Most universities in the UK demand WAEC ( West African Examination Council) as a prime entry criterion for African candidates before studying abroad. WAEC has the same weightage as the GCE A level in the United Kingdom. Therefore, it is acceptable for the sake of admission by a few universities in the UK.
Queen Mary University in the UK has a provision to accept the WAEC for the foundation programs of 1 year. The demand for credits with WAEC is high, mostly around 5/6. Mathematics and English assessment are possible with WAEC substituting the need for IELTS. Therefore, if someone has passed English well within the WAEC examination, they don’t have to undergo the IELTS examination.
Only a Few students know the importance of showing WAEC certificates in UK universities. Unfortunately, most students aren’t aware that it’s mandatory. Due to this, they lose out on several opportunities. In addition, there are multiple other things mandatory during the admission process in UK universities. This article will cover the major understandings associated with the acceptance of WAEC in UK universities.
WAEC Qualification For The Applicants Of Africa
There are many UK universities out there that allow African applicants to produce their WAEC, SSCE, and WASSCE qualifications. These qualifications help them get admission to reputed universities. WAEC (Western African Examination Council) was established in 1952 and has given an immense contribution to the education sector in the Anglophone countries of the West African region. They include Liberia, Sierra Leone, Ghana, etc.
The students of these regions must have a credit score in WAEC of minimum C6 in the English language to get a place in some UK universities. In general, WASSCE (West African Senior School Certificate Examination) is a standard test in the region of Africa. This test is under the West African Examinations Council (WAEC). This certification is offered to candidates who reside in West African countries only.
The school leaving certification candidates get upon completing the WAEC certification is the West African Senior School Certificate. But even with the WAC certification, there are other entrance requirements specified by the UK universities. For example, the candidates might take a one-year foundation course as an acceptable alternative. Not all UK universities demand such alternative study courses, but only a few of them!
English proficiency is a vital requirement, and the candidates’ WAEC certification with good English grades proves it. If you failed to score good grades in the English subject examination of WAEC, you could take IELTS separately to improve your English score! Getting an A grade in WAEC subjects, especially Mathematics and English, will help you get through top UK university entrance examinations. You must get 75% or 75 marks out of 100 to get an A Grade in WAEC subjects.
Let’s get started on some facts below to understand the importance of WAEC certification for applying to UK universities.
Facts About The WAEC (West African Examinations Council)
WAEC is meant for candidates residing in Anglophone West African countries. Many UK universities accept the certification exam but not all of them. That’s why keep looking for an alternative examination score if the respective UK university you choose doesn’t have WAEC eligibility. But, if you are willing to decide upon taking the WAEC board certifications for your future admission to UK universities, then you should have an idea and keep a few factors in mind regarding the West African Examinations Council (WAEC):
- WAEC is the examination board that controls the West African Senior School Certification examination. This WASSCE examination is conducted only for universities in 5 Western African countries.
- The council takes the privilege to conduct four different examination categories, including international examinations, National examinations, examinations conducted following the other examination bodies, and the examinations that are conducted on behalf of other bodies.
- WAEC coordinates the examinations by examination bodies such as the City and Guilds of London Institute and the Royal Society of Arts. WAEC also conducts examinations on behalf of examination bodies such as the University of London GCE, Graduate Record Examinations for Education Testing Service, Princeton US, etc.
Universities That Accept WAEC Certification
Now that you are aware that WAEC is acceptable by the UK universities, it is time you should come up with a list of your selected universities. Here is the list of some of the top universities in the UK that accept WAEC. So you can count on them to pursue your future education as a priority!
#1 University Of Sheffield
To get into the University of Sheffield, one must have internationally recognized English language qualifications. It can either be IELTS or the equivalent of SSCE/ WAEC English. If you take up the SSCE (WAEC) English, then you should have a grade of C6 or above to qualify for admission. It acts as an alternative to the IELTS test qualification!
#2 University Of Bristol
The applications to this university with an IB (International Baccalaureate) Diploma, the West African GCE A levels, or British A-Levels, are accountable for getting direct admission to the degree courses. Moreover, the applications require a degree in English-speaking countries such as Uganda, Ghana, Nigeria, Zambia, and others exempt from the specific WAEC requirements. Hence, admission is permissible with this certification!
#3 University Of Bolton
The minimum WAEC qualification in English is C6 for admission to this UK University. It acts as English proficiency evidence, but it needs to be completed within the past five years of applying. If you have not completed the WAEC English subject examination, you should take an IELTS alternative to get that certificate as evidence of your English proficiency. In addition, you will be all ready to get admission to this UK University.
#4 Queen Mary (University of London)
Just like any other UK university that accepts WAEC, the English grade standards for Queen Mary are also C6 and above. Hence, this will permit the candidate to enter the Bachelor’s degree directly. If you want to get admission for the post-graduate course, your application will be processed depending on your specific case and the course demands. The post-graduate applications are evaluated upon case-wise considerations.
#5 University Of Chester
The University of Chester requires applicants to hold a C6 and higher English proficiency grades through either WAEC or NECO tests. So, WAEC is useful for you to get admission into this university. However, you need to score well in the English subject exam.
Conclusion
You need to keep in mind a few things to get admission to UK universities with WAEC. First, you need to have a good score on English proficiency tests. And Second, most applicants face the dilemma of whether they could use their WAEC certification for getting admission into a UK university or not!
However, It’s not important to have only an English proficiency test. It is completely valid for applicants to hold proficiency in Mathematics. You can get Mathematics, English, and other subject examinations cleared within WAEC board boundaries and apply to the universities in the UK that have respective qualifications criteria. The universities listed here in this article are the top names in the UK and have easy admission procedures for all applicants.
