WAEC Syllabus for Yoruba 2026

The WAEC Syllabus for Yoruba 2026 is a comprehensive resource published by the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) for candidates taking the Yoruba language paper in the WASSCE. It caters to both school students and private GCE candidates across West Africa.

The document outlines essential areas, including oral and written literature, comprehension, composition, grammar, and Yoruba cultural heritage. Its purpose is to strengthen proficiency in reading, writing, speaking, and listening. With this syllabus, learners can streamline their studies, concentrate on relevant content, and enhance their readiness for the final assessment.

Aims and Objectives

Enable candidates to speak, read and write competently in Yoruba and communicate effectively with other speakers of the language.
Familiarise candidates with the sound system, grammatical structures and other features of the Yoruba Language.
Acquaint candidates with the necessary tools needed for a thorough appreciation of Yoruba speech usage, literature and culture (customs and institutions).

Examination Scheme

The examination will consist of two papers, Papers 1 and 2. It will test the following aspects of the Yoruba Language: comprehension, composition, sound system, grammar and translation. It will also test selected texts of oral and written literature, as well as the Basic Principles of Literary Appreciation, Customs and Institutions. The rubrics shall be written in Yoruba.

PAPER 1

Shall contain 60 multiple choice objective questions on Language, Literature and Culture. The paper shall have three sections, Sections A, B and C. Candidates will be required to answer all the questions in 1 hour for 60 marks. The questions shall be distributed as follows:

Section A: LANGUAGE

Comprehension (2 short passages): 10 items
Composition: 4 items
Sound System: 6 items
Grammar: 6 items
Translation: 4 items
Total: 30 items

Section B: LITERATURE

Basic Principles of Literary Appreciation: 4 items

Oral Literature: 9 items

Prose: 3
Poetry: 3
Drama: 3

Written Literature: 9 items

Prose: 3
Poetry: 3
Drama: 3

Literature total: 22 items

Section C: CULTURE

Customs: 4 items
Institutions: 4 items
Total: 8 items
Grand Total = (30 + 22 + 8) = 60 items

CONTENT

The content for Paper 1 shall be the same as for Paper 2

In Section B, all questions other than those on Basic Principles of Literary Appreciation will be on the set books for Paper 2

PAPER 2:

Paper 2 shall be essay type questions on language, literature and culture. It will also have three sections, Sections A, B and C, which have a 2 hours duration and carry 100 marks.

Candidates will be required to answer six questions in all: three questions from Section A; two questions from Section B, and one question from Section C. They will also be required to answer all the questions in Yoruba using the official Yoruba orthography and meta language.