Hausa

The aim of the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) 2026 syllabus in Hausa is to prepare the candidates for the Board’s examination. It is designed to test their achievement of the course objectives.

It will consist of two papers, Papers 1 and 2. Details on the papers are as follows:

Paper 1: Will be a multiple choice objective test which will last1 hour and carry 60 marks. It will have three sections, Sections A, B, and C.

SECTION A: LANGUAGE
Comprehension (2 short passages) - 10 items
Composition/Letter Writing               -    4 items
Sound System                                  -    6 items
Grammar                                          -    6 items
Translation                                        -    4 items
                                                              30 items

SECTION B: LITERATURE
Basic Principles of Literary Appreciation - 4 items
Oral Literature                               Prose - 3 items)
                                                      Poetry - 3 items) 13 items
                                                      Drama - 3 items)

Written Literature                          Prose - 3 items)
                                                     Poetry - 3 items) 9 items
                                                     Drama - 3 items)

SECTION C: CULTURE
                                                     Customs - 4 items)
                                                     Institutions - 4 items) 8 items
                                                     TOTAL – (30 + 22 + 8) = 60 items

In Section B, all questions other than those on Basic Principles of Literary Appreciation will be on the set books for Paper 2.

PAPER 2: This will be an essay test which will also be in three sections, Sections A, B and C. The rubrics shall be written in Hausa. The paper will take 2 hours and carry 100 marks. Candidates will be required to answer six questions as follows: Three from Section A, two from Section B and one from Section C. Candidates will be required to answer questions in the official Hausa orthography using the appropriate metalanguage.

CONTENT OF PAPER 2

SECTION A: LANGUAGE
(i) 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 type:

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

(ii) Sound System (Tsarin Sauti)

Candidates will be required to answer one question from the two questions set. Questions will be set testing candidates’ knowledge of: (a) Consonants, Vowels and Syllable Structure: (Furucin bakake da wasula da kirar gaba) - their production in terms of place, manner and status of glotis 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 syllable.

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, dipthongs
                          (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)

(iii) Grammar (Nahawu)

Candidates will be required to answer one question from the two questions set.
Contents:
(a) Word Structure And Word Formation (Ginin kalmomi):
- Root - (saiwa)
- Affix - (dafi)
- Prefix - (dafa goshi)
- Infix - (dafa ciki)
- Suffix - (dafa keya)

(b) 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)

(c) 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)

(d) 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.
(i) Oral Literature:
- Prose (Tatsuniya da tarihihi da Karin Magana da Ka-CinciKa-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 will be required to answer any one of the three questions.

(ii) 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 will be required to answer any one of the three questions.
- Prose (Zube)
- Poetry (Rubutattun wakoki)
- Drama (Wasan kwaikwayo)

SECTION C: CULTURE

This Section will test candidates’ knowledge of any 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:
(i) Greeting:
                  - Gaisuwar ban girma
                  - Gaisuwar taya murna
                  - Gaisuwar lokatai (safiya, rana, la’asar, damina, rani, d.s.)
                  - Jaje
                  - Ta’aziyya

(ii) Tarbiyya:
Hanyoyin tarbiyya (tsawa, kwabo, harara, horo, d.s.)
                  - Girmama iyaye
                  - Girmama na gaba
                  - Girmama tsara
                  - Da’a ga hukuma

(iii) Hospitality (karimci):
                  - Girmama bako
                  - Kyauta
                  - Ciyarwa - Sadaka

(iv) Family (Iyali):
                  - Al’adun Aure
                  - Haihuwa
                  - Radin Suna 
                  - Reno
                  - Yaye
                  - Kaciya
                  - Zumunci
                  - Al’adun Mutuwa

(v) Traditional Beliefs and Practices:
Al’adun da suka saba wa addini misali: camfi, bori, duba, tsibbu, maita, fatalwa, d.s.

(vi) Traditional Occupations (sana’o’ in gargajiya):
                  - Noma
                  - Kira
                  - Saka
                  - Jima
                  - Wanzanci
                  - Kitso
                  - Sassaka
                  - Kiwo
                  - Dukanci
                  - Fawa
                  - Su
                  - Rini
                  - Kasuwanci
                  - Dillanci

(vii) Traditional Medicine (Magungunan gargajiya):
       Masu ba da maganin gargajiya. Misali:
                  - Magori
                  - ’yar maiganye
                  - bokaye
                  - Wanzamai, d.s.

(viii) Traditional Authority and office holding (sarautun gargajiya)
                 - Sarki
                 - Hakimi
                 - Dagaci
                 - Mai Unguwa
                 - Shamaki
                 - Shantali
                 - Sarkin Zagi
                 - Liman 
                 - Sarkin fada, d.s.

(ix) 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 THE WEST AFRICAN SENIOR SCHOOL CERTIFICATE EXAMINATION (WASSCE)
2014 – 2015

Language
Sound System And Grammar - Tsarin Sauti Da Nahawun Hausa
                                                  Sani, M. A. Z., U.P. Plc, Ibadan, 1999
Reference                              - Exam Focus
                                                 Hausa Language
                                                 Sani, M. A. Z. et al. U.P. Plc, Ibadan, 2000

                                              - Darussan Hausa 1 – 3
                                                Yahaya, I. Y. et al; U.P. Plc, Ibadan, 1992

Literature

Oral Literature

Prose         -         Labarun Gargajiya 2
                            yahaya, I. Y, O.U.P. Zaria 1977
Poetry        -        Kowa Ya Sha Kida
                            Muhammad, S. I, Longman Nigeria Plc Lagos reprint 2003
Drama       -         Wasannin Tashe A Kasar Hausa
                            Umar, M. B. NNPC Zaria, 1980

Written Literature

Prose      -       Nagari Na Kowa
                       Jabiru, A. NNPC, Zaria reprint 2004
Poetry    -       Ciza ka Busa
                      Ismaila, J., Longman Nig Plc Lagos, reprint 2002
Drama   -       Zamanin Nan Namu
                      Shu’aibu, M. NNPC, Zaria, reprint 1983

Reference Texts

Literature      -        Jagoran Nazarin Kagaggun Labarai
                              Mukhtar, I., A.J. Publishers, Kano, 2002

                     -        Rabe-raben Adabi Da Muhimmancinsa
                              Dangambo, A., Truimp Publishing Company, Kano, 1984

                     -        Harshe Da Adabin Hausa A Kamalle
                              Ismaila, J. and Tanimu, M. Y.
                              Spectrum Books, Ibadan, 2007
                    

Culture         -         Rayuwar Hausawa
                               CSNL/BUK, Nelson Lagos, 1980

                    -         Hausa Customs
                              Madauci, I. el al, NNPC, Zaria, 1970

                   -         Labaru Na Da Da Na Yanzu
                             NNPC, 1985

                   -         Zaman Mutum Da Sana’arsa
                             E. M. Rimmer, et al, NNPC, Zaria, reprint 2002