The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has noted that it has instituted security measures to check examination malpractices in the ongoing West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE).

Serialisation of examination questions, collaboration with the National Intelligence Bureau (NIB) to monitor the printing of question papers and the use of number combination padlocks in addition to ordinary padlocks for all security bags containing question paper packets, are some of the measures highlighted by the Council to check the practice.

Also, the Council is working closely with some security agencies to track and arrest dealers and operators of rogue websites.

Other measures include; the inspection of all depots nationwide and fortification of those that needed to be fortified, ensuring uninterrupted movement of question papers from strong rooms to depots and the creation of additional depots located close to schools to ensure that question papers do not arrive late and are released to candidates early.

The Head of Public Affairs of WAEC, Agnes Teye-Cudjoe, who outlined these measures at a press conference on August 23, 2022, further noted that: “There will also be naming and shaming of schools that engage in malpractice to serve as a deterrent to others, as well as correspondence to the Director-General of the Ghana Education Service regarding reports received from concerned citizens about the collection of money and plans by certain schools to cheat.

“There will be continued surveillance of these schools by the council's team of inspectors and security persons in the course of the examination," Ms Teye-Cudjoe added.

About WASSCE

The WASSCE is a standardised test in West Africa spearheaded by the West African Examinations Council (WAEC). Students who pass the exam receive a certificate confirming their graduation from secondary education.Â

The exam is written by candidates in Nigeria, Liberia, Sierra Leone and The Gambia and Ghana. Although Ghanaian candidates began the exam in August, candidates in the other West African countries started in May, in line with the pre-COVID academic calendar.

The 2022 WASSCE is being administered to 422,883 candidates from 977 schools in Ghana. There are 673 public schools, an increase from 651 in 2021, and 304 private schools.

However, the number of private schools has decreased from 314 in 2021 to 304 in 2022 due to the folding up of some of the schools. In all, 775 centres are being used for the examination, with 60 subjects involved, comprising four core and 56 electives for candidates to choose from.

In line with the efforts to check examination malpractices, Agnes Teye-Cudjoe, noted that question papers will be issued not earlier than 45 minutes before the start of each paper and inspection at "malpractice-prone" areas will be enhanced.

She, therefore, charged supervisors and invigilators to be guided by the rules of the examination by being vigilant and also refrain from taking their mobile phones into examination halls, saying: "They should not be agents of malpractice, as unfortunately as is the case sometimes."

She further called on the media to refrain from putting out unverified information on the conduct of the examination.

"Let us be careful not to create unnecessary fear and panic among candidates in particular and society in general. This could send wrong signals on the conduct of the examination to the international community," Mrs Teye-Cudjoe said.

Mrs Teye-Cudjoe added that the council has made access arrangements for candidates with special needs, including Braille papers for the visually impaired, large print papers for candidates with low vision, additional time for visually and hearing impaired candidates, those with cerebral palsy and candidates with autism disorder.

There would also be computers for use by candidates with cerebral palsy and those who are not blind but cannot read, she added.