Major changes to the West African Senior Secondary Certification Certificate, WASSCE, subject combinations, affecting science, arts, and commercial students nationwide has been announced by the West African Examinations Council, WAEC, effective from the 2026/2027 academic session.

Key changes in the new subject combination include barring science and art students from registering for Economics in the examination.

Just as science students can no longer register for Economics, art students studying English Literature, Government, or History are also barred from taking Economics.

With the new development, only commercial/business students can include Economics in their subject list.

Consequently, the general requirements for students to write the WASSCE include that students must register for between seven to nine subjects, with subjects – English Language, Mathematics and Civic Education – as compulsory for all categories of students.

With this new development, beginning from the 2026/2027 session, science students’ core subjects include English Language, Mathematics, Civic Education, Physics, Chemistry, Biology; while optional subjects for science students are Further Mathematics, Geography, Agricultural Science, Technical Drawing, and one Nigerian Language – Yoruba or Igbo or Hausa.

Core subjects for arts students are English Language, Mathematics, Civic Education, Literature in English, Government or History, Religious Studies – Christian Religious Studies, CRS/Islamic Religious Studies, IRS and one Nigerian Language. Art students can only pick Economics, if only “permitted under local WAEC guidelines.

For commercial students, their core subject combinations include English Language, Mathematics, Civic Education, Economics, Accounting, Commerce and Office Practice while optional subjects include Further Mathematics, Book-Keeping, Agricultural Science or Biology and one Nigerian Language.

The change also include all students selection at least trade subject from the available 35 trade subjects which WAEC said that is to help students gain practical and entrepreneurial skills.

The trade subjects include Animal Husbandry, Carpentry and Joinery, Catering Craft Practice, Data Processing, Garment Making, Photography, Welding and Fabrication, GSM Phone Repairs, Marketing, Plumbing, Tourism and Upholstery, among others.

With this new policy, the subject selection guidelines provided that each student would register for three compulsory subjects – English Language, Mathematics and Civic Education; one trade subject and pick between two to five subjects from their category – science or arts or commercial/business, making total subjects for each student to be eight or nine subjects per student.

WAEC, on its website added that the main objective of the reform

was to streamline academic focus, enhance specialisation and prepare students for future careers and entrepreneurship.

Analysts say it aligns the nation’s secondary education with global standards and modern curriculum reforms. (The Hope)