10 effective strategies to succeed on WAEC/NECO/JAMB comprehension passages

Estimated reading time: 4 minutes

As an English language teacher and examiner with a decade of experience in the teaching profession, I have coached countless students to excel in WAEC, NECO, and JAMB examinations. Success in comprehension passages hinges on understanding the unique demands of these exams and employing effective strategies.

Understanding the nature of comprehension questions
Comprehension passages in WAEC, NECO, and JAMB are designed to assess your reading skills, vocabulary knowledge, and ability to extract information. The questions often require you to:

1. Identify the main idea of the passage.
2. Explain specific details or provide meanings of words in context.
3. Analyze the author’s tone or purpose.
4. Rewrite answers using your own words.

Each of these requires a sharp focus, but with proper preparation, they become manageable.

1. Read the passage actively
Reading is an active engagement with textual material. Unfortunately, many students rush through passages, hoping to save time. This approach can lead to misinterpretation of the text. Instead, read actively by underlining key ideas, transitional phrases, and unfamiliar words. For instance, in JAMB, where time is limited, note the opening and closing sentences of each paragraph—they often summarize the passage’s essence.

2. Study the questions before reading
This is one of my favorite tips for students. Before diving into the passage, glance at the questions. This way, you’ll know what to focus on during the reading. For example, if the question asks about a specific word’s meaning, underline it as you read.

3. Improve your vocabulary
WAEC and JAMB often test candidates on synonyms, antonyms, and meanings in context. To tackle this, practice with past questions and develop a habit of learning new words daily. One thing I did in the past while preparing for tests on comprehension passages is to keep a vocabulary journal and explore how words are used in different contexts. This has helped me broaden my vocabulary as I often refer to them.

4. Pay attention to instructions
Many students lose marks simply because they fail to follow instructions. If a question says, “Explain in your own words,” avoid lifting sentences directly from the passage. Examiners award higher marks for originality and clarity.

5. Master the art of summarization
Some questions require you to summarize ideas or paraphrase sections of the text. Here, you need to focus on the main idea while avoiding repetition. For instance, if asked to summarize a paragraph on the benefits of education, mention only the key benefits without unnecessary examples.

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6. Be time conscious
Time is often a limiting factor, especially in JAMB. Allocate your time wisely:

• Spend 5-7 minutes reading the passage.
• Use the remaining time to answer questions, ensuring clarity and precision.

7. Practice past questions
Nothing prepares you better than practicing past comprehension questions. It helps you familiarize yourself with the question types and learn to approach them confidently. As an examiner, I often observe that students who practice consistently are better at anticipating question patterns.

8. Tackle contextual questions thoughtfully
When asked to deduce the meaning of a word in context, avoid simply recalling the dictionary definition. Instead, reread the sentence and consider the clues around the word. For example, if a passage says, “Her response was curt,” and the sentence implies she was unfriendly, the correct synonym might be “abrupt” or “blunt.”

9. Review your Answers
Always leave time to review your answers. Check for spelling errors, grammatical mistakes, and coherence. In WAEC and NECO, where clarity is crucial, this can earn you extra marks.

10. Make sure you stay calm during the exam
Anxiety can cloud your understanding. Approach each passage with a clear mind, and if a question seems difficult, move on and return to it later. Staying calm helps you focus and retain accuracy.

Excelling in comprehension isn’t about intelligence alone; it’s about strategy, practice, and persistence. As someone who has seen students transform from struggling readers to high scorers, I assure you that these strategies work. Make a consistent effort, trust the process, and watch your comprehension skills soar in WAEC, NECO, and JAMB.