If you are a senior secondary student in West Africa getting ready for the WAEC exams, you will know that biology is one of those subjects that everybody is interested in, more especially the science students.
WAEC just rearranged some topics and added other topics like “effect of oil spillage” and “climate change on living things. The main topics are still the same ones your senior brother and sister used, so you don’t need to worry.
Exam Format For Biology
| Paper | What It Looks Like | Time | Marks | Survival Tip |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paper 1 | 50 OBJ questions | 50 mins | 50 | Shade fast, guess if you’re stuck. No punishment for wrong answers! |
| Paper 2 | Essay + short questions | 1hr 40mins | 70 | Answer the ones you know 100% first |
| Paper 3 | Practical (or Test of Practical for private candidates) | 2 hours | 80 | Draw big and neat. Label everything. Examiners love fine boys/girls with neat diagrams |
WAEC Biology Syllabus
SECTION A
1. Classification & Cell Organization
| Main Topic | Subtopics |
|---|---|
| Living and Non-living Things | Characteristics, differences |
| Classification of Living Things | Kingdoms |
| Differences Between Plants & Animals | Cells, movement, nutrition, structure |
| Organization of Life | Cells → Tissues → Organs → Systems → Organisms |
| Forms of Living Cells | Single cells (Amoeba, Euglena, Paramecium), Colony (Volvox), Filament (Spirogyra) |
| Cell Study | Structure and functions; Plant vs Animal cells |
2. Movement of Substances & Cell Processes
| Main Topic | Subtopics |
|---|---|
| Cell & Environment | Diffusion, Osmosis, Active transport |
| Properties of Living Cells | Irritability, metabolism |
| Nutrition | Autotrophic (photosynthesis), Heterotrophic |
| Respiration | Aerobic, Anaerobic, Energy release |
| Excretion | Diffusion, contractile vacuole, metabolic wastes |
| Growth | Mitosis, differentiation, growth regions, hormones, tropism |
| Movement | Cilia, flagella, Cyclosis |
3. Reproduction
| Main Topic | Subtopics |
|---|---|
| Types | Asexual – fission, budding, vegetative propagation |
| Sexual – gametes, fertilization | |
| Tissues & Supporting Systems | Skeletons, exo-, endo-, hydrostatic |
| Support in Plants | Tissues, rigidity, flexibility |
4. Transport Systems
| Main Topic | Subtopics |
|---|---|
| Need for Transport | SA/V ratio, organism size |
| Animals | Heart, vessels, blood, lymph |
| Plants | Water/mineral uptake, translocation, transpiration |
5. Respiratory & Excretory Systems
| Main Topic | Subtopics |
|---|---|
| Gaseous Exchange | Body surface, gills, lungs |
| Excretory Systems | Kidney, stomata, lenticels |
| Homeostasis | Kidney, liver, skin |
6. Coordination (Hormonal & Nervous)
| Main Topic | Subtopics |
|---|---|
| Hormones | Sources, functions, disorders |
| Nervous System | CNS, PNS, neurones, reflexes, conditioned reflex |
| Sense Organs | Eye, Ear |
7. Reproductive Systems
| Main Topic | Subtopics |
|---|---|
| Mammals | Male & female systems |
| Gametes | Structure of sperm & ovum |
| Fertilization & Development | Embryo, birth, contraception |
| Metamorphosis | Butterfly, cockroach |
| Plants | Flowers, pollination, fertilization, fruits, seed dispersal |
8. Nutrition in Plants & Animals
| Main Topic | Subtopics |
|---|---|
| Photosynthesis | Process, equation, conditions |
| Minerals | Macro/micro nutrients |
| Animal Nutrition | Food classes, enzymes, digestion |
| Feeding Types | Autotrophic, heterotrophic, parasitic, saprophytic |
| Food Tests | Starch, glucose, protein, fats |
9. Ecology
| Main Topic | Subtopics |
|---|---|
| Ecosystem | Components – biotic & abiotic |
| Factors | Climatic, edaphic, topographic |
| Food Chains & Webs | Trophic levels, pyramids |
| Energy Flow | Producers → Consumers → Decomposers |
| Population Ecology | Factors affecting size |
| Succession | Primary, secondary, climax |
| Pollution | Air, water, soil; noise |
10. Microorganisms & Health
| Main Topic | Subtopics |
|---|---|
| Microorganisms | Beneficial & harmful |
| Diseases | Cholera, malaria, measles, ringworm |
| Control | Heat, antibiotics, antiseptics |
| Public Health | Sewage, immunization |
11. Variation & Genetics
| Main Topic | Subtopics |
|---|---|
| Variation | Morphological & physiological |
| Genetics | Mendel’s laws, chromosomes, heredity |
| Sex-linked Traits | Blood groups, linkage |
| Applications | Agriculture, medicine |
12. Evolution
| Main Topic | Subtopics |
|---|---|
| Adaptations | Structural & behavioural |
| Evidence of Evolution | Fossils, morphology |
| Theories | Darwin, Lamarck |
SECTION B
| Main Topic | Subtopics |
|---|---|
| Biological Work | Microscopes, drawings |
| Cell Biology | DNA, RNA, protein synthesis, cell cycle |
| Organisms | Amoeba, Paramecium, ferns, mosses |
| Anatomy | Heart, respiration, muscle, skeleton |
| Reproduction | Prenatal care, sexual maturity |
| Plant Structure | Monocot vs dicot, guttation |
| Environment | Health, hygiene, drug abuse |
| Industry | Water treatment, fish farming, biotechnology |
SECTION C — Applied & Environmental Biology
| Main Topic | Subtopics |
|---|---|
| Living Processes | Irritability, taxis, nastism |
| Excretory Diseases | Kidney and liver disorders |
| Reproduction (Advanced) | Courtship, migration, metamorphosis, germination |
| Nutrition (Advanced) | Nitrogen cycle, chemosynthesis |
| Alimentary System | Feeding habits, adaptations |
| Ecology (Advanced) | Niche, sampling, energy loss, nutrient cycles |
| Habitats | Aquatic & terrestrial ecosystems |
| Agriculture Impact | Fertilizers, pesticides, tillage |
| Microorganisms | Air, water, food |
| Variation Application | Crime detection, paternity |
| Adaptations | Feeding, defence, mating, temperature, water conservation |
| Colouration | Camouflage, warning colours |
As an instructor, I always want WAEC students to pass. That’s the reason I try my best to provide all the syllabus for them.
Drop your biggest Biology headache for comment. I will answer you immediately. And if this post helps you, share it to friends.
Leave a comment