The 2026 Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) has officially commenced across Ghana today, May 4, with authorities assuring the public of a smooth and well-coordinated process.
This year’s examination, taking place from May 4 to May 8, 2026, involves 619,985 candidates from 20,390 schools. This cohort includes 304,273 males and 315,712 females, with 156 candidates from Togo and Benin also participating. The exam is administered across 2,137 centres by 2,303 supervisors, 2,000 assistant supervisors, and 21,027 invigilators.
The Head of Public Affairs at the West African Examinations Council, John Kapi, explained that all necessary preparations have been completed ahead of the nationwide exercise.
“Printing is over, parking has been done, and we’ve dispatched the first batch of question papers to all the examination centres that we have across the country,” he said. We also have our personnel who are there, we have the police who are helping to guard the examination centres, and then also the gun education service personnel who are supposed to assist us to do the job.”
Mr. Kapi added that trained personnel have been deployed to oversee the process, with support from the Ghana Police Service to ensure the security of examination centres, alongside officials from the Ghana Education Service.
Meanwhile, WAEC has raised concerns about examination malpractice, particularly the circulation of leaked questions on digital platforms. Authorities say they are monitoring these platforms and working with cybersecurity agencies to take down such content.
According to him, some unscrupulous invigilators and supervisors use their phones to take on either WhatsApp platforms or Telegram platforms.
Meanwhile he said, “whenever we come across these, we monitor them, sometimes we also would report, and then we are in touch also with the cyber security networks so that they pull them down.”
Beyond enforcement, WAEC says tackling malpractice requires a collective effort from schools, communities, and families.
John Kapi noted that the BECE remains a critical national examination that determines placement into senior high schools, making credibility and fairness essential to the future of thousands of students across the country.
He urged parents to encourage children to learn and do the right thing. He also called on opinion leaders, politicians, chiefs, and all other well-meaning people in society to allow the candidates to be examined independently.
Mr. Kapi said this will ensure that they finish their exams and receive their certificates with confidence, knowing they achieved their success on merit and not through other means.
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Source: Angelina Riley Hayford/ATLFMNEWS
