This post is meant to provide learners with outline of selected literature texts for candidates who are sitting for WAEC, NECO, GCE examination within the year 2026-2030. We do hope these outline and analysis help guide you for your studies. For candidates for fall within 2021-2025, do note that approved literature for 2021-2025 is below this post just in case you need them.
Just before you proceed to the syllabus, kindly study the WAEC exam guideline for literature in English below:
Exam Guideline For Literature in English
Do note that there will be three papers – Papers 1, 2 and 3. Paper 1 and 2 will be taken at one sitting while paper 3 will be taken differently usually on a different date.
Paper 1 will be a multiple choice objective test. It will contain fifty questions distributed as follows:
(a) Twenty questions on General Knowledge of Literature;
(b) Five questions on an unseen prose passage;
(c) Five questions on an unseen poem;
(d) Twenty context questions on the prescribed Shakespearean text.
Candidates will be expected to answer all the questions within 1 hour for 50 marks.
Paper 2 will be an essay test with two sections, Sections A and B.
Section A will be on African Prose and Section B on Non-African Prose.
Two essay questions will be set on each of the novels recommended for study.
Candidates shall be required to answer one question only from each section within 1 hour 15 minutes for 50 marks.
Paper 3 is going be on the Drama and Poetry components of the syllabus.
It will be put into four sections, Sections A, B. C and D as follows:
Section A: African Drama
Section B: Non-African Drama
Section C: African Poetry
Section D: Non-African Poetry
There shall be two questions on each of the prescribed drama texts for Sections A and B. There shall also be two questions for each of the poetry sections i.e Sections C and D.
Candidates shall be required to answer one question from each of the sections, making a total of four questions. The paper will take 2 hours 30 minutes to complete and will carry 100 marks.
THE WEST AFRICAN EXAMINATIONS COUNCIL APPROVED LITERATURE-IN-ENGLISH TEXT FOR 2026-2030
The Prescribed the New List of Literature-In-English Text for the West African Senior School Certificate Examinations (WASSCE) 2026-2030. Here are the 2026-2030 WASSCE Approved Literature-In-English Text
SHAKESPEAREAN TEXT:
Antony and Cleopatra
AFRICAN PROSE
- Pede Hollist: So the Path Does Not Die
- Elma Shaw: Redemption Road
NON–AFRICAN PROSE
- Harper Lee: To Kill a Mockingbird
- Susanne Bellefeuille: Path of Lucas: The Journey He Endured
AFRICAN DRAMA
- Bosede Ademilua- Afolayan: Once Upon an Elephant
- Efua Sutherland: The Marriage of Anansewa
NON–AFRICAN DRAMA
- J. B. Priestley: An Inspector Calls
- Robert Bolt: A Man for All Seasons
AFRICAN POETRY
- Gabriel Okara: Once Upon a Time
- Elizabeth L. A. Kamara: New Tongue
- Wole Soyinka: Night
- Niyi Osundare: Not My Business
- S.O.H. Afriyie -Vidza: Hearty Garlands
- Syl Cheney-Coker: The Breast of The Sea
NON–AFRICAN POETRY
- Lord Byron: She Walks in Beauty
- Geoffrey Chaucer (shortened): The Nun’s Priest’s Tale
- Seamus Heaney: Digging
- Maya Angelou: Still I Rise
- Fleur Adcock: The Telephone Call
- Wilfrid Wilson Gibson: The Stone
Summary analysis of these literature will be posted soon. Do stay connected.
SELECTED LITERATURE FOR 2021-2025
Below are 2021-2025 Selected Literature Texts For WAEC, NECO and GCE
African Prose
Non-African Prose
(1) Wuthering Heights
(2) Invisible Man
African Drama
Non-African Drama
(1) Fences
(2) Look Back In Anger
3. A Mid-Summer Night’s Dream
African Poetry
(1) Black Woman
(4) A Government Driver On His Retirement
(5) The Song Of The Woman Of My Land
(6) Raider Of The Treasure Trove
Non-African Poetry
(2) Binsey Polars
(3) Caged Bird
(4) The Good-Morrow
(5) Bat
(6) Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night.
This might also interest you:
SELECTED TEXTS FOR 2016 – 2020
African Prose
(1) AmmaDarko – Faceless
(2) BayoAdebowale – Lonely Days
Non-African Prose
(1) Richard Wright – Native Son
(2) Patience Swift – The Last Goodman
*William Shakespeare:OTHELLO
Non-African Drama
(1) Oliver Goldsmith – She Stoops to conquer
(2) Lorraine Hansberry – A Raisin in the Sun
African Drama
(1) Frank Ogodo Ogbeche – Harvest of Corruption
(2) Dele Charley – The Blood of a Stranger
African Poetry
(1) Birago Drop – Vanity
(2) Gbemisola Adeoti – Ambush
(3) Gabriel Okara – Piano and Drums
(4) Gbanabam Hallowell – The Dinning Table
(5) Lenrie Peter – The Panic of Growing Older
(6) Kofi Awoonor – The Anvil and the Hammer
Non-African Poetry
(1) Alfred Tennyson – Crossing the Bar
(2) George Herbert – The pulley
(3) William Blake –The School Boy
(4) William Morris – The Proud King
(5) Robert Frost Birches – Birches
(6) William Shakespeare – Shall I compare thee to a Summer’s Day?
Do stay connected to itsmyschoollibrary.com for more educational contents as we hope to provide more contents on literature from time to time.
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