Likely BECE Social Studies Questions & Answers For September 2023 Candidates – Must Read

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Likely BECE Social Studies Questions & Answers For September 2023 Candidates – Must Read:

Find below the New BECE Social Studies Trial Questions For All October Candidates. These questions are here to help you in your final preparation for the 2023 basic education certificate examination.

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It’s our hope that most of these questions will appear in your final examination come September 2023. Make sure to solve the questions by yourself before looking at the answer.

This will help you have a better understanding of the questions and how to solve them in case you meet similar ones in the waec examination.

Note that, these questions are selected from the waec previous year’s questions (Past Questions) so students are advised to take them as past questions rather than seeing them as leakage questions.

BECE Social Studies Questions – Paper One

1. Human activities are generally controlled by

A. technology
B. social environment
C. superstition
D. scientific research

B. social environment

2. The Kakum Forest in Ghana promotes economic development through its

A. supply of firewood
B. supply of timber
C. suitable location
D. tourist attraction

D. tourist attraction

3. Irresponsible adolescent behaviour usually results in

A. self-reliance
B. loss of dignity
C. broken homes
D. drug abuse

B. loss of dignity

4. Ethnic groups in Ghana are distinctly identified by their

A. dance
B. music
C. language
D. food

C. language

5. The crop types which grow well in the Guinea Savanna are

A. millet and groundnuts
B. cocoa and rice
C. shallots and cassava
D. plantain and cola

A. millet and groundnuts

6. The health needs of people can be improved by

A. building more schools
B. locating a hospital closer to the people
C. providing good drinking water
D. eating more carbohydrate foods

C. providing good drinking water

7. The British colonized parts of the Gold Coast largely through

A. conquest
B. persuasion
C. bribery
D. invitation

A. conquest

8. The outermost part of the earth is called the

A. core
B. mantle
C. atmosphere
D. crust

D. crust

9. The Europeans came to the Gold Coast purposely to

A. engage in trading activities
B. spread the gospel
C. explore the land
D. establish schools

C. explore the land

10. The adoption of modern cultural practices enables a society to

A. develop economically
B. lead good moral lives
C. abandon its traditional values
D. respect individual human rights

A. develop economically

11. The use of orthodox and traditional medicine for the treatment of the same disease is an example of

A. outmoded culture
B. cultural lag
C. parallel culture
D. cultural change

C. parallel culture

12. Water bodies on a physical map are represented by

A. blue colour
B. green colour
C. yellow colour
D. brown colour

A. blue colour

13. The earth experiences equal day and equal night each year on

A. 21st March and 23rd September
B. 21st June and 23rd September
C. 21st June and 22nd December
D. 22nd March and 22nd December

A. 21st March and 23rd September

14. Which of the following is a regional capital in Northern Ghana

A. Navrongo
B. Wa
C. Bawku
D. Yendi

B. Wa

15. Which of the following towns is noted for the production of gold in Ghana?

A. Awaso
B. Nsuta
C. Prestea
D. Akwatia

C. Prestea

16. Free vaccines used for immunization in Ghana are supplied by the

A. International Labour Organization
B. World Health Organization
C. Ministry of Health
D. National Health Insurance Scheme

B. World Health Organization

17. The main effect of the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade is the reduction of

A. capital resource
B. human resource
C. natural resource
D. mineral resource

B. human resource

18. Governor Gordon Guggisberg is known to have established the

A. Korle-Bu Hospital
B. University of Ghana
C. Mfantsipim School
D. Cocoa Marketing Board

A. Korle-Bu Hospital

19. The main institution that helps the Executive arm of government to implement its policies is the

A. Civil Service
B. Judicial Service
C. Audit Service
D. Statistical Service

A. Civil Service

20. The West Coast of Africa is washed by the

A. Pacific Ocean
B. Antarctic Ocean
C. Indian Ocean
D. Atlantic Ocean

D. Atlantic Ocean

21. Private businesses can contribute to the development of the nation by

A. registering their businesses
B. purchasing expensive machines
C. paying their taxes as required
D. producing expensive goods

C. paying their taxes as required

22. Floods can best be controlled in our communities through

A. construction of boreholes
B. planned layout
C. harvesting of rainwater
D. tarring of roads

B. planned layout

23. One effect of colonization is that it made Ghanaians to

A. produce more food crops
B. have one common language
C. be self-reliant economically
D. develop strong taste for foreign goods

D. develop strong taste for foreign goods

24. Ghana co-operates with other countries to

A. foster friendly relationships
B. increase her level of tax revenue
C. adopt a common code of conduct
D. create more jobs for her citizens

A. foster friendly relationships

25. The functions of a presiding member of a District Assembly are likened to those of the

A. Clerk of Parliament
B. Chief Justice
C. Speaker of Parliament
D. Appeal Court Judge

C. Speaker of Parliament

26. The world is divided into Northern and Southern Hemispheres by the

A. Tropic of Cancer
B. Tropic of Capricorn
C. Equator
D. Greenwich Meridian

C. Equator

27. Relief rainfall is also known as

A. convectional rainfall
B. frontal rainfall
C. orographic rainfall
D. cyclonic rainfall

C. orographic rainfall

28. The Head of State in Ghana from 1957 to 1960 was

A. Kwame Nkrumah
B. Queen of Britain
C. K. A. Busia
D. Gordon Guggisberg

B. Queen of Britain

29. The Supreme Court of Ghana mainly

A. runs courses for Judges and Magistrates
B. remands criminals in prison custody
C. interprets the constitution and laws for the country
D. makes and implements laws in the country

C. interprets the constitution and laws for the country

30. Daboya is noted for the mining of

A. salt
B. gold
C. diamond
D. bauxite

A. salt

31. Which of the following is the best way of conserving Ghana’s forest cover?

A. Promoting the use of charcoal
B. Vigilance of forest guards
C. Encouraging the replanting of trees
D. Growing more cover crops

C. Encouraging the replanting of trees

32. If a distance of 40 kilometres on land is represented by 10 centimetres on a map, what is the scale of the map?

A. 1 centimetre to 2 kilometres
B. 1 centimetre to 4 kilometres
C. 1 centimetre to 5 kilometres
D. 1 centimetre to 8 kilometres

B. 1 centimetre to 4 kilometres

33. Slaves who were sent to the West Indies worked on

A. coconut plantations
B. pineapple plantations
C. banana plantations
D. sugar-cane plantations

D. sugar-cane plantations

34. The practice of checks and balances prevents

A. dictatorship
B. favouritism
C. ethnicity
D. sectionalism

A. dictatorship

35. Motivation and supervision help in the efficient use of

A. human resources
B. national resources
C. mineral resources
D. capital resources

A. human resources

36. The basic way of promoting savings habit among children is by

A. adopting an insurance policy
B. joining a credit union
C. opening a current account
D. providing money boxes

D. providing money boxes

37. A credit union is an example of a

A. joint stock company
B. co-operative society
C. partnership
D. public corporation

B. co-operative society

38. The regular payments which individuals and organizations make to insurance companies are

A. premiums
B. salaries
C. taxes
D. wages

A. premiums

39. Indiscipline is a problem to the Ghanaian society because it

A. reduces productivity
B. destroys the educational system
C. encourages bribery and corruption
D. leads to high birth rate

A. reduces productivity

40. Tourism in Ghana promotes the growth of the

A. film industry
B. hotel industry
C. textile industry
D. health industry

B. hotel industry

BECE Social Studies Questions – Paper Two

Question One (1)

(a) State four causes of irresponsible adolescent behavior

(b) Explain four benefits of adolescent chastity

DISCLAIMER: ANSWERS PROVIDED ARE ONLY GUIDELINES TO BE EXPANDED, IF REQUIRED, INTO ESSAY FORM FOR FULL MARKS IN THE EXAMINATION.

(a) Causes of irresponsible adolescent behaviour

(i) Lack of proper parental guidance
(ii) Broken homes
(iii) Poverty of both parent and child
(iv) Peer pressure
(v) Low self-esteem of adolescent
(vi) Fallen standards of social morality
(vii) Lack of knowledge of dangers involved
(viii) Disrespect shown to adolescents by parents
(ix) Lack of self-control of adolescents
(x) Irresponsible behaviours of parents, eg, smoking, womanizing, etc
(xi) Curiosity of adolescents

[any four]

(b) Benefits of adolescent chastity

(i) Honour to adolescent’s family

An adolescent who stays chaste brings honour to both him/herself and the family since it would mean that the family trained him/ her and brought him/ her up properly.

(ii) High social reputation (how society sees one)

Chastity is a virtue that society strongly upholds. Those who stay chaste are therefore held in high esteem. Everyone respects an adolescent who is chaste.

(iii) High self-esteem/confidence (how one sees himself/herself)

A chaste adolescent has a high level of self-esteem/confidence, knowing very well that others respect him/ her due to his/ her chastity.

(iv) Peace of mind (sound mind) to focus on education.

A chaste adolescent does not have to bother about the things that may bother his/ her unchaste friends. There are no worries by him/ her/ the family concerning whether she may be pregnant, may have acquired a sexually transmitted disease, or even what others think of him/ her. He/ she enjoys a sound mind in these regards and therefore can focus better on his/ her education.

(v) Smooth progress of education of adolescent

Unlike unchaste adolescents who may have to suspend or even stop their
education entirely due to problems related to pregnancy / STDs / social stigma, the chaste adolescent enjoys smooth progress in his/ her education. He/ she does not have to stop school due to pregnancy, or STDs, or the stigma of being unchaste.

(vi) Prevention of Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs)

Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs) can be gotten if only one has had any form of sexual contact. For that matter, it is practically impossible for a chaste adolescent to be infected with an STD (except he/ she obtained it through other means, which have very low probabilities)

(vii) Avoidance of teenage pregnancy and related problems

A female can get pregnant in a natural way only by having sexual intercourse. A chaste adolescent, therefore, avoids teenage pregnancy and its related problems as long as she stays so.

(viii) Greater trust and respect from a spouse in marriage

An adolescent who stays chaste till marriage earns the trust and respect of his/ her spouse in marriage. The thinking is that if he/ she stayed chaste all the while, then chances are that he/ she would continue to remain faithful in marriage.

(ix) Higher chance of attracting responsible partner for marriage

Most responsible people would want to marry people who have maintained their chastity. A chaste adolescent, therefore, has a higher prospect as regards attracting a responsible partner. (A widely held belief is that we reap what we sow. If that is true, then, chaste people are most likely to marry equally chaste partners)

[any four]

Question Two (2)

(a) Mention four causes of environmental degradation

(b) Outline four ways by which the environment can be protected from
degradation.

DISCLAIMER: ANSWERS PROVIDED ARE ONLY GUIDELINES TO BE EXPANDED, IF REQUIRED, INTO ESSAY FORM FOR FULL MARKS IN THE EXAMINATION.

(a) Causes of environmental degradation

(i) indiscriminate sand winning [land]
(ii) indiscriminate mining [land]
(iii) timber lumbering [land]
(iv) heavy rainfall causing erosion [land]
(v) overgrazing [land]
(vi) indiscriminate dumping of refuse [land and water]
(vii) Excessive use of fertilizers [land and water]
(viii) Excessive use of pesticides [land and water]
(ix) oil spillage [water]
(x) Dumping of industrial waste in water bodies [water]
(xi) indiscriminate sewage disposal [water]
(xii) toxic gases from industries [water]
(xiii) Dumping of industrial waste in water bodies [water]
(xiv) smoke from bush/refuse burning [air]
(xv) Smoking of cigarettes, marijuana, etc [air]
(xvi) Excessive dust from construction sites [air]
(xvii) exhaust fumes from vehicles [air]
(xviii) Excessive noise-making [noise]

(b) Ways by which the environment can be protected from degradation

(i) Reforestation – planting more trees to replace ones cut down
(ii) Afforestation – planting more trees to create a forest
(iii) Recycling of waste – Waste materials which are not biodegradable must be recycled.
(iv) Legislation – Making and enforcing laws to prevent human activities that cause environmental degradation
(v) Setting up government agencies to control the activities of miners and sand winners.
(vi) Encouraging miners, farmers, fishermen, etc to use appropriate methods
(vii) Public education on protection of the environment by government and other organizations
(viii) Checking erosion by terracing, ridging, planting cover crops and wind brakes
(ix) Ensuring proper disposal of sewage and industrial waste – by governmental agencies

[any four]

Question Three (3)

(a) Identify four characteristics of a good law

(b) Highlight four benefits of law in a society

DISCLAIMER: ANSWERS PROVIDED ARE ONLY GUIDELINES TO BE EXPANDED, IF REQUIRED, INTO ESSAY FORM FOR FULL MARKS IN THE EXAMINATION.

(a) Characteristics of a good law

(i) It must be reasonable
(ii) It must be human centred
(iii) It must be enforceable
(iv) It must be applicable to all
(v) It must be able to stand the test of time
(vi) It must be clear and specific, not vague

[any four]

(b) Benefits of law in a society

(i) It protects life and property – by preventing wicked from carrying out certain disastrous actions

(ii) It promotes peace and harmony – by encouraging neighbourliness, tolerance, and peaceful conflict resolution approaches

(iii) It encourages responsible behaviour of people – by spelling out what is expected of citizens/inhabitants.

(iv) It protects one’s fundamental human rights – by indicating the human rights that people are entitled to.

(v) It promotes good governance – by outlining the responsibilities of various arms/organs of government

(vi) It promotes stability and security – by highlighting the roles of the security services

(vii) It facilitates higher productivity – by spelling out the modes of operations of both public and private enterprises

(viii) It promotes the development of the nation – by addressing conditions that could hinder the development

[any four]

Question Four (4)

(a) What is citizenship

(b) Describe four ways by which one could become a citizen of Ghana

DISCLAIMER: ANSWERS PROVIDED ARE ONLY GUIDELINES TO BE EXPANDED, IF REQUIRED, INTO ESSAY FORM FOR FULL MARKS IN THE EXAMINATION.

(a) Citizenship

Membership of a country Or: The legal right to belong to a particular country

(b) Ways by which one could become a citizen of Ghana

(i) By place of birth
(ii) By naturalization
(iii) By registration and marriage
(iv) By adoption
(v) By conferment
(vi) By presumption
(vii) By parentage/or ancestry

(i) By birth – Any person, except children of diplomats, born in the country is
considered a citizen of Ghana

(ii) By ancestry – A person who was born anywhere, after the present constitution came into force, who has either parent or grandparent being Ghanaian, is considered a citizen of Ghana.

(iii) By Presumption – A child of seven years or less found in Ghana whose parents are not known is presumed to be a citizen of Ghana

(iv) By Adoption – A child sixteen years or less, who has been adopted by a citizen of Ghana is also considered to be a citizen of Ghana

(v) By Marriage – A person, married to or was married to a citizen of Ghana, who applies for registration as a citizen of Ghana could be granted Ghanaian
citizenship

(vi) By Naturalization – a person who has lived in Ghana for a number of years and satisfies certain specified legal requirements may be granted citizenship of Ghana.

(vii) By Conferment – The president of Ghana may confer honorary citizenship on a foreigner in order to appreciate or honor him / her.

[any four]

(c) Duties of a citizen of Ghana

(i) Obeying the laws of the land
(ii) Paying rates and taxes
(iii) Protecting state property and the environment
(iv) Defending the constitution of the nation
(v) Being faithful and loyal to the state
(vi) Participating in national events such as census, general elections
(vii) Respecting the rights of other citizens
(viii) Being productive and hardworking
(ix) Preventing and helping to stop criminal acts.

Question Five (5)

(a) What is secondary production?

(b) Outline four reasons why the secondary production sector is
important in Ghana

DISCLAIMER: ANSWERS PROVIDED ARE ONLY GUIDELINES TO BE EXPANDED, IF REQUIRED, INTO ESSAY FORM FOR FULL MARKS IN THE EXAMINATION.

(a) Secondary production – Converting raw material into finished and semi-finished products Examples of secondary production.

(i) Baking bread
(ii) Making ornaments (jewellery)
(iii) Textile production
(iv) Brewing beer
(v) Constructing buildings and roads
(vi) Producing chocolates
(vii) Processing gari
(viii) Manufacturing cars, etc

[any two]

(b) Reasons why the secondary production sector is important in Ghana

(i) Helps the country to earn and conserve foreign exchange – by exporting the secondary products.

(ii) It reduces the nation’s over-reliance on foreign goods – by producing the goods that the nation would have otherwise imported from other countries

(iii) It adds value to the basic / raw materials – which helps to generates more income for both the sector industries and the government.

(iv) Helps in the development of infrastructure – as part of their social responsibility programmes, the sector industries may help to provide various forms of infrastructure

(v) Creates job opportunities for the people – by employing people with the right skills and training to work in the sector industries.

(vi) It reduces the rural-urban migration – in the cases where production centres or branches or agencies are located in the rural areas.

(vii) It increases the sources of income to the government – by the payments of taxes and other levies.

(viii) Reduces the margins of post-harvest loss – as raw materials are processed into finished and semi-finished products.

[any four]

Question Six (6)

(a) State four ways of improving the health needs of Ghanaians

(b) Explain four ways by which improved health of the people can
contribute to national development

DISCLAIMER: ANSWERS PROVIDED ARE ONLY GUIDELINES TO BE EXPANDED, IF REQUIRED, INTO ESSAY FORM FOR FULL MARKS IN THE EXAMINATION.

(a) Ways of improving the health needs of Ghanaians:

(i) Building more hospitals and other health facilities
(ii) Taking steps to maintaining, expanding and improving existing health facilities
(iii) Training and retraining more health workers, such as doctors and nurses
(iv) Instituting health insurance schemes
(v) Improving the conditions of service of health workers to encourage them to stay and work in Ghana
(vi) Using modern equipment at our health centres
(vii) Educating Ghanaians to adopt healthier lifestyles, such as eating
balanced diets, drinking lots of water, exercising regularly, and getting enough sleep
(viii) Improving upon sanitation in our communities
(ix) Providing potable water
(x) Encouraging Ghanaians to maintain good personal hygiene.

[any four]

(b) Ways by which improved health of the people can contribute to
national development

(i) Higher efficiency at work – A sound mind in a sound body works more efficiently than one in a sick body. Good health is therefore crucial for higher work efficiency (more and excellent work done in a relatively short time).

(ii) Greater work regularity/consistency – More work would be done, when people go to work regularly when in good health.

(iii) Greater punctuality – Both workers and students can be more punctual at work if they are in good health. This should increase the work output for national development.

(iv) Higher creativity and effectiveness – Improved health of people would make them more creative and innovative in finding solutions to problems and hence promote national development.

(v) Ready supply of labour – There would be a ready supply of people who can always be called upon to render a particular service, only when they are in good health

(vi) Increased financial income for the nation – The healthier people are, the better they work, and hence, the higher the productivity. Higher productivity produces higher financial incomes both for the people and the state.

(vii) Better Socialization – People who are healthier are able to socialize better. Better socialization leads to greater cohesion, tolerance, cooperation, communal spirit, and patriotism, all of which contribute to national development

[any four]

Likely BECE Social Studies Questions & Answers For September 2023 Candidates – Must Read