THE West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has released subject combinations for 2026 examination.
News Point Nigeria reports that under the new arrangement, Science students can no longer take Economics.
Likewise, students in the Humanities, those in Literature, Government, or History, are also barred from taking Economics.
According to the new subject list, only students in the Business department are allowed to take Economics.
The WAEC exam, has its subjects combinations structured with a minimum of seven and a maximum of nine subjects, including English Language and Mathematics.
With all things remaining equally, generally, Science students focus on Physics, Chemistry, and Biology; Arts Students include Literature and a language like Yoruba, Igbo, or Hausa; and Commercial students emphasises on Economics.
There are three basic areas of study in the Senior Secondary School Examination they are:
The three areas of study have WAEC subject combinations that are peculiar to each of them, for any career a student would want to pursue.
Only three subjects have been made totally Compulsory by the West African Examination Council, irrespective of your area of study, approved by the Federal Government.
The three subjects are:
1. English Language
2. Mathematics
3. Civic Education
WAEC Subject Combination For Science Students 2026/2027
The WAEC subjectcombination for science students includes subjects specific to the science field, most of which involve practical exams alongside theory and objective sections.
These practicals, usually conducted in laboratories, require working with live specimens. Schools without proper lab facilities are given an alternative to the practical session. A student still has options aside from the ones listed below.
Subjects: There are other subjects that science students can add to their list of compulsory subjects; they include: Further Mathematics, Languages- Yoruba, Igbo, or Hausa, and Technical Drawing.
Going forward, the WAEC subject combination for science students includes the following subjects.
English language
Mathematics
Civic Education
Physics
Chemistry
Biology
Geography
Agricultural Science
Economics
WAEC Subject Combination For Art Students 2026/2027
The subject combination for art students is totally different from that of a science student, even though there are cases where art and science students may register for subjects such as economics, biology, agricultural science, etc.
Apart from the Nine Subjects listed below, there are other subjects available for art students, including: Arabic Studies, Agricultural Science/Biology French, Music Commerce.
The WAEC subject combination for art students includes:
English Language
Mathematics
Civic Education
Literature in English
Government or History
Religious Studies: Christian Religious Studies or Islamic Religious Studies
Languages: Yoruba, Igbo, or Hausa
Economics
WAEC Subject Combination For Commercial Students 2026/2027
A commercial student is trained in subjects related to business, management, and economics, such as Economics, Commerce, Accounting, and Marketing. They form a key subset of students who sit for the WAEC examination each year.
Apart from the Nine Subjects listed below, Other elective subjects available to Commercial students include: Further Mathematics, Book Keeping Agricultural Science, or Biology, Languages: Yoruba, Igbo, or Hausa.
The WAEC subject combination for commercial students includes:
English Language
Mathematics
Civic Education
Economics
Accounting
Commerce
Government
Office Practice
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Note: There are some subjects that are neither compulsory for any subject area, but they are available to be chosen by any interested candidate. Examples of such subjects include Economics, Languages (Hausa, Igbo, or Yoruba), Agricultural Science, Biology, etc
WAEC Trade subjects 2026/2027
Most WAEC Trade Subjects 2026/2027 are grouped because they provide students with practical, hands-on entrepreneurial skills, fostering job readiness and global competitiveness by instilling practical skills beyond academic knowledge.
There are 35 trade subjects in WAEC. These subjects are part of the curriculum to develop entrepreneurship and ensure students can acquire skills that lead to self-reliance and contribute to the economy, rather than solely focusing on traditional academic disciplines.
These are subjects that were introduced by WAEC to expose students to skill acquisition and the entrepreneurial world. Some trade subjects involve practical sessions, while others don’t. Every WAEC candidate is mandated to sit for at least one trade subject.
Animal husbandry
Auto mechanic
Auto electrical work
Automobile parts merchandising
Block laying, bricklaying, and concreting work
Bookkeeping
Carpentry and joinery
Catering craft practice
Data processing
Dyeing and bleaching
Plumbing and pipe fitting
Printing craft practice
Radio, television, and electronics
Salesmanship
Stenography
Tourism
Upholstery
Welding and fabrication engineering craft practice
Marketing
Metalwork
Mining
Painting and decorating
Photography
Plumbing craft practice
Printing craft practice
Leather goods manufacturing and repairs
Insurance
Machine Woodworking
GSM phone maintenance and repair
Garment making
Furniture making
Fisheries
Shorthand
Keyboarding
Criteria for Selection of Subjects for WASSCE and SSCE
a. Compulsory Cross-Cutting Subjects
Each student is to take the four (4) compulsory cross-cutting subjects listed. For the Trade/Entrepreneurship subject, each student is expected to select one (1) Trade/Entrepreneurship subject from the list of 34 Trade / Entrepreneurship subjects listed.
b. Fields of Studies
(i) Each student may then choose two (2), three (3), four (4), or five (5) subjects From each of their preferred four Fields of Studies depending on the potential, interest and capability such that the minimum number of subjects is eight (8) while the maximum number of subjects is nine.
(ii) If students select two (2) subjects from a Field of Study, they can select two (2) or three (3) subjects from any other Field of Study or from Trade / Entrepreneurship subject to make a minimum of eight (8) or a maximum of nine (9) subjects.
(iii) iIf students select three. (3) subjects from a Field of Study, they can select one (1) or two (2) subjects from any other Fields of Studies or Trade / Entrepreneurship subjects to make a minimum of eight (8) or a maximum of nine (9) subjects.
(iv) If students select four (4) subjects from a Field of Study, they can select one (1) one subject from any other fields of study or Trade / Entrepreneurship subjects to make a maximum of nine (9) subjects.
(v) If students select five (5) from a Field of Study, they have already selected a maximum of nine (9) subjects
Note: in all, students are to select a minimum of eight (8) or maximum of (9) subjects.