WAEC reveals who sets all ‘WASSCE and BECE questions’ each year

Professional teachers in various subject areas are commissioned by the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) management to set WASSCE and BECE questions each year, an official of the Council has told AcademicWeek.com.

The Examinations Council staff comment follows claims that the non-profit-making organization each year hires individuals outside the country to set the WASSCE and BECE for School Candidates examination questions.

In a discussion with an Editorial Staff of AcademicWeek, he indicated that the national and international examination questions for prospective candidates are solely set by Ghanaian teachers and not foreigners as widely speculated.

“The Basic Education Certificate Examination and West African Senior School Certificate Examination questions are set by our own teachers, we do not go and hire people from the moon to come and do that for us”, he stated.

He consequently has advised this year’s candidates, particularly 2022 BECE for School students to take their studies seriously citing that his outfit sets the questions based on the topics they are taught in school.

“Whatever they were taught they should be serious with it, WAEC set the BECE and WASSCE questions based on the topics they were taught in school by their teachers”, the West African Exams Council staff told AcademicWeek.

2023 BECE

A total number of 600,714 candidates, comprising 300,323 males and 300,391 females from 18,993 participating private and public Junior High Schools are expected to sit for 2023 BECE slated for August 7, 2023, to August 11, 2023.

With regard to the BECE for Private Candidates, a total entry figure of 1,743 candidates was recorded. This is made up of 889 males and 854 females. This year’s figure is 5.4% higher than the entry figure of 1,132 for 2022.

For the school and private candidates, 21 subjects, comprising 5 Core and 16 Electives will be made available to prospective candidates. In addition to the 5 Core subjects, the school candidates will be given the option of choosing four Electives to make a maximum of nine subjects.

The Basic Education Certificate Examination for School Candidates will be held at 2,137 examination centres across the country, while 15 centres mainly in the regional capitals will be used for the BECE for Private candidates,” he said.

2023 WASSCE

A total of 447,204 prospective candidates, made up of 211,834 males and 235,370 females drawn from 975 Senior High Schools are expected to sit for the 2023 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) for School.

This figure indicates an increase of 5.8% compared to the 2022 entry figure of 422,883. The West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) for School will be administered at 834 examination centres across the country.

This year’s WASSCE for School Candidates to be administered from Monday, July 31 to September 26, 2023, a total of 60 subjects, comprising 4 core and 56 electives will be made available to prospective candidates to choose from.