave “kumvera malamulo a pasukulu” as a response.

Section C: Poem

Question 3
a. The question demanded the candidates to identify the persona in the poem. The expected
response was “Munthu yemwe ali ndi chidwi ndi nyama zam’nkhalango”. Most
candidates performed poorly as they gave “Yemwe walemba ndakatuloyi”.
b. The question asked the candidates to explain why the country is happy with wildlife. The
expected responses were “zimakongoletsa dziko; zimakopa alendo akunja; zimapezetsa
anthu ntchito”. Most candidates got it right. However, a few candidates that got it wrong
just copied from the poem verbatim e.g. “umaitana alendo akunja; ndiwe maluwa a
dziko”.
c. The question demanded the candidates to give any three literary devices the poet used in
the poem. The expected responses were “zining’a; mikuluwiko; umunthu and kubwereza
mawu”. Most candidates got it wrong as they gave “manjalende; usadzanong’oneze
bondo”.

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d. The question asked the candidates to explain what the government can do to protect
wildlife from extinction. The expected responses were “Liziteteza / lizisamalira nyama
zam’nkhalango”. Most candidates got it right. Those that got it wrong gave “Anthu
asamaphe nyama”.
e. The question demanded the candidates to state the tone of the poem. The expected
response was “koyamikira; kolangiza”. Most candidates got it wrong. They gave
“chimwemwe; kusangalala” as responses.
f. The question asked the candidates to give two lessons found in the poem. The expected
responses were any two of the following: “Ndibwino kuteteza nyama zam’nkhalango /
Ndibwino kusamalira nyama zam’nkhalango”.

Section C: Translation and Summary

Question 4
In this question, the candidates were required to translate a passage from English to Chichewa.
The language that was used in the passage was appropriate to the level of JCE candidates. Most
candidates performed well. However, some candidates translated the words “population” and
“produce” as ‘kuchulukana” and “kupanga” respectively instead of “chiwerengero cha anthu”
and “kulima”.
Question 5
In this question, the candidates were required to summarise a given passage in 11 to 15 words.
Most candidates performed well. However, word limit was quite a challenge to some candidates
as they went as far as 18 words.

D. Recommendations to:
(i) Schools
 Teachers should follow the syllabus when teaching.
 Teachers should teach grammar.
 School based CPDs should be conducted frequently for teachers to acquire
skills.
 Head teachers should ensure that text books are available in schools.
 Teachers should make deliberate efforts to teach spellings to students.

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(ii) Ministry of Education
The Ministry should recruit more Chichewa teachers and deploy them to various
secondary schools across the country.

(iii) Malawi Institute of Education

The Institute should regulate text books to be used for teaching. Currently, there is
a congestion of text books in schools of which some have either little or irrelevant
information.
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