WAEC introduces NC padlocks to protect WASSCE papers

The management of the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) as part of measures to curb questions leakage says number combination padlocks will be added to the ordinary padlocks to safeguard this year’s WASSCE papers.

Addressing journalists at a press briefing, the non-profit-making institution said the codes for the combination padlocks will be released to officials associated with the conduct of the examination a few minutes to dispatch.

A spokeswoman for the Council, Agnes Teye Cudjoe told the media additional depots have been set up in various regions for storage of confidential materials to ensure the sanctity of the WASSCE question paper packs.

Among other protocols put in place, Agnes said WAEC in collaboration with the National Intelligence Bureau (NIB) and other security agencies are working closely to track and arrest ‘Apor’ dealers and operators of rogue websites.

Commenting on rogue portals, the WAEC official said scammers are using the past question papers for the WASSCE (SC) 2022 administered in the other member countries of WAEC to advertise their websites and their activities.

“Candidates are advised to focus on their books and not to be led astray by these groupings. The security agencies that are collaborating with WAEC are on the alert and will not hesitate to bring these perpetrators to book,” she noted.

Similarly, the spokesperson urged supervisors and invigilators who will be associated with the conduct of the WASSCE to be vigilant, refrain from taking their mobile phones into the exams hall and carry out their duties as expected.

A total of 422,883 prospective candidates from 977 Senior High Schools (SHSs) will partake in the 2022 August/September WASSCE for School Candidates (Ghana-only version) at 775 examination centres across the country.

“Out of the total number of candidates that registered for this year’s examination, 203,753 are males and 219,130 females. The schools are made up of 673 public schools and 304 private schools,” the Council stated in a blog post.

The Ghana version of the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) examination which commenced on Monday, August 1 2022 with the Visual Art Project Work options will end on September 27 2022 with ICT Paper 3 Practical.