The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has announced that 569,095 candidates will be taking this year's Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE), starting on Monday, July 8, 2024.

This announcement follows the government's release of GHȼ55,873,689.87 to WAEC, with additional funds expected to cover the remaining examination fees.

Head of Public Affairs at WAEC's National Office, Mr. John K. Kapi, shared these details during a press conference in Accra. The event aimed to update stakeholders and the public about the forthcoming BECE for both public schools and private candidates.

The candidates will commence the examination with English Language on July 8, 2024, and conclude with Arabic on Monday, July 15, 2024. Among the total candidates, 282,648 are males and 286,447 are females, representing 19,506 schools.

“This figure represents a decrease of 5.29 percent compared to the 2023 entry figure of 600,900,” noted Mr. Kapi.

The examination will be conducted at 2,123 centers across the nation, with the involvement of 2,123 supervisors, 1,889 assistant supervisors, and 19,973 invigilators to ensure the smooth administration of the exam.

School candidates will be assessed based on the newly introduced Common Core Curriculum, while private candidates will follow the old syllabus.

To facilitate a smooth examination process, WAEC has developed and distributed the Guidelines, Scheme, and Structure of the examination to all school heads, with additional access available on the WAEC website for interested stakeholders.

For the private candidates, WAEC registered 1,366 individuals this year, consisting of 735 males and 631 females. This number reflects a 25.7 percent decrease compared to the 2023 entry figure of 1,839. The examination for private candidates will be held at 15 centers, primarily located in regional capitals.

In preparation for the BECE, WAEC has organized sensitization programs to educate candidates on the examination's rules and regulations. The Council has also distributed necessary examination materials, including objective answer cards, answer booklets, and pencils, to District Education Offices nationwide.

Additionally, WAEC has made provisions to accommodate candidates with special educational needs, ensuring that no candidate is excluded from the examination process.