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

(1) Second Class Citizen

(2) Unexpected Joy At Dawn

Non-African Prose

(1) Wuthering Heights

(2) Invisible Man

African Drama

1. The Lion And The Joel

2. Let Me Die Alone

Non-African Drama

(1) Fences

(2) Look Back In Anger

3. A Mid-Summer Night’s Dream

African Poetry

(1) Black Woman

(2) The Grieved Lands

(3) The Leader And The Led

(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

(1) The Journey Of The Magi

(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.