Hausa Waec Syllabus

SECTION A: LANGUAGE

Composition/Letter Writing

Candidates are advised to write an essay of about 300 words on the topic chosen.

Candidates are advised to spend not more than 45 minutes on this question.  The topics will include any of the following essay types:

Narrative: Insha’i Na Labari

Descriptive: Insha’i Na Siffance

Argumentative: Insha’i Na Muhawara

Expository: Insha’i Na Bayani

Dialogue: Muhawara ta kai tsaye

Proverbial: Karin Magana

Letter Writing: Rubutun Wasika

Sound System (Tsarin Sauti)

Candidates will be required to answer one question from the two-question set.

Questions will be set testing candidates’ knowledge of:

Consonants, Vowels and Syllable Structure: (Furucin bakake da wasula da kirar gaba)

• Their production in terms of place, manner and status of the glottis, e.g., bilabials, nasals, voice and voiceless sounds. (Gurbi da yanayi da matsayin makwallato na furucinsu misali ’yan lebba da ’yan hanci da mai ziza ko maras ziza)
• Syllable Structure – the way consonants and vowels combine in syllables.

Structure of Syllable (Tsarin gaba)

• Consonant + vowel (cv) – BW
• Consonant + vowel + vowel (CVV) – BWW
• Consonant + vowel + consonant (CVC) – BWB

Types of Syllable (ire-iren gaba)

• open syllable (budaddiyar gaba)
• close syllable (rufaffiyar gaba)

Vowel production (furucin Wasula)

• vowel length – short and long vowels, diphthongs
• (gajeru da dogaye da tagwan wasula)

Tone (Karin Sauti)

• High tone (Karin sautin sama)
• Low tone (Karin sautin kasa)
• Falling tone (Karin sauti mai faduwa)

Grammar (Nahawu)

Candidates will be required to answer one question from the two questions set.

Word Structure And Word Formation (Ginin kalmomi):

• Root –        (saiwa)
• Affix –        (dafi)
• Prefix –        (dafa goshi)
• Infix –        (dafa ciki)
• Suffix –        (dafa keya)

Word Classes (Azuzuwan kalmomi):

• Noun –        (suna)
• Verb –        (Aikatau)
• Adjective –        (sifa)
• Adverb –        (Bayanau)
• Pronoun –        (Wakilin Suna)
• Conjunction- (Mahadi)
• Specifier – (Mafayyaci)
• Quantifier – (Ma’auni)
• Demostrative – (Nunau)
• Ideophone – (Amsa-kama)
• Diminutive – (Tsigilau)
• Stabilizer – (Dirka)
• Referential- (Madanganci)

Grammatical Categories (Rukunonin Nahawu)

• Tense and Aspect –        (Lokutan aiki)
• General Past –        (Shudadden Lokaci Na I)
• Relative Past –        (Shudadden Lokaci Na II)
• General Continuous –        (Lokaci Mai Ci Na I)
• Relative Continuous     –        (Lokaci Mai Ci Na II)
• First Future –        (Lokaci Na Gaba Na I)
• Second Future –        (Lokaci Na Gaba Na II)
• Habitual –        (Lokaci Na Sabo)
• Subjunctive –        (Umurtau)
• Negative –        (Korewa)
• Gender –        (Jinsi)
• Number –        (Adadi)

The structure and Types of Sentences:

(Tsari da ire-iren jumloli)

• Subject and predicate –        (yankin suna da na aikatau)
• Simple sentence –        (sassaukar Jumla)
• Complex sentence –        (sarkakkiyar Jumla)
• Compound sentence –        (Hardaddiyar Jumla)

SECTION B:  LITERATURE

This section will consist of Oral and Written Literature, and six questions will be set, out of which two will be attempted, i.e., one from Oral Literature and one from Written Literature.

There will be six set books, three on Oral Literature and three on Written Literature.

Oral Literature

• Prose (Tatsuniya da tarihihi da Karin Magana da Ka-Cinci- Ka-Cinci
• Poetry (Wakokin Baka)
• Drama (Wasannin Gargajiya)

In Oral Literature, there will be 3 set books covering the different genres.  One question will be set from each set book, and candidates must answer any of the three questions.

Written Literature

In Written Literature, there will be 3 set books covering the different genres.  One question will be set from each set book, and candidates must answer any of the three questions.

• Prose (Zube)
• Poetry (Rubutattun wakoki)
• Drama (Wasan kwaikwayo)

SECTION C:  CULTURE

This section will test candidates’ knowledge of the following items on customs and Institutions:  Two questions will be set, and candidates will be required to answer one.

Topics to be examined will include:

Greeting

• Gaisuwar ban girma
• Gaisuwar taya murna
• Gaisuwar lokatai (safiya, rana, la’asar, damina, rani, d.s.)
• Jaje
• Ta’aziyya

Tarbiyya

Hanyoyin tarbiyya (tsawa, kwabo, harara, horo, d.s.)

• Girmama iyaye
• Girmama na gaba
• Girmama tsara
• Da’a ga hukuma

Hospitality (karimci)

• Girmama bako
• Kyauta
• Ciyarwa
• Sadaka

Family (Iyali)

• Al’adun Aure
• Haihuwa
• Radin Suna
• Reno
• Yaye
• Kaciya
• Zumunci
• Al’adun Mutuwa

Traditional  Beliefs and Practices

Al’adun da suka saba wa addini misali: camfi, bori, duba, tsibbu, maita, fatalwa, d.s.

Traditional Occupations (sana’o’ in gargajiya)

• Noma
• Kira
• Saka
• Jima
• Wanzanci
• Kitso
• Sassaka
• Kiwo
• Dukanci
• Fawa
• Su
• Rini
• Kasuwanci
• Dillanci

Traditional Medicine (Magungunan gargajiya)

Masu ba da maganin gargajiya.  Misali:

• Magori
• ’yar maiganye
•  bokaye
• Wanzamai, d.s.

Traditional Authority and office holding (sarautun gargajiya)

• Sarki
• Hakimi
• Dagaci
• Mai Unguwa
• Shamaki
• Shantali
• Sarkin Zagi
• Liman
• Sarkin fada, d.s.

Forms of Traditional Recreation (Wasannin dandali)

• Dambe
•     Kokawa
•     Kalankuwa
•     Shanci
•     Sukuwa
•     Hawan kaho

WEIGHTING

Composition/Letter Writing: 25 marks

Other five questions (15 marks each): 75 marks

Total: 100 marks

SUMMARY

Paper 1: 60 marks

Paper 2: 100 marks

Maximum Marks Obtainable: 160 marks (to be scaled down to 100%)

LIST OF HAUSA TEXTS FOR WASSCE 2026-2030

WRITTEN LITERATURE

Prose

• Maraya by Mahe, I. A.

Drama

• Malam Zalimu by Gidan Dabino, A. A.

Poetry

• Gadar Zare (Na Daya) by Anwar, A.

ORAL LITERATURE

Prose

• Mu Sha Dariya by Tofa, B. O.

Drama

• Wasannin Kwaikwayo Na Hausawa by Gobir, Y. A. and Sani, A. U.

Poetry

• Jagoran Nazarin Wakar Baka by Gusau, S. M.

LANGUAGE

• Sound System And Grammar by Sani, M. A. Z.

CULTURE

• Rayuwar Hausawa by CSNL, BUK
• Hausa Custom by Madauci, I.

GENERAL REFERENCE BOOKS

Exam Focus: Hausa Language | Sani, M.A.Z.

Darussan Hausa 1-3 Yahaya, LY. et al

Rayayyen Nahawun Hausa Jinju M.H

An Introduction to Hausa Grammar M.K.M. Galadanci

Jagoran Nazarin Kagaggun Labarai Mukhtar, I.

Rabe-raben Adabi Da Muhimmancinsa Ga Rayuwar Hausawa by Dangambo, A.

Harshe Da Adabin Hausa A Kammale by Ismaila, J and Tanimu, M.Y.

Labaru Na Da Da Na Yanzu

Zaman Mutum Da Sana’arsa by E.M. Rimmer, et al

Zaman Hausawa Alhassan, H. et al

Waka A Bakin Mai Ita by CSNL, BUK, Kano