WAEC Syllabus

Fisheries (Alternative B) Waec Syllabus

Below is this 2026 Waec Syllabus for Fisheries (Alternative B). Note that this syllabus is for both internal and external candidates.

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Aims and Objectives

  • the importance of fisheries in the socio-economic development of West Africa
  • skills in fish farming
  • basic entrepreneurial skills in fisheries-related vocations
  • the effects of water pollution on fishery resources
  • fish preservation and processing techniques

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 forty multiple choice objective questions, all of which should be answered within 40 minutes for 40 marks.

PAPER 2:       Will consist of six essay questions.  Candidates will be required to

Answer four questions within 2 hours for 80 marks.

PAPER 3: This will be a practical paper for school candidates and an alternative to a practical work paper for private candidates. Each version of the paper will consist of four questions, all of which should be answered within 1½ hours for 60 marks.

REQUIREMENTS

  • Schools offering Fisheries must have at least a small glass/plastic tank/aquarium and a fish pond/concrete tank.
  • The study should be supplemented by visits to well-established fish farms, fisheries research institutions, fishing companies and other institutions related to fisheries.
  • It is recommended that candidates keep practical notebooks which should contain records of activities based on laboratory and individual observations carried out in glass tanks/aquaria and fish farms, field trips and also records of specimens collected.
  • Schools should prepare an album of fishery organisms, fishing gear and craft and different fish-rearing facilities and equipment for teaching purposes.

Detailed Fisheries (Alternative B) Syllabus

BASIC CONCEPTS IN FISHERIES

Introduction to Fisheries
  • Meaning of fisheries
  • Sub-divisions of fisheries
Importance of fisheries

PROCESSES OF FISH PRODUCTION

Capture fisheries
  • Different methods involved in capture  fisheries.
  • Materials  required for capture fisheries and their uses
Culture fisheries
  • Identification of common qualities of culturable fish species
  • Identification of common culturable fishery organisms
  • Culture facilities

TYPES OF FISH CULTURE FACILITIES AND CULTURE SYSTEMS

Fish ponds
  • Types of fish ponds
  • Components of fish ponds
Systems of aquaculture
  • Types of aquaculture
  • Management systems in aquaculture
Water quality control and monitoring
  • Definition of water quality
  • Water quality parameters
  • Methods of monitoring water quality
  • Water pollution
  • Optimum water parameter ranges

FISH FEEDS AND FEEDING

Fish feed/food materials
  • Identification of different fish feed/food materials
  • Nutritive value of fish feed ingredients
Fish feeding
  • Feeding regime for fish
  • Ideal feeding periods for fish
  • Methods of feeding

FISH POND PREPARATION AND  MANAGEMENT

Fish pond construction
Pond preparation
  • Tools  required for pond preparation
  • Preparation  of ponds for stocking
Pond management
  • Meaning of pond management
  • Pond management practices

FISH HARVESTING AND POST-HARVESTING PROCESSES

Materials and methods for harvesting fish
  • Fishing gear
  • Construction and mending of fishing gear.
  • Methods of fish harvesting
  • Fishing crafts
Post-harvest handling of fish
  • Materials and methods for processing fish
  • Methods of fish preservation
  • Packaging materials for fish
  • Marketing channels for fish

FISH SEED PRODUCTION

Brood stock selection and handling
  • Differences between male and female sexually mature fishes
  • Qualities of good breeders
  • Ways of handling brood stock
Artificial breeding
  • Meaning and importance of artificial breeding.
  • Steps involved  in the artificial breeding of fishes.
  • Equipment and materials used in  the artificial breeding of fish
Managing and nursing fish seed

PRACTICAL FISHERIES

FISH  CULTURE
  • Environmental conditions in fish habitats
  • Tools and equipment used in fish culture.
  • Common culturable fish species
  • Fish feed and materials
  • Materials for  pond preparation
FISHING GEAR AND CRAFT
  • Fishing gear
  • Fishing craft
ISH PROCESSING AND PRESERVATION 
  • Fish processing and preservation
  • Equipment used in fish processing and preservation
  • Fish products and by-products
  • Fish packaging materials

LIST OF FACILITIES AND MAJOR EQUIPMENT

Equipment / Quantity Required
  • DO(Dissolved Oxygen) meter : 2
  • pH meter: 2
  • Conductivity meter : 2
  • Thermometer : 50
  • Water Test Kits : 2
  • Microscopes : 4
  • Magnifying Glass : 30
  • Aquaria Tanks : 5
  • Hatching Troughs : 5
  • Nursery Tanks/Ponds : 3
  • Demonstration Ponds : 1 or more
  • Scoop Nets : 10
  • Aerators and Accessories : 10
  • Plastic Sieves : 10
  • Compounded Feeds : many bags
  • Grinding Machines : 2
  • Charts and Pictures : Assorted
  • Video Clips in Fisheries : Assorted
  • Pelleting Machine : 1
  • Dissection Kits : 2
  • Water pumps : 2
  • Secchi Disc : 2
  • Model Gillnet : 1
  • Model Cast net : 1
  • Model Siene net : 1
  • Model  traps : Assorted
  • Model hooks and line : 2
  • Model trawl net : 1
  • Netting materials : Assorted
  • Hooks packets : 20
  • Nylon ropes : 1
  • Mounting twine : 1
  • Canoe : 1
  • Paddles : 2
  • Gutting knives : 10
  • Measuring boards : 5
  • Weighing balances : 2
  • Hand gloves : 30
  • Freezers : 2
  • Ovens : 2
  • Kilns : 2
  • Fish drying racks : 2
  • Fish boxes : 5
  • Salting trays/basins : 5
  • Sun-drying mats : 5
  • Cardboards box : 5
  • Nylon : 10 (bundles)
  • Baskets : 10

Download Complete PDF

View the Fisheries (Alternative B) Waec Syllabus as text above or download the syllabus as a PDF below. Please use the buttons below to download offline PDF files for external or internal Waec.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is the Fisheries (Alternative B) WAEC syllabus the same for SSCE and GCE candidates?

Yes. WAEC uses the same Fisheries (Alternative B) syllabus for both SSCE (school) and GCE (private/external) candidates, so the topics, aims and scheme of examination are identical.

What does the Fisheries (Alternative B) WAEC syllabus contain?

The Fisheries (Alternative B) 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 Fisheries (Alternative B) syllabus the same in Nigeria, Ghana, Sierra Leone, The Gambia and Liberia?

Yes. WAEC standardises the Fisheries (Alternative B) syllabus across all member countries, so candidates in Nigeria, Ghana, Sierra Leone, The Gambia and Liberia study the same content.

Can I download the Fisheries (Alternative B) WAEC syllabus as a PDF?

Yes. You can download the complete Fisheries (Alternative B) 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 Fisheries (Alternative B) WAEC syllabus for 2026?

Yes. This is the current Fisheries (Alternative B) 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 Fisheries (Alternative B) 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.