WAEC Agricultural Science 2024 past questions

Checked by the Skolra question team · Last updated 23 October 2026

Ten questions from the 2024 WAEC Agricultural Science paper, with answers and explanations. We hold 28 questions from this paper, and the Skolra app has all of them.

WAEC Agricultural Science 2024 questions and answers

1. 1.A major difference between disc harrow and a disc plough is that
   1. A
      the disc plough has smaller, more numerous discs than the disc harrow
   2. B
      the disc harrow is used for primary tillage while the disc plough is used for secondary tillage
   3. C
      the disc plough cuts and pulverizes the soil without turning it over, while the disc harrow inverts the soil completely
   4. D
      the disc plough has its discs mounted separately on individual axles, while the disc harrow has several discs mounted together on a common shaft
      Correct
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   Answer: D

   Working: Both are disc-type tillage implements, but they are built and used differently.

   A disc plough is a primary tillage implement. Its large concave discs are each mounted on their own separate axle/standard and frame, so each disc turns independently. It is set at a steep angle to cut, lift and invert the soil, much like a mouldboard plough, and is used on virgin, stony, or trashy land.

2. 2.Low relative humidity in livestock pens would
   1. A
      increase the dampness of the litter material
   2. B
      increase the amount of dust in the pen
      Correct
   3. C
      encourage the growth of disease-causing microorganisms
   4. D
      reduce the body temperature of the animals
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   Answer: B

   Relative humidity is the amount of water vapour in the air compared to the maximum the air can hold at that temperature. When relative humidity is low, the air inside the pen is dry.

3. 3.Which of the following group of diseases of farm animals are caused by bacteria?
   1. A
      Anthrax, brucellosis and tuberculosis
      Correct
   2. B
      Ringworm, rinderpest and mastitis
   3. C
      Trypanosomiasis, coccidiosis and East Coast fever
   4. D
      Newcastle disease, rabies and foot-and-mouth disease
   Show answerHide answer

   Answer: A

   Anthrax, brucellosis and tuberculosis are all caused by bacteria: anthrax by Bacillus anthracis, brucellosis by Brucella species, and tuberculosis by Mycobacterium bovis. This makes that group the correct answer, since every disease in it shares the same bacterial cause.

4. 4.Which of the following land tenure systems allow a farmer to cultivate a piece of land in one growing season, at a fee?
   1. A
      Renting system
      Correct
   2. B
      Inheritance system
   3. C
      Leasehold system
   4. D
      Pledging system
   Show answerHide answer

   Answer: A

   Renting is the land tenure system that allows a farmer to cultivate a piece of land for just one growing season, after paying an agreed fee to the land owner. Once the season ends, the farmer has no further claim on the land unless a new payment is made for another season.

   Because the question specifically describes a short, one-season arrangement in exchange for money, renting is the correct answer.

5. 5.In order to check erosion on a sloping land, farmers are advised to make
   1. A
      ridges along the slope
   2. B
      flat beds
   3. C
      contour ridges across the slope
      Correct
   4. D
      mounds
   Show answerHide answer

   Answer: C

   Contour ridges across the slope is the correct soil conservation practice for sloping farmland.

   When ridges run across the slope (following the contour), each ridge acts like a small barrier. Rain water is forced to move slowly along the ridge instead of rushing straight downhill, so it has time to soak into the soil, and the topsoil it would have carried away is trapped behind the ridge. This is why the practice is called contour ridging, and it is one of the standard methods used to check erosion on hilly or sloping farmland.

6. 6.The chemical composition of soil is influenced by
   1. A
      the type of vegetation covering it
   2. B
      the slope of the land on which it lies
   3. C
      the parent rock from which it was formed
      Correct
   4. D
      the amount of rainfall it receives
   Show answerHide answer

   Answer: C

   The parent rock from which the soil was formed is correct.

   Soil forms when rock is broken down by weathering. As the rock weathers, the minerals locked inside it are released into the soil, and it is these released minerals that fix the soil's chemical make-up — its pH, and the amounts of elements such as calcium, magnesium, potassium, iron and phosphorus it contains. A soil formed from basalt, for example, is naturally richer in iron and magnesium than a soil formed from sandstone, which is mostly silica. This is why parent rock (parent material) is classed as a soil-forming factor that directly shapes chemical composition, not just the soil's physical texture.

7. 7.Molasses is a major by-product obtained from the processing of
   1. A
      Oil palm
   2. B
      Cassava
   3. C
      Sugar-cane
      Correct
   4. D
      Cotton seed
   Show answerHide answer

   Answer: C

   Molasses is the thick, dark, sticky liquid left behind after sugar crystals have been extracted and spun out of crushed sugar-cane juice during sugar processing. It is a major by-product of the sugar industry and is widely used in Nigeria as livestock feed (an energy source and feed binder), and for producing ethanol and rum.

8. 8.The meat from a tender calf is
   1. A
      Veal
      Correct
   2. B
      Beef
   3. C
      Chevon
   4. D
      Mutton
   Show answerHide answer

   Answer: A

   In agricultural science, the meat from different livestock (and from the same animal at different ages) is given specific trade names, and this is a common area examiners test.

   So remembering the rule: calf (young) → veal, adult cattle → beef, adult sheep → mutton, young sheep → lamb, goat → chevon, helps you pick the straightforward answer here, which is veal.

9. 9.The plant nutrient which is responsible for the green colour of leaves
   1. A
      Calcium
   2. B
      Boron
   3. C
      Magnesium
      Correct
   4. D
      Nitrogen
   Show answerHide answer

   Answer: C

   Magnesium is the plant nutrient responsible for the green colour of leaves. Magnesium is the central metal atom that forms the core of the chlorophyll molecule — without it, chlorophyll cannot be built at all, and chlorophyll is what gives leaves their green colour and allows them to carry out photosynthesis. A magnesium deficiency shows up as interveinal chlorosis, where the leaf turns pale or yellow between the veins while the veins stay green.

10. 10.An important limitation in the use of sprinkler irrigation system is that
    1. A
       It requires a very large number of farm labourers to operate
    2. B
       It causes leaching of soil nutrients
    3. C
       Its spray pattern is easily disturbed by wind, causing uneven water distribution
       Correct
    4. D
       It causes severe soil erosion on the farmland
    Show answerHide answer

    Answer: C

    A sprinkler irrigation system works by shooting water into the air so that it falls on the crops like rain. Because the water travels through the air before landing, wind easily blows the spray off course. This means that on a windy day, some parts of the farm receive too much water while other parts receive too little, and a lot of water also drifts away and is lost through evaporation before it even reaches the soil. This is the major and well-known limitation of the sprinkler system.

    So the correct limitation is that its spray pattern is easily disturbed by wind.

The questions come from past JAMB, WAEC and NECO papers. We use software to help write the answer options and explanations, and every answer is checked twice before it goes on the site. How we check

Spotted a wrong answer? Tell us from the app or on the contact page and we check it.

Practise all 28 questions we hold from the 2024 paper, on a timed CBT screen

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