WAEC reveals pre-exams activities for 2023/24 WASSCE and BECE

The management of the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) ahead of the conduct of the 2023 WASSCE and BECE has outlined some pre-examination activities to ensure a smooth administration of the two examinations.

Slated for Monday, August 7 to August 11, 2023, the non-profit-making organization (WAEC) says it will administer the 2023 Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) for both school and private candidates in the same period.

For the 2023 WASSCE for School, a spokeswoman for WAEC at a press briefing said Ghana will not write the international examination with other member countries of the Council including Nigeria and Sierra Leone.

The Ghana version of the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) for School, the West African Examinations Council said will be conducted from Monday, July 31, 2023, and end on Tuesday, September 26, 2023.

Among other pre-examination activities undertaken by the Council before the conduct of the examinations are trial testing of items, moderation of items by experts, a compilation of papers by subject officers, typesetting, proofreading and editing, the printing of question papers and accreditation or recognition of schools.

In another story, the Ghana Education Service (GES) has banned the registration of unqualified public and private Junior High School (JHS) students in the 2023 Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) slated for August 7, 2023.

In a letter to heads of various public and private Junior High Schools across the country sighted by AcademicWeek, the Education Service said it is illegal to register unqualified students for the 2023 BECE for School Candidates.

“Management of the Ghana Education Services (GES) wishes to remind all heads of basic schools (private and public) that registration of JHS1 and JHS2 students for BECE for School Candidates is illegal,” the Service said in the letter.

Citing the rules and regulations governing the conduct of the national examination, GES added that “the registration of candidates for the 2023 BECE for School is strictly for students in Junior High School Form three (JHS3) only.”

“It is against the Ghana Education Service (GES) and West African Examinations Council’s (WAEC) rules and regulations to register JHS1 and JHS2 students either in their own school or in a different school to write the BECE,” it noted.

Likewise, the management of the Ghana Education Service (GES) said it is illegal for any head of a public basic school to register a final year Junior High School student from any school (public or private) to write the BECE for School.

“There will be an audit of BECEregistered candidates immediately after the registration exercise. Any student found to have been registered illegally will have his/her registration nullified by the West African Examinations Council,” it said.