Cegast Academy

WAEC History Past Questions for WASSCE/SHS – Essay

(PDF)
1993
Why is it important to study African History?
Discuss the merits and demerits of oral traditions as a source of African history.
What were the achievements of Kush in agriculture?
Assess the role of the Mande-Dyula in the conduct of trade in West Africa.
Discuss the origins of any two of the major ethnic groups in Ghana.
Discuss the social and political importance of the Odwira festival among the
Akan.
Assess the contribution of the Christian Missions to the development of Ghana.
Examine the economic developments in Ghana during the colonial period.
Why did agitation for political independence intensify after World War II?
Discuss the role of Ghana in the formation of the Organization of African Unity
(OAU).
1994
What sources are available for the writing of African History?
Describe the contribution of Pharaonic Egypt to civilization.
What effects did the introduction of Christianity have on Axum?
Discuss the general factors that led to the rise of the Western Sudanese states.
Assess the importance of the indigenous industries in the economy of Ghana
before the coming of the Europeans.
Explain the factors that contributed to the rise of the forest states in Ghana.
Why was Africa partitioned by the European powers towards the end of the
nineteenth century?
Why was indirect rule introduced by the British?
Discuss the factors that led to the 1948 riots in Ghana.
To what extent were the demands of the National Liberation Movement met by
1957?
1995
How reliable are the sources available for the study of African history?
Outline the major achievements of Pharaonic Egypt.
Explain how the Swahili civilization of East Africa rose.
Describe how the West African coastal states were organized socially and
politically before 1800.
Briefly describe how the northern zone of Ghana was peopled.
Account for the rise of large centralized states in the forest zone of Ghana
before 1800.
Discuss the main economic activities of the people of Ghana before 1800.
Examine the developments that took place in the health sector during colonial
rule in your country.
Outline the changes made in the political system of Ghana between 1900 and
1957.
What were the main economic developments in Ghana during Dr Kwame
Nkrumah’s administration?
1996
Discuss the merits of any four non-documentary sources of African history.
What factors led to the rise of the early kingdom of Axum?
Give an account of the economic activities of the Swahili between the thirteenth
and fifteenth centuries.
Assess the importance of trade in the development of Western Sudan.
Describe how salt was mined/obtained in the traditional Ghanaian society and
show its importance.
Describe the social organization of traditional Akan society.
What were the major effects of the European activities on the people of Ghana
between the sixteenth and nineteenth centuries?
Outline the main features of the Guggisberg constitution and show its
significance.
How did the National Liberation Council (NLC) solve the economic problems
inherited from the Nkrumah regime?
In what ways has Ghana benefited from her membership of the
Commonwealth?
1997
Describe the methods that are used in collecting data for the writing of African
history.
What benefits did the ancient Egyptians derive from the River Nile?
Describe the main features of indigenous civilization of the Berbers in Northern
Africa.
Examine the political organization of the West African Sudanese states.
Discuss the stories of the origin of any two of the following ethnic groups a. Ga-
Adangbe b. Ewe c. Fante.
Describe the social and political institutions of any one major state in the
Northern Zone of Ghana.
How was trade conducted in Ghana before the arrival of the Europeans?
How far had the main demands of the National Congress of British West Africa
been met by 1930?
Assess rural development in Ghana during the Second Republic.
Examine the regime of the Armed Forces Revolutionary Council (AFRC) of
1979.
1998
Discuss how archaeology and oral traditions help in the writing of African
history.
Explain why the Stone Age man moved from the Savannah to live in the forest
zone.
What were the main features of the Swahili civilization between the thirteenth
and fifteenth centuries?
Describe the political organization of the Western Sudanese states.
Describe the indigenous method of leather production in Ghana and show its
economic importance.
Account for the emergence of the Mole-Dagbani states.
Explain why the slave trade increased in volume in Ghana during the eighteenth
century.
Assess the contribution of the Christian missionaries to the economic
development of Ghana.
Outline the measures taken by the Convention People’s Party government to
improve agriculture in Ghana.
Examine the factors that led to the fall of the Progress Party administration in
Ghana.
1999
Show the importance of archaeology in the writing of African history.
Describe the economic activities of the Pharaonic Egyptians.
What were the effects of the introduction of Christianity on Axum?
Outline the main economic activities of the Berbers of Northern Africa.
Examine the main agricultural activities of the people of Ghana up to 1900.
Describe the traditional medical practices of the people of Ghana.
What factors motivated the Portuguese to explore the West Coast of Africa?
What were the effects of the Second World War on the people of Ghana?
Trace the main political events in Ghana from 1951 to 1957.
Outline the developments in education under the Nkrumah regime.
2000
Show the evidence that Africans had a history before the arrival of the
Europeans.
How far did the Arabs influence the civilization of the Berbers of Northern
Africa?
Outline the factors which aided the spread of the Bantu.
Discuss the effects of the Muslim-Christian struggle in Ethiopia between the
thirteenth and seventeenth centuries.
Describe the process and importance of pottery making in the traditional
Ghanaian society.
Account for the failure of the Poll Tax Ordinance of 1852 in Ghana.
What difficulties faced the early missionaries in the spread of Christianity?
Outline the major physical developments that took place under the C.P.P.
government in Ghana.
Discuss the reasons for the fall of the Busia government.
Assess the role of Ghana in promoting the objectives of the Economic
Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
2001
Describe how the Egyptians made use of the Nile for agricultural purposes.
Show how the Swahili civilization of the East African Coast arose.
Outline the main sources of information for writing the history of Ghana.
Describe the political organization of the West African Sudanese states.
Explain the methods used for the production of any two of the following
indigenous industries in Ghana before the coming of the Europeans. a. Leather-
working b. cloth-weaving c. brass-casting
What were the main reasons for the Portuguese exploration of the coast of
Ghana in the fifteenth century?
Describe the type of trade that was carried on in Ghana before the coming of the
Europeans.
Examine the social impact of colonial rule on Ghanaian society by the year
1900.
What were the composition and functions of the Executive and Legislative
Councils of the British colonial administration in Ghana up to 1925?
Account for the fall of the Nkrumah regime in 1966.
2002
Show how archaeologists help in the writing of African history.
Identify the main features of the Swahili civilization of the East African Coast.
What were the main features of the religious system of Egypt?
How did Christianity affect Axum during the fourth century?
Describe the traditional iron-working in Ghana.
Examine the traditional religious beliefs and practices of Ghanaian societies.
What were the effects of the European presence in Ghana up to 1900?
Outline the main economic developments in Ghana during the colonial period.
Give an account of the social developments in Ghana during Dr Nkrumah’s
regime.
Describe the economic programme of the National Redemption Council (NRC)
government.
2003
Give five reasons for studying History.
Outline the main achievements of the Nilotic Sudanese kingdoms.
Describe the main features of the Bantu civilizations of central, eastern and
southern Africa.
Describe the political organization of the West African coastal states.
Outline the traditions of the origin of the Akan.
Account for the rise of the large states in the forest zone of Ghana by the
seventeenth century.
In what ways did the people of Ghana express their philosophical and religious
ideas in the pre-colonial times?
Outline the main effects of the social and economic developments which took
place in Ghana during the colonial period.
What major steps were taken to promote economic development by the
Convention People’s Party government in Ghana (1957 – 1966)?
Why was the Limann government overthrown on December 31, 1981?
2007 May/June
a. Name any three gods of ancient Egypt.
b. Identify any four aspects of the religious beliefs of the ancient Egyptians.
In what five ways did the ancient Berbers organize their economic activities?
a. Mention any three of the empires of West African Sudan.
b. Highlight any four factors that determined the siting of the kingdoms of the
West African Sudan.
a. Identify two ways in which the discovery of fire helped early man in Africa.
b. State any four results of the change from hunting and gathering to food
production in Africa.
Trace the origin of the Gonja people of the Northern Zone of Ghana.
a. Name any six products of pot-makers in pre-colonial Ghana.
b. Describe the processes used by indigenous pot-makers in producing their
wares.
Describe any five indigenous religious beliefs and practices of the people of
Ghana before their contact with Europeans.
In what five ways did the Christian Missionaries contribute to social
development in Ghana in the nineteenth century?
Discuss the Guggisberg constitution of 1925.
a. Name any six major roads constructed in Ghana during the colonial period.
b. Give any four reasons for the development of the transport network by the
colonial government.
Give any five reasons for the emergence of the National Liberation Movement
(NLM).
To what extent was the Busia government democratic? Give five reasons for
your answer.

To be continued…
I’m very much aware that this list of WAEC history past questions in not
complete. Questions for some years are missing. Expect, therefore, to see
regular updates to this document.