NCEE English Revision Tips — Comprehension and Grammar Mastery
English is the language of instruction in Nigerian secondary schools — and one of the core subjects in the National Common Entrance Examination (NCEE).
Strong English skills affect not only the English paper itself but also performance across all other subjects. A pupil who reads carefully, writes clearly, and understands questions accurately will always have an edge.
This guide from The Exam Coach breaks down how to master comprehension, grammar, and writing tasks in the NCEE, with simple daily practices and realistic strategies for busy families.
Reading Practice: Building Comprehension Power
Reading comprehension is often the toughest part of the English section because it combines speed, attention, and reasoning.
Here’s how to help your child improve comprehension steadily before exam day:
1️⃣ Read a Little Every Day
Set aside 10–15 minutes daily for reading short stories, newspaper passages, or simple articles. Encourage your child to summarise what they’ve read in their own words.
2️⃣ Focus on Understanding, Not Memorising
Ask comprehension-style questions after each passage:
What is the main idea?
Who are the main characters?
What lesson or message does it teach?
Which word means the same as “happy” in the passage?
3️⃣ Use Different Text Types
Expose pupils to stories, poems, news reports, and factual texts. The NCEE includes a mix of styles, so variety builds adaptability.
4️⃣ Teach Annotation
Train your child to underline keywords in the question and mark important parts of the text.
This habit helps them find answers faster during the real exam.
5️⃣ Practise Inference Questions
These require reading between the lines.
For example, “Why did the boy run away?” may not have a direct answer — pupils must infer from clues.
👩🏫 Exam Coach Top Tip: The best comprehension readers are detectives. They look for meaning, tone, and emotion, not just facts.
Grammar Checklist: Accuracy First
Grammar accounts for a large portion of NCEE English marks — both in multiple-choice questions and short written answers.
Below is a simple checklist of the areas to revise consistently.
1️⃣ Parts of Speech
Your child should be able to identify and use:
Nouns (common, proper, abstract)
Pronouns (subjective, objective, possessive)
Verbs (regular and irregular)
Adjectives, Adverbs, Prepositions, Conjunctions
2️⃣ Subject-Verb Agreement
Singular subjects take singular verbs (“He plays”), while plural subjects take plural verbs (“They play”).
This rule appears in nearly every NCEE paper.
3️⃣ Tenses and Verb Forms
Revise simple present, past, and future tenses.
Encourage pupils to look for time markers like yesterday, tomorrow, or now to choose the correct form.
4️⃣ Sentence Structure
Practise rewriting short, choppy sentences into full, correct forms. Example:
“boy playing ball” → “The boy is playing with a ball.”
5️⃣ Punctuation and Capitalisation
Marks are lost for missing full stops or capital letters. Review the use of commas, apostrophes, and question marks regularly.
6️⃣ Commonly Confused Words
Create flashcards for pairs like:
Their / There / They’re
Its / It’s
Your / You’re
Then / Than
Writing Tasks: Clarity and Creativity
The English section may include short writing or sentence construction tasks.
While not as long as a full composition, they still test clarity, vocabulary, and logical thought.
Here’s how to build those skills before the exam.
1️⃣ Practise Writing Sentences from Prompts
Give short topics like “My Best Friend” or “A Rainy Day” and ask your child to write 3–4 clear sentences.
Focus on grammar first, then creativity.
2️⃣ Emphasise Structure
Even for short tasks, teach pupils to plan with:
An opening statement
Supporting ideas
A closing line
3️⃣ Encourage Adjective and Verb Variety
Replace “good” with “excellent,” or “went” with “rushed.”
Strong vocabulary makes writing more engaging and improves marks.
4️⃣ Review Previous Writing Tasks
Look at old NCEE Past Papers.
Analyse what kind of short writing questions appear most — often letter openings, story completions, or dialogue lines.
5️⃣ Keep It Neat
Even the best answers lose marks if they’re messy. Encourage clear handwriting and spacing between words.
6️⃣ Avoid Common Errors
Watch for run-on sentences, missing full stops, and wrong tenses.
Have your child read their work aloud — they’ll spot many mistakes instantly.
Past Paper Focus: Learn the Question Pattern
NCEE English papers follow a fairly consistent format each year. By analysing past papers, you can identify patterns and focus your revision.
Here’s what most papers include:
Comprehension passage with 5–10 multiple-choice questions
Grammar section with fill-in-the-gap or error-detection questions
Vocabulary section with synonyms and antonyms
Sentence construction or short writing questions
Encourage your child to:
Complete at least five past English papers before the real exam
Time each paper and aim for 90–95% accuracy before moving on
Compare their answers with the marking guide to understand NECO’s expectations
👩🏫 Exam Coach Top Tip: If your child struggles in comprehension, focus on reading and answering aloud — explaining answers builds reasoning skills faster than silent guessing.
Mock Preparation: Simulating the Real Exam
Practising under exam-like conditions is the final stage of readiness.
Here’s how to make mocks meaningful — not just repetitive.
1️⃣ Full-Length Simulation Once a Week
Give your child a full 50-mark English paper under strict timing (45–60 minutes).
Use a quiet environment and set real break times to mimic NCEE day structure.
2️⃣ Check for Comprehension Accuracy First
Prioritise understanding the text before working on grammar polish.
If your child misinterprets the passage, even perfect grammar won’t score high.
3️⃣ Review Mistakes Methodically
After each mock, separate errors by type: vocabulary, grammar, comprehension.
Work on one area per day to close gaps quickly.
4️⃣ Balance Online and Paper Practice
Combine digital mock platforms with printed papers.
Online practice builds speed; paper practice builds endurance.
5️⃣ Focus on Weak Sections in Final Weeks
Two weeks before the exam, narrow revision to grammar rules and comprehension speed. Avoid overloading new topics.
Final Thoughts
English mastery for the NCEE isn’t about memorising pages of rules — it’s about daily exposure, correction, and consistency.
A few minutes of guided reading, sentence writing, and timed practice each day can raise your child’s score significantly.
At The Exam Coach, we combine professional teaching with practical mock feedback to make sure every child enters the NCEE confident, calm, and ready to perform at their best.
Ready to transform your child’s English results? Join our expert tutors and get full access to targeted practice papers.
