The 2024 West African Senior Secondary School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) officially kicks off today, August 19, 2024, with 460,611 candidates participating in the nationwide exams.According to the West African Examinations Council (WAEC), this year's candidates include 212,954 males and 247,657 females from 1,003 schools across the country.

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The examination process began with practical and theory papers, following the completion of the visual arts project, which ran from August 5 to August 16, 2024. The exams are scheduled to conclude on Friday, September 20, 2024.In a press release, WAEC noted a 2.66% increase in the number of candidates compared to the previous year’s figure of 448,674. The exams are being held at 1,000 centres nationwide.

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WAEC has assured the public that stringent measures have been implemented to ensure a fair and successful examination process.However, WAEC expressed concern over reports of attempts to compromise the integrity of the exams. Allegations have surfaced that candidates in some parts of the country are being charged between Gh¢200.00 and Gh¢500.

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00 for assistance from invigilators, and that some schools have registered individuals who are not bona fide students. Additionally, there are concerns about supervisors assigning teachers to invigilate subjects they teach.

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WAEC issued a stern warning to school heads, supervisors, and invigilators against participating in such fraudulent practices, cautioning that severe consequences would follow, including the nullification of candidates' entries and the cancellation of results for those caught cheating. Non-compliant examination centres could also face relocation to designated WAEC centres.

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Candidates were advised to strictly follow examination rules and to be cautious of rogue websites offering fake questions, as these can distract them from their studies.

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