Over 500,000 School Candidates Sit for BECE Beginning Monday

The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has announced that more than 500,000 students will take the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) starting on Monday, July 8, 2024.

These candidates will be examined based on the newly introduced common core curriculum at 2,123 centres nationwide.

“As part of the arrangement for the school conduct of the examination, the guidelines, scheme and structure of the examination with sample questions were developed and circulated to all heads of schools. Interested stakeholders can also visit our website to have access to them,” the Head of the Public Relations Department of the WAEC, Mr John Kapi relayed.

According to figures he provided, a total of 569,095 candidates made up of 282,648 males and 286,447 females from 19,506 participating schools have registered for the School examination.

“The figure represents a figure of 5.28% compared to the 2023 entry figure of 600,900,” he highlighted as he noted that the candidates will supervised by a total of 2,126 supervisors, 1,889 Assistant Supervisors and 19,973 invigilators.

Private Candidates
For Private Candidates, he said, are 1,366 candidates comprising 735 males and 631 females registered which is 25.7% lower than 2023’s entry of 1,839.

The candidates will sit for the exam at 15 centres in the regional capitals.

Unlike the School Candidates, they will be examined based on the old syllabus.

Special Candidates
Mr Kapi in his address indicated that rooms have been provided to facilitate the participation of persons with disability.

“The Council has made reasonable accommodation adjustments to ensure that its examinations are more accessible to candidates with special educational needs. These include braille papers for visually impaired candidates, large print papers for candidates with low vision, and provision of additional time that is one and half times the time allotted to other candidates such as hearing-impaired candidates, candidates with cerebral palsy and autism spectrum disorder.”

He also noted that candidates with cerebral palsy and candidates who are visually impaired but cannot read Braille will use computers for the exam.

Pre-exam Activities
The Council says sensitization of candidates and briefings for supervisors and other officials have all been done.

Additionally, all depots for the storage of confidential materials have been inspected with the needed refurbishment and fortification.

“Arrangements have been made with the Ghana Police Service for the provision of 24-hour guard for all storage depots in the country.”

Also, the Council noted the distribution of examination stationary items such as objective answer cards, answer booklets and pencils to the District Education offices throughout the country has taken place.

Movement of Papers
The Council also intends to utilise drones in the distribution of exam papers just like it did in Afram Plains in the face of mobility challenges.

“The same arrangements have been made this year to ensure that no candidate is deprived of the opportunity to write the examination.”

Caution
Candidates, supervisors and invigilators are banned from taking mobile phones to the examination hall.

“Mobile phones and other electronic communication devices are prohibited at examination Centres. Neither supervisors, invigilators nor candidates are permitted to bring mobile phones into the examination halls.”

He added, “Parents must ensure their wards do not send mobile phones to examination Centres. The candidate’s entire results will be cancelled if found with a mobile phone. Supervisors and invigilators are to search candidates thoroughly to ensure that they do not have in their possession mobile phones or any other foreign material in the examination hall. Proprietors of schools, parents, headmasters, teachers and all other persons not involved in the conduct of the examination are not allowed in the examination Centres.”

Candidates have also been instructed to input accurate data including their names and index numbers on their answer booklets and question papers.