Ghana to rejoin May–June WASSCE after five-year hiatus

Ghana is set to rejoin the May–June West African Senior School Certificate Examination for School Candidates (WASSCE-SC) this year, aligning with four other West African countries after five years of administering its own version of the pre-tertiary exams.

The Ghana Education Service Director-General, Professor Ernest Kofi Davis, confirmed the development to the Daily Graphic.

“Yes, we are returning to the international exams, so we are writing May–June with the other West African countries,” he emphasised.

Ghana had diverged from the regional calendar following the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2020, the pandemic forced West African Examinations Council member states to shift the WASSCE-SC from May–June to July 20 – September 5, 2020, and in 2021, the exams were held from August 16 – October 8.

While Nigeria, Liberia, Sierra Leone, and The Gambia later returned to the May–June schedule, Ghana continued with its own version of the examination for five years.

This year, Ghanaian candidates will once again participate alongside other WAEC members, beginning with practical or project work next month.

Prof. Davis said preparations began last year to align Ghana’s WASSCE-SC with the regional calendar. Schools across the country have been informed to ready candidates for the international examination.

“That is our hope, that is our belief. We are encouraging our students to do their best to continue to keep Ghana in the limelight,” he said, expressing confidence that Ghanaian candidates could rank among the top three in the region.

The GES Director-General urged students to work hard and rely on their own abilities, noting that no external assistance would be available during the exams.

He also called on teachers to support candidates in thorough preparation.

“We are encouraging the teachers to support them to prepare very well to pass their exams and pass very well by themselves,” Prof. Davis said.

Prof. Davis also warned against examination malpractice, stressing that results should reflect candidates’ true academic capabilities. This, he said, would allow authorities to assess the effectiveness of Ghana’s education system accurately.

WAEC had previously suspended the WASSCE-SC in March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. At the time, 357,737 candidates were registered to sit the exam in April 2020.

The suspension was in line with protocols implemented by member states to curb the spread of the virus.

With Ghana’s return, students and teachers now have a clear timeline to prepare for the regional examinations, marking a major step in reintegrating the country into West Africa’s pre-tertiary examination cycle.