INTRODUCTION:

As part of efforts to keep our numerous stakeholders adequately informed, the West African Examinations Council deems it appropriate to keep our publics updated through your reliable media platforms on the conduct of its examinations for 2025.

1.BECE FOR SCHOOL AND PRIVATE CANDIDATES

The BECE for School and Private Candidates was conducted from Wednesday, June 11 to Wednesday June, 18, 2025. A total of 603,328 candidates, comprising 297,250 males and 306,078 females from 20,395 participating schools entered for the school examination while 1,661 candidates, comprising 858 males and 803 females registered for the BECE for Private Candidates. While the percentage increase in the number of candidates for the School Candidates was 5.99%, that of the Private Candidates was 19.49%. The provisional results of the BECE for School Candidates were released on August 23, 2025. Candidates who infringed on the rules governing the conduct of the examination were appropriately sanctioned following conclusion of investigations carried out and upon the advice of the relevant committee of the Council.

Results of the BECE for Private Candidates will be released by close of day today 5^th September, 2025.

The BECE candidates were graded using the Stanine Grading System. This grading system has been used since the inception of the BECE in 1990. It was found to be the best that could be used for both certification and selection when the reforms were introduced at that time. The stanine grading system ranks and compares students’ performance in relation to one another as they are considered as a target population. It is therefore untrue that this grading system was used only this year as is being rumoured and circulated on some social media platforms. All policy decisions about the BECE are made by the Ghana Education Service or in special cases by WAEC in consultation with the Ghana Education Service.

Decisions have been taken on most of the withheld cases. However, there are still a number of candidates who were suspected of collusion during the examination and had their results withheld. Investigations have been concluded and the relevant committees will determine the final outcome of their cases.

2.WASSCE FOR SCHOOL CANDIDATES, 2025

The West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) for School Candidates commenced on Tuesday 5^th August, 2025 with the Visual Art Project work and continued with the written papers on Monday 18^th August, 2025. The examination will end on Friday, 19^th September, 2025.

 A total of 461,640 candidates made up of 207,381 males and 254,259 females drawn from 1,021 schools have registered for the examination. This figure represents a 0.22% increase over the 2024 entry figure of 460,611. The examination is taking place at 703 centres across the country.

3.SENSITISATION AND STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT

The Council has held stakeholder engagements across the country with the view to making an appeal to all and sundry to join in the fight against examination malpractices. Stakeholders at these fora included Regional and District Directors of Education, teacher associations, representatives of associations of private schools, leaders of faith based educational institutions, traditional authorities and the media. In addition, examination candidates were sensitised on the rules governing the conduct of the examination and reminding them of the repercussions of violating any of the provisions of the rules.

4.EXAMINATION IRREGULARITIES

The Council has noted with concern a number of cases of irregularity at examination centres across the country. As part of our commitment to upholding the integrity and credibility of our examinations, we have deployed a number of staff as well as our own specially trained personnel to monitor the examination centres. Our monitoring teams have unearthed a series of irregular activities at a number of the examination centres. These include the following;

• Two persons were arrested for impersonation at Ghana College, Kasoa. They were arraigned before court and have been sentenced to six months imprisonment each, while their accomplice was sentenced to eight months imprisonment;

• The proprietor of Christian IPS, Kukurantumi as well as one of his invigilators have been arrested for creating a WhatsApp group on which they shared snapshots of questions and solutions to the questions. They have been handed over to the police for further investigations;

• Ebenezer Fynn was arrested at St. Vincent College, Abora Dunkwa for impersonation. He has also been arraigned before court;

• Hanna Lariba a student of Yeji Senior High School was arrested for impersonation at the Steps to Destiny SHS, Yeji. Another impersonator, Mumuni Abdul Hafiz bolted before the monitoring team could apprehend him;

• Mr. Kodua Desmond was arrested at Abot College, Asante Bekwai. He was handed over to the police and subsequently arraigned before court. He has been remanded into police custody for two weeks;

• Osei Asibey Daniel was arrested at Atwima Kwanwoma Presbyterian SHS for impersonation. He has been handed over to the police;

• Raymond Kwasi was arrested at Atwima Kwanwoma presbyterian SHS for contracting Osei Asibey Daniel to write the examination on behalf of Obeng Dapaah Emmanuel;

• Maxwell Chamba and Amaglo Livingstone were arrested at Sefa Bonsu Royal SHS, Yeji for impersonation;

• A Physics teacher at Ahafoman SHS was found with a mobile phone on which he had snapshots of the Physics practical questions which he had shared;
• Mr. Ernest Frimpong, an invigilator was arrested at King James SHTS for possession of a mobile phone on which was found snapshots of the questions and solutions to them;

• Patrick Essel, a former National Service person was arrested for aiding a candidate to copy solutions to copy solutions from his mobile phone. Further investigations revealed that this was from a platform shared with the assistant supervisor Michael Boateng. He has also been arrested.

Besides these specific cases of irregularity, we have also received reports of candidates having in their possession mobile phones, prepared notes, photocopied answers obviously distributed by the invigilators. At Adventist SHS, Bantama, Kumasi sixty-four phones were retrieved from the candidates during the Elective Mathematics paper. Candidates from that school have since been moved to the WAEC hall in Kumasi to continue with their examination. The Council also has a list of schools that have been reported for their involvement in acts of irregularity. Scripts of candidates from these schools will certainly be scrutinised. We condemn these acts of dishonesty on the part of both teachers and candidates and urge all school heads to uphold the trust placed in them and ensure that their schools stay above reproach. In addition, we wish to state that the Council will not hesitate to apply the full force of the law against any school authority undermining the credibility of the examination.

5.APPRECIATION

The Council expresses sincere appreciation to all concerned citizens for providing useful information that has enabled us uncover the schemes hatched by a number of schools to cheat. We would like to sound a word of caution to all institutions who still indulge in examination malpractices despite the undertaking they have signed to put a stop to their dishonest activities because the consequences of their actions are dire.

6.CONCLUSION

WAEC remains resolute in its mission to conduct credible examinations that reflect true academic performance of candidates. We urge all stakeholders, supervisors and invigilators to support our efforts at promoting fairness, discipline and transparency in the conduct of our examinations. The Council wishes to reassure the public that it will continue to maintain the highest standards of integrity and will not hesitate to sanction all who violate the rules of the examination. We wish all candidates success and remind them that achieving excellence through honest means is possible.