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WAEC • Literature in English • Syllabus

WAEC Literature in English Syllabus for WASSCE 2027

The WAEC Literature in English syllabus is the list of topics WASSCE Literature in English questions are set from, with the exam body's notes on how far each topic goes. Use it as a revision checklist: pick a topic, read what it covers, then practise past questions on it until you can answer them in exam time.

Syllabus content © The West African Examinations Council. Source. Summaries marked “Our summary” are written by DeeepSolve.

WASSCE Literature in English exam scheme

Exam scheme

Papers
There will be three papers: Papers 1, 2, and 3. Papers 1 and 2 will be a composite paper and taken at one sitting.
Paper 1
Will be a multiple-choice objective test. It will contain fifty questions, distributed as follows: (a) Twenty questions on General Knowledge of Literature; (b) Five questions on an unseen prose passage; (c) Five questions on an unseen poem; (d) Twenty context questions on the prescribed Shakespearean text. Candidates will be required to answer all the questions within 1 hour for 50 marks.
Paper 2
Will be an essay test with two sections, Sections A and B. Section A will be on African Prose and Section B on Non-African Prose. Two essay questions will be set for each of the novels prescribed for study. Candidates shall be required to answer one question only from each section within 1 hour and 15 minutes for 50 marks.
Paper 3
Will be on the drama and poetry components of the syllabus. It will be put into four sections, Sections A, B, C, and D, as follows: Section A: African Drama; Section B: Non-African Drama; Section C: African Poetry; Section D: Non-African Poetry. There shall be two questions on each of the prescribed drama texts for Sections A and B. There shall also be two questions for each of the poetry sections, i.e., Sections C and D. Candidates shall be required to answer one question from each of the sections, making a total of four questions. The paper will take 2 hours and 30 minutes to complete and will carry 100 marks.

General Knowledge of Literature

Our summary: Knowledge of literature in general, such as its terms and the kinds of writing, rather than of the set texts.

General knowledge of literature

Our summary: Questions on literature as a whole, for example literary terms and the features of drama, prose and poetry.

Contents

  • General Knowledge of Literature

Notes

  • Twenty questions on General Knowledge of Literature.

Literary Appreciation

Our summary: Reading a prose passage or a poem you have not seen before and answering questions on its meaning and style.

Unseen prose and poetry

Our summary: Answering questions on a short prose passage and a poem you have not seen before: what each says and how it is written.

Contents

  • Unseen prose passage
  • Unseen poem

Notes

  • Five questions on an unseen prose passage; five questions on an unseen poem.
  • The Unseen Prose passage for Paper 1 shall be about 120–150 words long.

Shakespeare

Our summary: Close study of the set Shakespeare play: its story, characters, themes, language and setting.

Shakespearean text

Our summary: Knowing the set Shakespeare play well enough to place and explain any passage from it.

Contents

  • Antony and Cleopatra

Notes

  • Twenty context questions on the prescribed Shakespearean text.
  • Only context questions shall be set in the Shakespearean text. The context questions will test such items as theme, characterization, style, and setting in the Shakespearean text.
  • No essay question shall be set in the Shakespearean text.

Prose

Our summary: The set novels, one group by African writers and one by writers from elsewhere, read for plot, character, theme and style.

African prose

Our summary: The set novels by African writers: their stories, characters, themes, settings and how they are told.

Contents

  • Pede Hollist: So the Path Does not Die
  • Elma Shaw: Redemption Road

Non-African prose

Our summary: The set novels by writers from outside Africa: their stories, characters, themes, settings and how they are told.

Contents

  • Harper Lee: To Kill a Mockingbird
  • Susanne Bellefeuille: Path of Lucas: The Journey He Endured

Drama

Our summary: The set plays, one group by African playwrights and one by playwrights from elsewhere, read as works written for the stage.

African drama

Our summary: The set plays by African playwrights: plot, characters, themes, setting and stagecraft.

Contents

  • Bosede Ademilua-Afolayan: Once Upon an Elephant
  • Efua Sutherland: The Marriage of Anansewa

Non-African drama

Our summary: The set plays by playwrights from outside Africa: plot, characters, themes, setting and stagecraft.

Contents

  • J. B. Priestley: An Inspector Calls
  • Robert Bolt: A Man for all Seasons

Poetry

Our summary: The set poems, one group by African poets and one by poets from elsewhere, read for meaning, devices and style.

African poetry

Our summary: The set poems by African poets: what each says and how its language, imagery and sound say it.

Contents

  • Gabriel Okara: Once Upon a Time
  • Elizabeth L. A. Kamara: New Tongue
  • Wole Soyinka: Night
  • Niyi Osundare: Not my Business
  • S.O.H. Afriyie-Vidza: Hearty Garlands
  • Syl Cheney-Coker: The Breast of The Sea

Non-African poetry

Our summary: The set poems by poets from outside Africa: what each says and how its language, imagery and sound say it.

Contents

  • Lord Byron: She Walks in Beauty
  • Geoffrey Chaucer: The Nun's Priest's Tale (shortened)
  • Seamus Heaney: Digging
  • Maya Angelou: Still I Rise
  • Fleur Adcock: The Telephone Call
  • Wilfrid Wilson Gibson: The Stone

More from the WAEC Literature in English syllabus

Harmonized list of Literature-in-English texts for the WASSCE 2026-2030

Shakespearean text
Antony and Cleopatra
African prose
1. Pede Hollist: So the Path Does not Die; 2. Elma Shaw: Redemption Road
Non-African prose
1. Harper Lee: To Kill a Mockingbird; 2. Susanne Bellefeuille: Path of Lucas: The Journey He Endured
African drama
1. Bosede Ademilua-Afolayan: Once Upon an Elephant; 2. Efua Sutherland: The Marriage of Anansewa
Non-African drama
1. J. B. Priestley: An Inspector Calls; 2. Robert Bolt: A Man for all Seasons
African poetry
1. Gabriel Okara: Once Upon a Time; 2. Elizabeth L. A. Kamara: New Tongue; 3. Wole Soyinka: Night; 4. Niyi Osundare: Not my Business; 5. S.O.H. Afriyie-Vidza: Hearty Garlands; 6. Syl Cheney-Coker: The Breast of The Sea
Non-African poetry
1. Lord Byron: She Walks in Beauty; 2. Geoffrey Chaucer: The Nun's Priest's Tale (shortened); 3. Seamus Heaney: Digging; 4. Maya Angelou: Still I Rise; 5. Fleur Adcock: The Telephone Call; 6. Wilfrid Wilson Gibson: The Stone

Syllabus content © The West African Examinations Council. Taken from https://waecsyllabus.com/literature-in-english/ (WASSCE (harmonised West African syllabus)).

DeeepSolve is an independent study platform and is not affiliated with WAEC. The topic lists, notes and exam scheme are the exam body's wording; “Our summary” lines are ours. If anything here differs from what WAEC publishes for your sitting, follow WAEC.