Aims and Objectives
- knowledge and understanding of the basic concepts and principles of Basic Electricity/Applied Electricity
- ability to use tools and equipment in the maintenance and repair of electrical/electronic devices
- understanding of the principle of operation and the application of simple electrical/electronic devices
- understanding of safe working procedures and safety precautions in a domestic and industrial installations
Scheme of Examination
There will be three papers, Papers 1, 2 and 3, all of which must be taken. Papers 1 and 2 will be a composite paper to be taken at one sitting.
PAPER 1:
will consist of fifty multiple-choice objective questions to be answered in 1 hour for 50 marks.
PAPER 2:
will consist of three sections: Sections A, B and C as follows:
Section A
will be compulsory for all candidates. It will consist of four questions, out of which candidates will be required to answer any three.
Section B
will be for candidates in Ghana only. It will consist of three questions, out of which candidates will be required to answer two.
Section C
will be for candidates in Nigeria, Sierra Leone and The Gambia only. It will also consist of three questions, out of which candidates will be required to answer two.
Thus, candidates will be required to answer five questions in all. The paper will last 1 hour and carry 50 marks.
PAPER 3
this will be a practical paper of two experiments, both of which are to be carried out by candidates in 3 hours for 100 marks.
Detailed Basic Electricity/ Applied Electricity Syllabus
SECTION A
- DIRECT CURRENT CIRCUIT THEORY
- Structure of Matter
- Resistors
- Conductors and insulators
- Ohm’s law and Kirchhoff’s laws
- Power and Energy
- MAGNETIC FIELD AND ELECTROMAGNETISM
- Fundamentals of magnetism
- Concept of Electric field
- Capacitors
- Electromagnetic field
- Self and Mutual Induction
- MEASURING INSTRUMENTS
- Moving-coil instrument
- Moving-iron instrument
- Digital instrument
- DIGITAL ELECTRONICS
- Binary number
- Logic gates
- ALTERNATING CURRENT CIRCUIT THEORY
- Generation of e.m.f. in a single-turn coil
- A.C. quantities
- RLC circuits
- TRANSFORMERS
- Types of transformer
- Principles of operation of a transformer
- Losses and temperature rise in transformers
- Efficiency of transformers
- Cooling of transformers
- POWER SUPPLY
- Power supply units
- Rectification
- ELECTRICAL MACHINES
- A.C. motors (Single phase)
- Alternators
- A.C. motors (Three phase)
- D.C. generators
- D.C. motors
- ELECTRICAL ENERGY SUPPLY
- Generating station
- ELECTRICAL WIRING
- Electrical installation
- Wiring
- Protection
- Earthing
- Maintenance, Fault diagnosis and Repairs
- Testing of an installation
- General Workshop Safety
SECTION B (For candidates in Ghana only)
- ELECTRON EMISSION
- Electron emission
- Thermionic emission
- Cathode Ray Tube(CRT)
- SEMICONDUCTOR
- Theory
- Diode
- Transistor
- COMMUNICATION
- Electromagnetic waves
- Modulation
- Amplifiers
- Operational amplifiers
SECTION C (For candidates in Nigeria, Sierra Leone and The Gambia)
- ELECTRICITY TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION
- Transmission
- Transmission of Electricity
- 15. MAINTENANCE AND REPAIR OF VARIOUS ELECTRICAL APPLIANCES
- Maintenance
- Maintenance and repair of electrical appliances
Download Complete PDF
The full Basic Electricity/ Applied Electricity topic list is in text above. Use the buttons below to download the official WAEC PDF for offline use — one file for school candidates (WASSCE) and one for private candidates (GCE).
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Basic Electricity/ Applied Electricity WAEC syllabus the same for SSCE and GCE candidates?
Yes. WAEC uses the same Basic Electricity/ Applied Electricity syllabus for both SSCE (school) and GCE (private/external) candidates, so the topics, aims and scheme of examination are identical.
What does the Basic Electricity/ Applied Electricity WAEC syllabus contain?
The Basic Electricity/ Applied Electricity syllabus sets out the aims and objectives, the scheme of examination (papers, duration and marks) and the detailed list of topics and subtopics that your exam questions are drawn from.
Is the Basic Electricity/ Applied Electricity syllabus the same in Nigeria, Ghana, Sierra Leone, The Gambia and Liberia?
Yes. WAEC standardises the Basic Electricity/ Applied Electricity syllabus across all member countries, so candidates in Nigeria, Ghana, Sierra Leone, The Gambia and Liberia study the same content.
Can I download the Basic Electricity/ Applied Electricity WAEC syllabus as a PDF?
Yes. You can download the complete Basic Electricity/ Applied Electricity WAEC syllabus as a PDF using the SSCE and GCE download buttons above. The PDF works offline for both internal (SSCE) and external (GCE) candidates.
Is this the latest Basic Electricity/ Applied Electricity WAEC syllabus for 2026?
Yes. This is the current Basic Electricity/ Applied Electricity syllabus, covering the May/June, Nov/Dec and Jan/Feb WASSCE cycles. It was last reviewed on January 2, 2026.
How should I use the Basic Electricity/ Applied Electricity syllabus to prepare for WAEC?
Work through every topic in the detailed syllabus above, match each topic to past questions, and use the aims and objectives to understand the skills examiners reward. Cover the whole syllabus, since WAEC sets questions from across all topics.