THE MALAWI NATIONAL EXAMINATIONS BOARD

2022 MALAWI SCHOOL CERTIFICATE OF EDUCATION EXAMINATION

CHIEF EXAMINER’S REPORT

BIBLE KNOWLEDGE I (M022)

PAPER I

GENERAL COMMENTS ON:

A. THE QUALITY OF THE PAPER

The paper was well set with items well distributed across the levels (JCE and
MSCE). There was also a good balance between the Old and New
Testaments. The language used was appropriate for the level.

B. STANDARD OF OVERALL PERFORMANCE

The performance was generally average. Most candidates from Mission and
other Boarding Secondary Schools performed very well. However, most
candidates from Community Day Secondary schools did not do well.

C. COMMENTS ON CANDIDATES’ PERFORMANCE ON

INDIVIDUAL QUESTIONS

Questions 1: Divisions of the Bible

The question was on the importance of Biblical literature. Most candidates

got it right that it is for praising God option (C).
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Questions 3 – 7: The Patriarchs.

The items were drawn from the Junior Certificate syllabus. Most candidates
performed well.

Question 8: The Work of Moses

Candidates were able to tell that blood (Option C) was the disaster that compelled
the king of Egypt to allow the Israelites leave the country.

Question 9: The Monarchy

This was another item from the Junior Certificate syllabus. Candidates’
performance was average. Option (C) was the correct answer.

Question 10: Prophets

This was the last item from JCE (Old Testament). Most candidates were able to tell
that Elijah (option D) was the prophet that contested with the prophets of Baal at
Mount Carmel.

Questions 11 – 15: Prophet Isaiah

Candidates’ performance was average.

Questions 16: The life of Jesus

Performance was average perhaps because the item seemed to have had multiple
correct options. But the correct answer was option C (1, 3 and 4).

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Questions 17 –25: The Ministry of Jesus (Mark’s Gospel)

Although items in this subsection were drawn from the JCE syllabus. Performance
was not spectacular. It was still average.

Questions 26 –38: The Ministry of Jesus (Luke’s Gospel)

There was average performance.

Questions 39 –50: Acts of the Apostles

Candidates’ performance was far below average except for those centers where the
syllabus was fully covered.

PAPER II
GENERAL COMMENTS ON:

A. THE QUALITY OF THE PAPER

The items in the paper were well set and syllabus coverage was good. There
was a favourable balance of items drawn from JCE and MSCE. Topics from
the Old Testament, New Testament and Contemporary issues were fairly
covered.

B. STANDARD OF OVERALL PERFORMANCE

The performance was slightly better than the case was in 2021. It was
observed that candidates’ performance in Acts of the Apostles was not
impressive as compared to the other sections. This only showed that the

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 syllabus was not fully covered in most schools. It was also noted that
candidates from Mission secondary schools, a few private schools and
national secondary schools performed far much better than those from
Community Day Secondary schools.

C. COMMENTS ON CANDIDATES’ PERFORMANCE ON

INDIVIDUAL QUESTIONS

SECTION A: OLD TESTAMENT

Question 1 a

The question demanded candidates to state Abraham’s reaction to God’s command

to offer Isaac. The performance was average as some candidates failed to properly
understand the meaning of reaction. Other candidates brought ideas they heard
from sermons on the passage, for example that Abraham took Isaac secretly,
without informing Sarah.

Question 1 b

Most candidates were able to state that God would provide the lamb for sacrifice.

Question 1 c

Candidates were asked to relate the angel’s speech to Abraham at Mount Moriah.
Most candidates did not do well. They focused their responses on Isaac as a
sacrifice rather than on what the angel said.

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Question 1 d

Most candidates performed very well on this (application) question which

demanded them to give lessons learnt from the story.

Question 2 a

The item demanded candidates to give groups of people that the Lord would take
away from Jerusalem. Most candidates, especially those who had prepared
themselves well, gave correct responses. Some candidates however, gave
responses from what is contained in Isaiah chapter 4. The focus in this question
was on Chapter 3.

Question 2 b

Candidates were called upon to explain the consequences of the Lord’s action in
2a. It was noted that some candidates had challenges. They gave responses from
chapter 4 of Isaiah for example, ‘seven women will get hold of one husband’. They
were supposed to state that the land would be ruled by immature boys, young
people would not respect the elderly, there would be oppression etc.

Question 2 c

Candidates were asked to give the specific sins committed by the women of
Jerusalem. Performance was good although other candidates lost marks for
repeating responses (stating the same responses in a different way). For example,
They were proud and They walked with their noses in the air.

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Question 2 d

The question was about how the women of Jerusalem would be punished.
Performance was average. Candidates who had prepared themselves thoroughly
were able to tell that the women of Jerusalem would lose their husbands and
children, lose their hair, be subjected to poverty etc.

SECTION B: NEW TESTAMENT

Question 3 a

Candidates were asked to explain why Joseph decided to break his engagement to
Mary. Performance was above average, maybe because the story is one of the most
popular in the Bible.

Question 3 b

The question demanded candidates to relate the angel’s message to Joseph. The
major issue in the message was that Joseph should take Mary as his wife for it was
by the Holy Spirit that she had conceived. Most candidates got good marks
although some confused this story with that from Luke’s Gospel.

Question 3 c

The question demanded candidates to explain three points which showed that
Herod was upset by the birth of Jesus Christ. Performance was below average.
Herod was shaken by the news of the birth of Jesus such that he made enquiries
about it and later on ordered the slaughter of babies born around this time.

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Question 3 d

Performance was above average on the significance of the various gifts to Jesus
from the visitors from the east. This passage is mostly taught and discussed in
various churches during Christmas.

Question 4 a

Candidates were demanded to state what surprised the women at the tomb of Jesus.
Performance in this question was not that good because some candidates confused
stories. They took details from other synoptic Gospels, mostly from Matthew.

Question 4 b

The challenge in 4a spilled over to 4b. Therefore, candidates came up with

message as told elsewhere and not from Luke as demanded in the question. Others
talked about what happened on the way to Emmaus.

Question 4 c

Candidates were asked to state Peter’s reaction to the message of Jesus’

resurrection. The question was poorly done. Peter did ‘not fully believe’ the
message. He was amazed and he ran to the grave and checked the linen
wrappings.

Question 4 d

The question was about why women had a low status among the Jewish society.
Most candidates performed poorly. Among other reasons, women had limited
access to education as compared to men.
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SECTION C: ACTS OF THE APOSTLES

Question 5 a

Candidates were called upon to describe an extra ordinary event that took place at
Cornelius’ house. The Holy Spirit came on new converts.

Question 5 b

The question was about accusation made against Peter by some Jews in Jerusalem.
Most candidates were able to tell that Peter was accused of interacting with
Gentiles.

Question 5 c

The question was about Peter’s defence to the accusation in 5b and the apostles’
reaction. There was average performance. In spite of the fact that it was clearly
shown in the question that issues under discussion were from Acts chapter 11,
other candidates brought responses from other parts of the book, unrelated to the
passage under discussion. Peter clearly explained that he was led by God to visit
the Gentile home. The apostles understood and welcomed Peter’s explanation.

Question 5 d

Since it was clear in the story under discussion that the Holy Spirit was central,
candidates performed very well in identifying themes. They picked those themes to
do with the Holy Spirit.

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Question 6 a

Candidates were asked why Demetrius was angered by Paul’s preaching in

Ephesus. Candidates’ performance was average. Demetrius was angry that Paul’s
preaching against idols affected his business.

Question 6 b

Candidates were asked to state how the crowd reacted after listening to Demetrius.
Performance was good although some candidates claimed that the story was about
Peter. The crowd was angry and shouted ‘great is Artemis of Ephesus ‘among
others.

Question 6 c

The question was about the Town Clerk’s speech. May be due to failure by
teachers to fully cover the syllabus, most candidates did not do well in this
question. The Town Clerk calmed the crowd down by telling the people that Paul
and his team had not robbed temples, therefore if people had issues against them,
they had to lodge complaints orderly.

Question 6 d

Since most candidates were not very familiar with the story, it was somewhat
difficult to come up with correct themes.

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RECOMMENDATIONS TO:

(i) Schools
 Teachers should cover the whole syllabus adequately. Team teaching
can be adopted to achieve this.
 Teachers should assess their learners regularly so that they become
accustomed to terms such as relate, narrate, etc. it is advisable that
points in relate, narrate questions be put in bullet form and not
continuous prose.
 Bible Knowledge teachers should take time to read and follow
contents in the Chief Examiner’s report.
 Learners should be encouraged to study the Good News version of the
Bible to familiarise themselves with terms and words used therein.
 Teaching resources such as maps can help especially when teaching
acts of the Apostles.

(ii) Ministry of Education

 INSERTs should be organised at school, district and/or at national
level for teachers to share knowledge and experiences.
 Deploy more Bible Knowledge teachers in schools.
 Teaching and learning materials such as copies of the Good News
Bible should be made available in schools.

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