The West African Examination Council (WAEC) has announced that at least 14 individuals have been arrested across the country for their involvement in malpractice in the 2025 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE).

According to the Council, the victims include teachers, students, and invigilators Speaking to the media on Friday, September 5, Head of Public Affairs at the West African Examination Council, John Kapi noted, “As part of our commitment to upholding the integrity and credibility of our examination, we have deployed for we had to employ a number of staff, as well as our own specialized personnel, to monitor the examination centres. Our monitoring teams have .... of irregular activity at a number of the examination centres”.

Three out of the victims will spend a combined 20 months behind bars, the Kasoa-Ofaakor District Magistrate Court has ruled. The convicts include a teacher at Ghana College SHS, Samuel Armah, and two university students, Kwame Oteng Nkansah and Amedeka James.

Armah who is an invigilator has been awarded an eight months in prison with a fine of 80 penalty units. He was caught dictating answers from his mobile phone to candidates during the Social Studies Paper 1.

Nkansah, who is a level 100 student of Accra Technical University, impersonated one Quayson Francis Atta of Ghana College SHS. He therefore received a jail term of six months with a fine of 80 penalty units.

A level 100 student of the University of Ghana, James, has been granted a six-month jail term after an attempt to write the exam in place of his twin brother, Amedeka Justice.

On Monday, August 25, authorities caught an invigilator at the Forces SHTS with a phone loaded with exam questions during the ongoing West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE).

His phone contained exam questions on Picture Making and Oral English.On Wednesday, August 20, the West African Examination Council commenced the 2025 WASSCE. A total of 461,640 candidates sat for the Oral English exam.

The practical papers commenced on August 4. The number of students who sat for this year’s exams saw a 0.22 percent increase. In 2024, a total number of 460,611 sat for the WASSCE. This year’s candidates compromise 207,381 males and 254,259 females.

Ahead of the exams, the Ghana Education Service (GES) released funds to cater for the 2025 WASSCE practical examinations for all Senior High Schools (SHSs) and Senior High Technical Schools (SHTSs) across the country.

An amount of GH¢15,849,920 was released, according to reports. According to GES, in a statement issued on Saturday, July 27, and signed by the Head of Public Relations, Daniel Fenyi, the funds are expected to provide all necessary materials and supplies for their practical exams.

“ The Managaement of the Ghana Education Service (GES) announces that funds have been released to all Senior High Schools (SHS) and Senior High Technical Schools (SHTS) across the country to cover the fees for the 2025 WASSCE practicals.

“This payment ensures that all practical examinations scheduled for the 2025 WASSCE are fully supported, including the provision of the required materials and other essential resources," the Service noted.

Additionally, the Service explained that the move is intended to shield guardians as well as parents from extra cost and also create a conducive environment in ensuring that students excel in the upcoming exams.

“With the release of the funds, GES seeks to facilitate a smooth and well-cordinated examination process that enables students to focus on their academic work, while relieving parents and guardians of any such financial burden," it stated.

The GES cautioned school authorities against diverting the funds from its intended purpose, warning that any misappropriation will attract strict sanctions in accordance with existing financial regulations and disciplinary procedures.

“Regional, district and school authorities are, therefore, strongly urged to ensure the due application of the funds for their intended purpose to guarantee efficiency and accountability. Management will continue to monitor the utilisation processes to ensure compliance and to maintain high standards in the administration of the examination.

“The Ghana Education Service appreciates the cooperation of all stakeholders in advancing quality education and remains dedicated to creating an enabling environment for the success of all students," part of the release read.

In an unrelated event, the West African Examinations Council has cancelled and withheld the subject results and entire results of some two thousand, two hundred and twenty-eight (2,228) candidates who sat for the 2025 Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE).

The Council made this known after revealing that it had released provisional results of candidates who sat for the BECE for School Candidates, 2025.

Following the completion of investigations into a number of cases of irregularity detected during the conduct of the examination and marking of scripts, the 36th Meeting of the Final Awards and Examiners' Appointment Committee for the BECE, 2025, held on Friday August 15, 2025 approved the cancellation of the subject results of 718 candidates and the entire results of 177 candidates.

The committee also withheld the subject results of 1,240 candidates and entire results of 93 candidates. Meanwhile, the subject results of some candidates from 119 schools have been cancelled. In addition, the subject results of some candidates from 87 schools have been withheld for further scrutiny.

The withheld results may be cancelled or released based on the outcome of investigations by September 6, 2025. WAEC has indicated that candidates whose results have been cancelled or withheld should visit their website for details and reasons for withholding or cancelling the results.

Meanwhile, the Council will dispatch the results of school candidates to their respective schools through the Metropolitan/Municipal/District Directors of Education.

The results are also available on the Council's official website at www.waecgh.org for candidates who so desire to access them online.

A total of 603,328 candidates, comprising 297,250 males and 306,078 females from 20,395 participating schools, entered for the school examination that commenced on June 11.

This includes 72 candidates with visual impairment, 239 with hearing impairment and 161 candidates with other test accommodation needs. The examination was conducted at 2,237 centres across the country. Out of the total number, 2,526 candidates were absent.

Ahead of the exams, Minister for Education, Haruna Iddrisu, entreated the candidates to remain focused and stay away from exam malpractices.

Barely 72 hours after the commencement of the exams, the West African Examination Council announced that 10 individuals had been caught engaging in exam malpractice.

“These 10 culprits have been handed over to law enforcement agencies. Their actions are criminal under WAEC law, and the police will now work to prosecute them in court.”

“There was one supervisor who had a mobile phone. He had taken smart shots of the questions and posted them on social media. In addition, six other invigilators were found with mobile phones containing pictures of the examination questions," Head of Public Affairs John Kapi told JoyNews.

Two months ago, four persons were handed a 30-day prison sentence by the Kintampo Circuit Court in the Bono East Region for their involvement in examination malpractices during the recent Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE).

Presiding Judge Lily Amoah Kankan issued the ruling on Tuesday, June 17. Two others were fined, while three were remanded into police custody for further investigation.

Diana Tii, a teacher at Krabonso D/A School, was caught distributing photocopied materials to candidates in the exam hall. In addition to her 30-day sentence, she signed a two-year bond to be of good behaviour.

Sylvester, also a teacher, was found to have aided one Diana, a candidate, in sneaking the photocopies into the exam hall. He received the same 30-day sentence.

Paul Busi, a student of Kintampo College of Health, was caught with computing questions on his phone. After pleading guilty with remorse, he was fined 100 penalty units, equivalent to GHS1,200.Edmond Merrato Boi, a teacher at Just Love International School in Kintampo, was caught solving computing questions at the school’s dining hall.

He pleaded guilty with explanation and was sentenced to 30 days in prison with hard labour. Samuel Waabero, an administrator at the same school, was also caught solving computing questions in the dining hall.

He received the same sentence after pleading guilty with explanation. Three other suspects are to reappear in court on July 2, 2025.

Belinda Yaa Adjeiwaa, a fashion designer from Techiman, was found with photocopied answers to the Computing Paper 2. She has been remanded into police custody.

Haruna Mohammed, a teacher at Kintampo SHS, was caught with a mobile phone containing Social Studies questions during the exam. He is also on remand.

Sadique Abubakar, another teacher, was caught with answers to the Computing Paper 1 Objective Test. He was granted court bail of GHS10,000 with two sureties and is expected back in court on the same date.

Proprietor of The Big Six Educational Complex located at Meduma in the Kwabre East Municipality, Afoakwa Sarpong, was also apprehended over an alleged case of assault by imprisonment. On Monday, June 17, the Educational Director for Kwabre East Municipal, Nana Adu Mensah Asare, accompanied by Ms. Mavis Okyere Anane, Public Relations Officer of the Education Directorate, effected the arrest of Mr. Afoakwa Sarpong.

The arrest stemmed from a disturbing incident that occurred on 16th June during the just-ended Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE).

Mr. Sarpong is said to have unlawfully prevented two Junior High School (JHS) candidates, whose names have been withheld, from writing the Mathematics paper, citing their failure to pay registration fees.Preliminary reports indicate that the suspect confined the two candidates in a separate room at the examination centre and released them only after the examination had concluded. He has been handed over to the Mamponteng District Police Command.The number of candidates that registered for this year's BECE (SC) is 5.99% higher than the 2024 entry figure.Overall, 569,236 candidates participated in the 2024 BECE, comprising 282,703 boys and 286,533 girls from 19,505 schools.Special accommodations were provided for 59 visually impaired candidates, 263 with hearing impairments, and 161 others requiring specific assistance.The exam took place at 2,123 centres nationwide, though 3,845 candidates were marked as absent.The BECE for Private Candidates had 1,390 participants, 750 males and 640 females, taking the exam at 15 centres across the country’s regional capitals. Among them, 57 candidates did not show up for the exam.Some 33 school candidates and 3 private candidates had their results withheld due to investigations into possible irregularities. WAEC also flagged subject results from 149 schools, pending further investigations into reported malpractices.Following thorough investigations, the Final Awards and Examiners' Appointment Committee, at its 35th meeting on October 16, 2024, decided to nullify the subject results for 377 school candidates and 3 private candidates.Also, two teachers were arrested in Jachie Pramso, Ashanti Region, over alleged examination malpractice, following the earlier arrest of three teachers and two residents in Bekwai.