Struggling with WASSCE Maths? Stop guessing. Let’s fix the gap step by step.
Algebra Clinic: Every Algebra Lesson, in the Right Order
All the Mathematics algebra lessons in one place, in a sensible order: from what letters mean, through equations and traps, to WASSCE word problems.
Algebra is where many students first start to feel lost in maths. A sign changes, a bracket disappears, and suddenly nothing makes sense. The good news is that most algebra trouble comes from a few small gaps, and every one of them can be fixed.
Start at the top if algebra has always felt confusing. If you already know your weak spot, jump straight to that section.
Practise algebraic reasoning →
Algebra in one page
Algebra is the language the rest of Core Maths is written in. Weak algebra shows up everywhere: in simple interest, in graphs, in mensuration. The good news is that most algebra mistakes come from a handful of foundation habits. Here they are, in the order you should fix them.
1. The sign belongs to the term after it
2. Collect only like terms
3. Solve equations by balancing
Whatever you do to one side, do to the other. Undo the operations in reverse order.
2x + 5 = 17 \;\Rightarrow\; 2x = 12 \;\Rightarrow\; x = 6
4. Change the subject of a formula
5. Simultaneous equations
6. Turn words into maths
Start here: the foundations
Algebra Basics: 8 Simple Rules Every Beginner Needs
In many Ghanaian classrooms, the moment algebra appears on the board, some students begin to panic before the teacher even finishes writing the question. You will hear quiet…
Algebra for Beginners: 8 Rules That Stop the Guessing
Algebra for Beginners is meant for a learner who can calculate with numbers but becomes unsure when familiar operations are written with letters. This Mathematics and algebra…
Afraid of Algebra? 8 Beginner-Friendly Examples That Help
8 beginner-friendly examples that fix algebra fear can help the learner who freezes immediately after seeing letters in Maths. Some students are not weak in all of Core…
8 Simple Examples to Understand Like Terms Properly
Understand like terms properly, and algebra will stop looking like a crowd of letters fighting on the page. Many Ghana SHS students struggle with algebra because they collect…
Sign Errors in Mathematics: 9 Ways to Avoid Them
Sign errors in Mathematics are among the small mistakes that cost Ghana SHS students big marks. A learner may know the formula, understand the question, and even…
9 Ways to Stop Mixing Up Expressions and Equations
9 Ways to Stop Mixing Up Expressions and Equations begins with a simple classroom problem. A learner sees 3x + 5 and immediately asks, “Sir, should I move…
Working with expressions
When to Expand, Factorise or Simplify: 7 Quick Checks
When to expand, factorise, or simplify is a common decision problem among Ghanaian SHS Mathematics learners. A learner may understand the three techniques separately but still struggle…
Substitution in Maths: 9 Costly Mistakes to Avoid
Substitution in Maths looks simple until the learner starts losing marks. The question may say, “If x = -2, find 3x^2 – 4x + 1.” The learner feels…
10 Algebra Rules Every SHS Student Should Know
Algebra rules for SHS students are not meant to frighten learners. They are meant to bring order to the confusion. Many learners fear algebra because letters, signs, brackets,…
Solving equations
Linear Equations: 5 Steps to Solve Without Guessing
Linear equations in Mathematics are one of the topics where many Ghanaian SHS students lose marks, not because the topic is too difficult, but because they solve…
10 Steps to Solve Linear Equations Without Guessing
Solve linear equations without guessing. That is the simple skill many Ghana SHS students need before they enter serious algebra, word problems, graphs, simultaneous equations, and WASSCE Core…
8 Ways to Solve Equations Step by Step
In many Ghanaian SHS classrooms, a learner can copy the teacher’s equation correctly, understand the question at first, and still lose the answer after two or three lines…
Making a Subject: 7 Reasons Students Lose Marks
In Mathematics, some learners can use a formula when the subject is already given. But immediately the question says “make r the subject” or “express h in…
Simultaneous Equations: 7 Hidden Gaps Behind Wrong Answers
Simultaneous equations can deceive many SHS students. The question may look short. The method may also look familiar. But after two or three lines, the answer becomes wrong,…
Traps and mistakes that cost marks
Algebra Traps: 8 Ways Students Lose Easy Marks
Algebra traps are one major reason many Ghanaian SHS students lose easy marks in WASSCE Mathematics. The sad part is that some of these marks are not…
7 WASSCE Algebra Traps That Look Easy but Cost Marks
7 WASSCE algebra traps that look easy but cost marks are the kinds of questions that make students say, “Sir, I knew it, but I made a small…
10 Algebra Mistakes SHS Students Should Fix Before WASSCE
Algebra mistakes are one of the quiet reasons many Ghanaian SHS students lose marks in WASSCE Mathematics. The painful part is that some learners do not even…
Algebra Foundation in Mathematics: 7 Signs It Needs Work
An algebra foundation in Mathematics is one of the quiet reasons many Ghanaian SHS students lose marks before they even reach the main part of a WASSCE…
Algebra Foundation: 5 Warning Signs Students Must Fix Before WASSCE
Your algebra foundation is the part of Mathematics that carries letters, signs, brackets, equations, formula work, substitution, and many word problems. When this foundation is weak, algebra…
Word problems
Word Problems in WASSCE Maths: 7 Ways to Understand the Question
In many Ghanaian classrooms, you can hear this statement almost every term: Student Complaint“Sir, I know the formula, but when the question comes as a word problem, I…
Word Problems in Mathematics: 7 Hidden Clues
Word problems in Mathematics become difficult for many Ghanaian SHS learners, not because the calculations are always hard, but because the numbers are hidden inside sentences. In…
Practise
Algebra Practice for Students Who Struggle: 10 Tasks to Try
Algebra practice for weak students should not begin with difficult examination questions. It should begin with a simple diagnosis: can the learner look at an algebra question and…
Stuck on something?
If a lesson doesn’t fully clear things up, send me your question and tell me where you got stuck.
The algebra mistakes examiners see most
| Mistake | Fix |
|---|---|
| −2² written as 4 | (−2)² = 4, but −2² = −4: use brackets |
| 3(x + 4) written as 3x + 4 | Multiply every term inside the bracket |
| Unlike terms combined (2a + 3b = 5ab) | Only like terms can be collected |
| A term moved across without changing its sign | Do the same operation to both sides |
| Changing the subject by guessing | Undo the operations in reverse order |
Questions learners often ask
How do I change the subject of a formula?
List the operations done to the letter you want, then undo them in reverse order, doing the same to both sides each time.
How do I solve simultaneous equations?
Make the coefficients of one letter equal, then add or subtract the equations to eliminate it. Solve for the other letter and substitute back.
This clinic is part of How to Pass WASSCE and NOVDEC Core Maths.
Sources and further reading
The mistakes and topics in these lessons come from what WAEC examiners report year after year, matched to Ghana’s SHS curriculum. You can read the original sources here:
- WAEC Chief Examiner’s Reports: the yearly reports on where candidates lose marks, which these lessons are built on
- NaCCA SHS curriculum: the official Ghana Senior High School curriculum
- Ghana curriculum resources: official teaching and learning resources for the new curriculum
Written by
Dickson Sarpong
NTC-certified SHS Mathematics teacher in Ghana with WAEC marking experience, and author of The Bridge Series textbooks. Every lesson here is built around the mistakes WAEC examiners keep reporting.
About DicksonStuck? Ask a question
Want the whole topic, step by step? My textbooks, The Bridge to Mathematics and The Bridge to Additional Mathematics for SHS, follow the new curriculum and rebuild the basics as you go.
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