Minister for Education, Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum, has urged students writing this year’s Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) candidates to remain poised and determined as they will excel in their examination.

According to him, students must not harbour any form of fear as they begin their exams today, Monday, November 15, as they will succeed in their academic pursuit. Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum expressed that at the end of the period slated for the exams, the over 571,000 candidates will emerge victors.

“Your determination and talent will help you achieve success in your examination. Do not fear and keep up your effort. I have strong faith that you will rise and shine in your exams”.
Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum

Statistics indicated that the majority of participants are males, representing about 287,605 and 284,289 females respectively who will sit to write the exams.

The BECE students are starting with Social Studies and French today and over 2,000 centres have been set up across the 16 regions of the country for the examinations run by the West African Examinations Council (WAEC). The examinations are scheduled to end on Friday, November 19.

In the year 2019 and 2020 a total of 531,707 and 517,332 candidates sat for the examination. This year, the Ashanti and Greater Accra Regions presented 111,432 and 105,539 candidates respectively. In the Bono, Ahafo and Bono East Regions, 53,265 students are sitting for the exams. The Northern, North East and Savannah Regions will host 44,838 candidates.

GES advises BECE students to avoid examination malpractice

Prior to the commencement of the BECE exams today November 15, 2021, the Ghana Education Service (GES), in a statement signed by the Head of Public Relations of GES, Mrs. Cassandra Twum Ampofo, entreated the candidates to eschew all forms of examination malpractices during the period.

Following this, invigilators, supervisors, school authorities, teachers, and parents were advised to desist from any form of examination malpractice. Mrs Ampofo revealed that GES, WAEC, and the “security services are working jointly to ensure the smooth conduct of the examinations at all the centres across the country”.

The statement commended the teachers, school heads, parents, and other stakeholders for preparing the candidates for the examination.

Mrs Agnes Teye-Cudjoe, Head of Public Affairs, West African Examinations Council’s National Office, expressed that the Council had put in place stringent security measures to prevent leakages in this year’s examinations.

According to her, the National Intelligence Bureau monitored the production process which includes printing, sorting and packaging of the papers. Mrs Teye- Cudjoe noted that there would be no leakages of the papers before and during the exams.

“The Council has also increased the number of depots storing confidential materials under strict surveillance to ensure that the papers did not leak before and during the examinations”.
Mrs Agnes Teye-Cudjoe

In preparation for the week-long exam, Mr Peter Korda, Head of Public Relations, Ghana National Association of Teachers, revealed that they expected the BECE results to be better this year despite the long COVID-19 break.

He indicated that teachers did their best to catch up with the curriculum after the 10-month break in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“COVID-19 pushed teachers to go the extra mile to adequately prepare students for the examinations through extra classes and online teaching and assignments”.
Mr Peter Korda