Complete WAEC Syllabus for Building Construction 2023, Text Books, and Topics

You must study the WAEC Building Construction syllabus in order to take the test. The purpose and goals, notes, and format for the Building Construction test are all included.

The Building Construction syllabus must be studied to prepare for the exam. You can use it as a guide to help you decide which topics to read about. Additionally, there are notes on ideas that you ought to learn carefully.

Exam preparation without reference to the Building Construction Works syllabus is equivalent to visiting a farm without your farm equipment. You won’t be effective in the end.

Make sure to use the syllabus when you start your exam preparations.

This article includes the West African Examination Council’s recommended textbooks and the Building Construction course syllabus.

If you have any questions, please ask them in the comment area. I look forward to hearing from you.

WAEC Building Construction

Examination Scheme

Papers 1, 2, and 3 are the three required papers that must all be taken. Papers 1 and 2 will be combined into one paper that must be taken all at once.

Paper 1 will include 40 multiple-choice objective questions that must all be completed correctly in order to receive 40 points.

Paper 2 will have five brief, well-structured essay questions. Candidates must respond to any four questions within one hour to receive 60 points.

This will be a practical test, paper 3. It will be divided into Sections A and B. The exam will last two and a half hours and be worth 100 points.

Only candidates from Nigeria, Sierra Leone, and The Gambia may apply under Section A. It will cover BUILDING DRAWING and have four questions, one of which is required. The mandatory question and two other questions must both be answered by candidates.

Section B: Only candidates from Ghana may apply here. There will be six essay questions total, one of which is required. Candidates must respond to the mandatory question as well as three other questions.

WAEC Building Construction

S/NO.	CONTENT	NOTES
1	Introduction to Building	(i) Definition of building (ii) Classification and types (iii) Introduction to National Building Codes. (Building regulations and Byelaw requirements)
2	Building Construction and Construction Team	(i) Definition, purpose and procedures for building construction (ii) Parties in the construction team. Client’s team, contractor’s team and statutory personnel. (iii) Function of the team members. (iv)   Relationship of the parties.
3	Safety Practices.	(i) Definition of safety, rules and regulation. (ii) Hazards in the workshop and construction site. (iii) Causes and methods of accident prevention. (iv) Safety equipment and measures at the construction site. (v) First aid equipment, procedures and safety wear. (vi) Safety in working with dangerous equipment and materials (electricity, scaffolding, formwork, cement, roof, etc).
4	Basic tools, equipment and machines	(i) Identification and functions of basic. (ii) Tools and equipment. (iii) Care of tools and equipment.
5	Site clearing and levelling	(i) Operations involved in site clearing. (ii) Tools and equipment for site clearing and levelling. (iii) Basic site levelling operations.
6	Site organization and layout	(i) Preliminary operations in building construction. (ii) Procedure for site layout. (iii) Location, boundary lines, hoarding, hutments and access road.
7	Setting out	(i) Methods of setting out.  (3:4:5 method, Builders’ square method). (ii) Tools and equipment for setting out. (iii) Procedures for setting out.
8	Building Drawing	(i) Use of drawing tools and simple exercise on plane geometry in relation to the building. (ii) Building drawing symbols (iii) Scales used in building and their application on-site. (iv) Production drawings and interpretations Plans, Elevations, Sections and details). (v) Special details (Detailing building elements including doors and windows schedule). (vi) Scaling (Enlargement, pictorial and perspectives. (vii) Definitions and use of Auto-CADD.
9	Excavation and earthwork.	(i) Classifications, types and properties of soil. (ii) Definition and function of excavation. (iii) Methods of excavations. (iv) Tools, equipment and plant used for excavation. (v) Solution to excavation problems (Earthwork support, timbering battering and dewatering). (vi) Safety rules during excavations.
10	Foundation	(i) Definition, purpose and functional requirement of the foundation. (ii) Types of foundation. (iii) Factors that determine the choice of foundation.
11	Ground Floors	(i) Types, functions and functional requirements of the ground floor. (ii) Methods of construction ground floor. (iii) Definition of the basement. (iv) Explain the differences between buildings with basements and without a basement. (v) Problems relating to the basement in a building.
12	Suspended floors	(i) Definition and functions of upper floor (ii) Methods of construction of concrete floors and timber upper floors.
13	Concrete	(i) Definition and types of concrete. (ii) Materials for concrete. (iii) Definitions of types, components and manufacture of cement. Properties and uses of cement including other alternatives to cement products e.g. Pozzolana, Pulverize fuel Ash (P.F.A.), rice husk ash (R.H.A), etc iv) Types and uses of aggregates (other aggregates such as palm kernel shell) and periwinkle, etc. (v) Types and uses of reinforcements. (vi) Properties and characteristics of concrete (vii) Process of concrete production. (viii) Types of concrete tests.
14	Walls	(i) Definition, types and functions of walls (ii) Definition, types and properties of walling materials. (including locally sourced materials). (iii) Manufacturing processes of walling materials (clay, brick, blocks and concrete blocks). (iv) Sizes of blocks and bricks. (v) Mortar mixes for brick. (vi) Methods of wall construction (vii) Timber wall construction. (viii) Definition and function of wall openings. (ix) Methods of constructing wall opening. (x) Functions of lintels and arches.
15	Doors and windows	(i) Definition, functions and types of doors and windows. (ii) Methods of mixing doors and window frames.
16	Staircases	(i) Definition, classification, types and uses of stairs. (ii) Materials used for construction of stairs. (iii) Materials used for finishing staircases.
17	Plumbing installations and drainage system.	(i) Types of fitting in plumbing and sanitary works. (ii) Materials for plumbing works and fittings. (iii) Types of sanitary appliances. (iv) Soil and waste appliances. (v) Installation of sanitary appliances. (vi) Terms used in drainage works. (vii) Principles and functional requirements of the drainage system. (viii) Types of drainage systems. (ix) Types of drainage materials (pipes and fittings). (x) Methods of laying and testing drain lines. (xi) Description of septic and soakaway (inspection chamber, manhole, etc).
18	Electrical installation and solar energy system.	(i) Electrical symbols, installation terms and materials. (ii) Identification and uses of electrical wiring materials. (iii) Types of electrical wiring. (iv) Definition, functions and components of solar energy systems.
19	Roofs	(i) Definition, purpose and types of roof. (ii) Functional requirements of roof. (iii) Materials used for roofs. (iv) Roof covering materials. (v) Protection of the roof from wind, rain, lightning, etc.
20	Finishes	(A) Floors: (i) Types and characteristics of floor finishes. (ii) Methods of laying floor finishes. (iii) Uses of floor finishes. (iv) Care and maintenance of floor finishes.(B) Walls (i) Types and characteristics of wall finishes (ii) Plastering and rendering (iii) Types of rendering (iv) Methods of applying plastering and rendering mix.(C)Ceiling: (i) Types and functions of ceiling finishes. (ii) Ceiling finishing materials.
21	External Work.	(i) Types of the fence, materials for fencing and construction of the fence. (ii) Types of gates, fixing of gates and production of gates. (iii) Types and materials for construction of access roads. (iv) Construction of access road. (v) Needs and materials for landscaping. (vi) Procedures for landscaping.
22	Types of Business Organization and Ways of Raising Capital.	(i) Principles and Management of Business Organization in the building industry. (ii) Types of Business Organization in the Building Industry. (iii) Types and Sources of Capital.
23.	Book Keeping	Book Keeping: (i) Book Keeping in small scale businesses. (ii) Books of original entries.
24	Contract Work	Contract Work: (i) Definition and types of contract. (ii) Contract documents. (iii) Parties to a contract.

Recommended Textbooks

 SUGGESTED READING LIST

S/No	Author	Title of Books	Publisher
1	Stephen Emmitt and Christopher A. Gorse.	Barry’s Introduction to Construction in Buildings	Blackwell Publishing
2	M. O. Obande	Blocklaying and Concreting	Longman Publishing Company
3	R. Barry	The Construction of Buildings VolsI– V	Granada
4	Ivor H. Seeley	Building Technology	Palgrave
5	S. C. O. A. Ezeji	Building Construction
6	Nash	Brickwork Vols 1 – 3
7	R.  Chudley	Building Construction Handbook	Billing & Sons Ltd.
8	W. B. Mckay	Building Construction Vols 1 – 4
9	Roger Greeno	Principles of Construction
10	Adesokan and  M. O. Adeniyi	Building Construction for Senior Secondary Schools Vols 1 – 3 (Ilesanmi)
11	R. Chuelley	Construction Technology Vols 1 – 4	Longman
12	C. M. H. Barritt	Advanced Building Construction Vols 1 & 2	Longman

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