Assessment of Islamic Studies Content in the WAEC/NECO Examination Syllabus: A Critical Review in the Nigerian Context

This study critically assesses the content of Islamic Studies in the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) and National Examinations Council (NECO) secondary school syllabi in the Nigerian context. As standardised examinations serve as critical gatekeepers for tertiary education admission, the content and structure of these syllabi significantly shape what students learn and how teachers teach Islamic Studies. The study employs a document analysis design, systematically reviewing the WAEC and NECO Islamic Studies syllabi alongside selected examination past questions from the past five years. Interviews were also conducted with 20 Islamic Studies teachers and 5 curriculum developers in Abuja. Data were analysed using content analysis frameworks. Findings reveal that the syllabi adequately cover the Five Pillars, Seerah, and selected Quranic passages but exhibit significant weaknesses in coverage of contemporary Islamic thought, comparative jurisprudence, and applied Islamic ethics. Examination questions are predominantly knowledge-recall oriented, with limited assessment of analytical or applied competencies. The study recommends a comprehensive review of the examination syllabi to incorporate contemporary Islamic scholarship, greater representation of Nigerian Islamic history, and a rebalancing of examination question types towards higher-order thinking skills. Keywords: WAEC, NECO, Islamic Studies, examination syllabus, curriculum review.