The West African Senior Secondary School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) officially begins today, August 19, 2024, with practical and theory papers being administered to school candidates across the country. The exams, organized by the West African Examinations Council (WAEC), follow the completion of the visual arts project, which ran from August 5 to August 16, 2024, and are set to conclude on September 20, 2024.

According to a press release issued by WAEC on August 19, a total of 460,611 candidates have registered for this year’s WASSCE, marking a 2.66% increase from last year’s figure of 448,674. The candidates, comprising 212,954 males and 247,657 females, are drawn from 1,003 schools, and the examination is being conducted at 1,000 centres nationwide.

WAEC has assured the public that strict measures have been implemented to ensure the integrity of the examination process. However, the Council has raised alarms over reports of attempts to compromise the exams. These include candidates being charged between Gh¢200.00 and Gh¢500.00 for assistance from invigilators, supervisors planning to assign teachers to invigilate their own subjects, and schools registering non-students for the exams.

In response, WAEC has issued a strong warning to heads of schools, supervisors, and invigilators to refrain from engaging in such malpractice. The Council emphasized that any involvement in these fraudulent activities would lead to severe penalties, including the nullification of entries and the cancellation of results for any candidates found cheating. Non-compliant examination centres may also face relocation to designated WAEC centres.

Furthermore, WAEC has urged candidates to strictly adhere to examination rules and be wary of rogue websites that circulate fake questions. Candidates were advised to stay focused on their studies and avoid distractions from unscrupulous sources.