Waec Computer Studies Syllabus/Questions 2025/2026 Answers

–       Slide Rule ;

–       Napier’s bone;

–       Pascal’s calculator;

–       Leibnitz multiplier;

–       Jacquad loom;

–       Charles Babbage’s analytical engine;

–       Hollerith Census Machine;

–       Burrough’s Machine.

(ii)   Contribution of each of the founder of these devices to modern computers.

-EDVAC

-UNIVAC 1

-Desktop Personal

Computers

-Laptop and Notebook computers

-Palmtop.

of a Computer

–       Computer hardware;

–       Computer software

–     Classification and

examples of

hardware and

software.

–     Functional parts of a

computer

Characteristics of Computers

–     Electronic in nature;

–     Accuracy;

–     Speed;

–     Interactive etc.

Differences between hardware and software should be treated.

information;

–       Differences between data and information.

Security and Ethics

1.     Sources of security breaches:

–       Virus, worms and Trojan horses;

–       Poor implementation of network;

–       Poor implementation or lack of ICT policies;

–       Carelessness- giving out personal and vital information on the net without careful screening.

–       Hackers, spammers etc.

Definition and effects of viruses and worms should be treated

Definition of hackers and spammers should be treated

–       Use of firewall;

–       Exercising care in giving out vital and personal information

–       Encryption

–       Proper Network Implementation and Polies

–       Using sites with web certificates

–       Exercising care in opening e-mail attachments

3.      Legal Issues

-Copyright (software copyright)

-ownership right to

-text;

-images;

-audio;

-video

-Privacy of audio and video software

-Cyber crimes

-identify theft;

-internet fraud

-Hacking

Explanation of firewall is required

Definition of encryption should be treated

The use of keyboard, mouse, scanner, joystick, light pen, etc

Classification of keys on the keyboard into Function, Numeric, Alphabetic

-Cursor keys

-Features, function and operation of the mouse

-Differences in keyboard, mouse, light pen and scanner

-Differences between input and output devices

-Similarities and differences in inkjet, laser and line printer

Examples and types of printers and monitors should be treated.

Differences and uses of ROM and RAM

Examples of Seconadry memory devices: floppy disk, hard disk, compact disk(CD), flash disk, digital-video-disk(DVD)

Unit of storage in memory devices: bits, nibble, bytes, kilobytes, megabytes, gigabytes, terabytes

Interconversion of unit of storage.

-Comparative study of auxiliary storage devices in respect of their size, speed and technology

Simple calculation involving the conversion from a unit to another

Size and shape variation of floppy,

flask/USB and compact disks should be noted

-Construction of truth table for standard logic gates

-Differences between AND, NOT, OR gates

-NAND and NOR as alternative logic gates should be treated

Construction of Truth Table for NAND and NOR

Construction of a simple comparator with -XOR( Exclusive OR)

-NOR gate

Simple definition of a comparator is required.

(b)          Operating System

–       System software

–       Application software

(ii)   System software and their examples

–       Operating System e.g. MS Windows

–       Translator e.g. Compiler

–       Tools/ Utility e.g. Anti-virus

(iii)    Examples of Operating System

–       MS Windows

–       Linux

–       UNIX

–       MS-DOS etc

(iv)      Examples of Translators

–       Assemblers

–       Compilers

–       Interpreters

(v)            (v)       Examples of Utility

(vi)                     Programs

–       Editor

–       Anti-virus etc

(i)            Definition, types, examples and function of Operating System

–       Graphic User Interface(GUI)

–       GUI (MS Windows, Linux, etc)

–       Command line (MS DOS, UNIX, etc)

Operating systems of phones, ipad and other computerized devices should be treated. E.g. Android, Blackberry, etc.

Differences among the translators should be noted

Differences between GUI and Command line Operating Systems are required.

Packages and their

examples

–       Word processing(MS Windows)

–       Spreadsheet(MS Excel)

–       Database(MS Access)

–       Graphics

(iii)        Packages for spreadsheet purpose

–       Accounting software

–       Payroll program

–       Banking software

–       Education management software

–       Statistical packages

–       Hospital management software

-MS Word

-Wordstar

-WordPerfect

(ii)          Features of Word Processing programs in general.

(iii)        Application areas of Word Processing programs

-Office

-Publishing

-Journalism

-Education, etc.

(iv)       Features of MS

Word

(v)            Steps in activating and exiting MS Word

(vi)          Basic operations in MS Word

-Create

– Edit

– Save

-Retrieve

-Print

– Close

(vii)       Further operations

in MS Word

-move

-copy

-cut

-use of different

Types

and sizes of fonts

-formatting

-justifying

-search/explore

-spell checking

-file merging, etc

Definition of each operational term is required.

-MS Excel

-SuperCALC

-Autocad, etc

(ii) Feature of

spreadsheet program

(iii)Application areas of

Spreadsheet

programs:

-Accounting

-Statistical

calculation

-Student result, etc

(iv)Features of MS Excel

Environment

-status bar

-menu bar

-formula bar, etc

(v)Definition of basic

terms in MS

Excel

-worksheet

-workbook

-cells

-cell ranges

(vi)Data types in Excel

-Number

-Labels

-Formula

(vii)Basic operation in

Excel

-Data Entry

-Saving

-Retrieve

Copy

-Move

(viii)Arithmetic

calculations using

formula and built-in

function

(ix)Additional operation

in Excel

-Editing

-Formatting

-Printing

-Drawing charts, etc

Simple calculations with and without built-in function e.g. sum, average, etc

Pie chart, histogram, bar chart, etc

(ii)Examples of database

packages

-Dbase IV,

-Foxbase

-MS Access

-Oracle, etc

(iii)Basic terms in

Database

-File

-Record

-Field

-Key

(iv)Types of database

organization

methods and their

features

-Hierarchical

-Network

-Relational

(v)Features of database

format

-Files designed as

tables

-Tables comprise

row and

columns

-Row containing

related

information

about a record.

-Column

containing

specific type of

information

about a field.

(vi)Steps in creating

database

-define the structure

-indicate field

type(numeric,

character, data,

text, etc)

-enter data

-save data

(vii)Basic operations on

already

created database.

Database

-searching

-modifying

-sorting

-reporting

-selecting

-inserting, etc

packages

-Paint

-Harvard graphics

-Photoshop

-Coreldraw, etc

(iii)Features in activating

and existing

Coreldraw

(iv)Simple design using

Coreldraw

-Business card

-School logo

-National flag

-Invitation card

-Certification, etc

(ii)Examples of presentation package

-MS PowerPoint, etc

(iii)Features of

PowerPoint

environment

(iv)Steps in activating

and exiting

PowerPoint

(v)PowerPoint operation

-create new

presentation

-insert pictures, text,

graphs

-animated contents

-add new slide

-save presentation

-run slide show

-print presentation

-close presentation

(b)  Handling Computer Files

terms

-computer file

-record

-field

-data item

(ii)Types of data item

-numeric

-alphabetic

-alphanumeric

(iii)File structure

organisation

(Data item—record—

file—database)

(iv)Types of file

organization

-serial

-sequential

-index

-random

(v) Methods of accessing

files

-serial

-sequential

-random

(vi) File classification

-master file

-transaction file

-reference file

(vii)Criteria for

classifying files:

-nature of

content(program

and data)

-organisation

method

-storage medium

(i)Basic operation on

computer files

-file

-delete

-retrieve

-insert

-copy

-view

-update

-open

-close

(ii) Effect of file

insecurity

-data loss

-data corruption

-data becomes

unreliable

(iii)Causes of data loss

-over-writing

-inadvertent

deletion

(iv)Methods of file

security

-use of backup

-use of antivirus

-password

-proper labelling

of storage

devices, etc

(v)Differences between

computer files and

manual files

(vi)Advantages of

computer files

-more secure

-fast to

access,etc

(vii)Disadvantages of

computer files

-expensive to set up

-irregular supply

of electricity

Differences among the organization methods are required

File processing using BASIC programming is required.

(b)  Computer Data Conversion

of booting process

(ii)Types of booting

process

-cold booting

-warm booting

(iii)Steps involved in :

-booting a

computer;

-shutting down a

computer

(iv)Identification of

features on a desktop

(i)Definition of registers,

address, bus

(ii)Types and functions

of registers: MDR,

CIR, SCR

(iii)Differences between

register and main

memory

(iv)Steps involved in

how a computer

converts data to

required information (Input-Process-Output)

(v)Factors affecting

speed of data transfer:

-bus speed;

-bus width.

Fetch-execute cycle is not required

(i)What‘ICT’ acronym

stands for.

(ii) Types of ICT

-Broadcasting

-Telecommunication

-Data Network

-Information

Systems

-Satellite

Communications

-Examples of

Broadcasting

-Radio

broadcasting

-Television

broadcasting

-Satellite system

-Examples of

Telecommunication

-Public Switched Telephone Network(PSTN)-Landline

-Mobile phone

systems

-Circuit Switched

Packet

Telephone

System(CSPT)

-Satellite telephone

system

-Fixed wireless

telephone

system

-Examples of data

networks

-Personal Area

Network(PAN)

-Local Area

Network(LAN)

-Metropolitan Area

Network(MAN)

-Wide Area

Network(WAN)

-Internet

-Examples of

Information Systems

-Data Processing

System

-Global Positioning

System(GPS)

(c)Internet

(d) Electronic Mail(e-

mail)Services

-Teleconferencing

-Video conferencing

-Telecommuting

-Telecomputing

-Messaging

-Information search, retrieval

and archival.

(ii)ICT based gadgets

and their

operations

-Mobile phones

-Computers

-Fax machines

-Automated Teller

Machines(ATM)

-Dispensing

machines

-Point of Sale

Machines

–   Automated Cash

Register(ACR)

-Radio sets

-Television sets, etc

(i)Definition of Internet

and some

Internet terms:

-Homepage

-Browse

-Browser

-Chatroom

-Cybercafe

-HTTP

-HTML

-ISP

-Webpage

-Website,etc

(ii)Types of internet

browsers

-Internet explorer

-Netscape navigator

-Opera

-Firefox

-Cometbird ,etc

(iii)Features of Internet

browsers:

-Title bar

-Menu bar

-Tool bar

-Address bar,etc

(iv)Types of Internet

services

-Electronic mail (e-

mail)

-e-mail discussion

group

-Instant messaging

-Telnet

-Usenet

-File Transfer

Protocol(FTP)

-Worldwide

web(www)

-Chatting, etc

(i)Definition of electronic

mail

(ii)E-mail Services:

-sending/receiving e-

mail

-chatting, etc

(iii)Steps involved in

creating e-mail

account

(iv)Steps involved in

opening mail box

(v)Features in an e-mail

address e.g. [email protected]

(vi)Definition and steps

involved in chatting

Knowledge on the operations on these ICT-based   gadgets is required.

Demonstration of these terms through Internet access is required

Access Internet through these browsers.

Application of the features of Internet browser window is required

Benefits of Internet to our society should be stressed

Procedure for sending and receiving e-mail is required

(f) Introduction to Worldwide web (W.W.W.)

(ii)Types of Network

-PAN

-LAN

-WAN

-MAN

-Internet

(iii) Network topology

-Star

-Bus

-Ring

(iv)Network devices

-Hub

-Modems

-Switches

-Routers

-Network Interface

Card(NIC)

(v)Advantages of

Networking

(i)What is the ‘W.W.W.’

acronym stands for

(ii)Brief history of W.W.W.

(iii)Basic terminologies:

-W.W.W.

-website

-webpage

-homepage

-protocol, etc

(iv)Protocol

-HTTP

-HTML

(v)Uses/benefits of www

(vi)Navigating through

websites     www.waeconline.org

-www.itbeginswithu.org

-www.servenigeria.com

-www.phillipemeagwali.com

-www.jambonline.org

(vii)Difference between

e-mail and website

address features:

e.g.www.waeconline.org and [email protected]

(viii)Software for web

development

-Frontpage

– etc

Differences in the various topologies should be treated

Knowledge of “Bridge” as a networking device is required.

Nigeria’s contribution to www should be mentioned

Use of HTTP and HTML should be mentioned

Visits to these websites are essential