The Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) for both public and private candidates begins today, August 7, and will continue until Friday, August 11, 2023.
A total of 600,714 candidates comprising 300,323 males and 300,391 females will take part in the School Examination, representing an increase of 8.8 percent from the 2022 figures.
In addition, the number of candidates registered for the private BECE has increased by 5.4 percent from last year, with 1743 candidates registered for the private exam.
Speaking at a news conference, Head of Public Affairs, West Africa Examinations Council, John Kapi, said that the revised rules and regulations for dealing with cases of irregularities in the council’s examinations would be put into use for the first time in this year’s examination.
Kapi urged invigilators, students, and all stakeholders to comply with the rules to ensure the smooth conduct of the examination and announced the implementation of several security measures, such as the serialization of some question papers for subjects and the tracking of operators of rogue websites.
He warned that any culprit arrested would face the full rigors of the law.
Moreover, he cautioned parents who move their children from private schools to write the examination in public schools to desist from such acts as it is against the regulation of GES and WAEC.
Kapi further stated that the council is currently investigating several such cases and that the registration of such candidates would be annulled following the investigation.
In conclusion, he expressed confidence that this year’s BECE would go smoothly without any hitches, and he wished all the candidates success in their examinations.
By Vincent Kubi