A total of 473,658 final-year senior high school students in Ghana will sit for the 2026 May–June West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) for School Candidates alongside their counterparts from Liberia, The Gambia, Nigeria and Sierra Leone.

The move marks Ghana’s return to the regional examination system under the West African Examinations Council after five years of administering a Ghana-only version due to disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The candidates include 248,461 males and 225,197 females from 1,020 public and private second-cycle schools, representing a 2.58% increase over last year’s figure of 461,736.

According to John Kapi, Head of Public Affairs at WAEC, preparations for the examination are already underway, with the printing of question papers in progress.

He explained that the return simply means all member countries will write the exams simultaneously under the same timetable, with no major changes to the structure or standards.

“The examinations are international in nature,” he noted, adding that all member countries participate in setting questions, moderating content, and determining marking schemes and grading thresholds—from A1 to F9.

He further highlighted that international panels collaborate after the exams to agree on grading benchmarks and excellence awards, reinforcing the competitive and standardized nature of the assessment across the region.

On security, WAEC says robust measures have been implemented to safeguard the integrity of the examination. These include 24-hour police presence at printing centres, support from national security agencies, strict access controls, CCTV surveillance, and secure storage of exam materials at depots.

Additionally, serialisation of question papers will be used to curb malpractice, while monitoring teams will be deployed across examination centres.

Mr Kapi called on stakeholders—including teachers, students, parents and community leaders—to support efforts to maintain the credibility of the exams.

“If candidates are allowed to cheat at this stage, they may carry that behaviour into other aspects of life,” he cautioned, stressing that examination malpractice poses a broader national risk.

With synchronized timelines and strengthened safeguards, WAEC aims to ensure a smooth and credible examination process across all participating countries this year.