Candidates participating in this year's Basic Education Certificate Examinations (BECE) in Effia-Kwesimintsim struggled to find exam centers at Takoradi Technical University (TTU) and Takoradi Secondary School on Monday morning, August 7, 2023.

This year's BECE test has 3,365 candidates, with 99 public and private schools participating in the Effia-Kwesimintsim Directorate of Education.

According to reports at the Takoradi Technical University campus, where 76 test centers had been established, some school teachers and their students were trapped in locating their center with only three minutes until the commencement of the Religious and Moral Education examination.

Effia-Kwesimintsim Director of Education, Catherine Biney, speaking to the media, she explained that the initial challenges of candidates finding their centers were typical for the first day.

She attributed the situation, largely, to Takoradi Technical University's ongoing session, which resulted in scattered centers across the campus.

"We have 7 centers: six at Takoradi Technical University and one at Takoradi Secondary School. TTU has 76 schools writing here, and 23 are at Takoradi Secondary School. Exam preparation is well organized with materials distributed to centers. On the first day, we expect center location problems, which we are resolving. Everything is set, and we are awaiting the papers," Biney stated.

Due to TTU's ongoing classes, Biney clarified that the university provided part of its premises for the exam centers, resulting in scattered locations. She highlighted the role of invigilators and supervisors in guiding candidates to their assigned centers and ensuring a smooth process.

“We have 7 centres and for Takoradi Technical University we have six centres and the remaining one is at Takoradi Secondary School. For TTU alone, 76 schools are writing here and 23 are writing at Takoradi Secondary School. So far the exam preparation is well organized with materials distributed to the various centres. Today being the first day, we will have problems with candidates looking for their centres and that is what we are sorting out, but everything is set, and we are waiting for the papers to come.”

“They have to give us the centres to write the exams but because school is in session for TTU, they just gave us part of their premises that would cater for the number of candidates that are coming here. So the centres are scattered. You just can’t have all of them in one place, if you don’t know the terrain, you will have difficulty in locating a centre, but the invigilators and supervisors will take them there and direct themselves as to what to do,” she said.