The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has released provisional results for candidates who sat for the 2026 Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE), with results set to reach schools through the country’s Metropolitan, Municipal and District Directors of Education in the coming days.
WAEC noted that the results are also available on its official website for candidates who wish to access them directly, even as the Council disclosed that hundreds of results have been cancelled or withheld following investigations into examination malpractice.
According to figures published in the release, a total of 620,243 candidates sat for this year’s school candidates’ examination, comprising 304,415 males and 315,828 females drawn from 20,789 participating schools nationwide. The examination was conducted across 2,237 centres across the country, with 3,601 candidates recorded as absent on examination day.
WAEC also disclosed that the candidate pool included students with specific accessibility needs, noting that 136 candidates had visual impairments, 282 required hearing assessment accommodations, and a further 510 candidates needed other forms of test accommodation, reflecting the scale of inclusive measures built into this year’s examination process.
Investigations Lead to Cancellations and Withheld Results
Beyond the headline statistics, the Council’s release addressed the outcome of investigations into examination irregularities detected during the conduct of the BECE and the subsequent marking of scripts.
WAEC said the findings were presented to the 37th Meeting of the Final Awards and Examiners’ Appointment Committee for the BECE, held on Tuesday, July 21, 2026, where a series of sanctions were formally approved.
The Committee approved the cancellation of subject results for 496 candidates and the cancellation of entire results for 105 candidates, alongside decisions to withhold subject results for 119 candidates and withhold entire results for a further 48 candidates.
Beyond these confirmed sanctions, the Council disclosed that the subject results of 2,722 candidates drawn from 229 schools have been withheld pending further scrutiny, with a final determination expected by August 31, 2026.
Clear Process for Affected Candidates
WAEC used the release to lay out a specific pathway for candidates whose results have been cancelled or withheld to find out more about their individual cases, directing them to a dedicated online portal for further information.
“Candidates whose results have been cancelled or withheld should visit the Council’s irregularity portal and click on the withheld/cancelled button on the home page. This page will display reasons for withholding or cancelling the results.”
West African Examinations Council
The Council added that candidates with withheld results would receive further information on the next line of action through the same platform, while heads of school and proprietors were advised to follow a similar procedure using their institutional results listing logins to check the status of affected candidates under their supervision.
Warning Against Result Upgrade Scams
Alongside the release of results, WAEC issued a pointed caution to candidates, parents and the wider public to remain vigilant against fraudulent actors seeking to exploit the examination season for personal gain.
The warning reflects a recurring concern during major examination result releases in Ghana, where scammers have previously targeted anxious candidates and parents with false promises of altering scores in exchange for payment, despite WAEC’s insistence that its results remain tamper-proof and verifiable through official channels.
In closing its release, WAEC extended appreciation to the range of institutions and individuals who contributed to the successful conduct of the 2026 BECE and the subsequent release of results. The Council specifically acknowledged the Ministry of Education, the Ghana Education Service, security agencies, heads of schools, supervisors, invigilators and examiners for their support throughout the examination process.
With provisional results now released, attention turns to the roughly 2,700 candidates whose subject results remain under further scrutiny, as WAEC works toward a final determination by the end of August.
Schools and candidates awaiting clarity on withheld or cancelled results have been directed to WAEC’s official portal for updates, while the Council’s warning against result-upgrade scams serves as a timely reminder for families to rely solely on verified channels as the results season unfolds across the country.
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