As the dream of progressing to senior high school draws closer for thousands of pupils across Ghana, the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has officially announced that the 2025 Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) for both school and private candidates will take place from Wednesday, June 11 to Wednesday, June 18, 2025.
In a statement released on Monday, June 9, the Council revealed that a total of 603,328 school candidates are expected to take part in this year’s nationwide examination. The group comprises 297,250 boys and 306,078 girls drawn from 20,395 participating schools, reflecting a 5.99% increase from the 569,236 candidates who registered in 2024.
WAEC also indicated that 1,661 private candidates will sit for the exam this year—858 males and 803 females. “This year’s figure is 19.49% higher than the 2024 entry figure of 1,390,” the statement read.
The examination for school candidates will be conducted in 2,237 centres spread across the country, while fifteen centres, primarily located in regional capitals, have been designated for the private candidates.
WAEC noted that the upcoming exams would mark a transition in syllabus for private candidates. “As with the 2024 examination, school candidates and some private candidates will be examined on the core curriculum, while other private candidates will be examined on the old syllabus,” the Council explained, adding, “This will be the last time private candidates will be examined on the old syllabus.”
Addressing concerns about inclusivity, WAEC assured the public that efforts have been made to accommodate all learners. “Heads of school, parents and guardians should rest assured that adequate provision has been made to ensure that no child is left behind as far as the examination is concerned,” it said.
The Council also took the opportunity to remind candidates and school authorities about the revised rules and regulations on examination malpractices, introduced in 2023. These include policies on “having inscriptions on any part of the body or clothing,” “posting live questions on the internet,” “refusal to grant timely access into the school premises,” “misconduct of examination officials,” and “multiple registration of candidates in both public and private schools.”
WAEC emphasized that the updated guidelines are accessible on its official website, and urged all heads of school, invigilators, and supervisors to ensure that students fully comply with them.
Calling for collective responsibility, WAEC appealed to all stakeholders to support a smooth examination process. “The Council calls on all and sundry especially stakeholders to ensure that sanity prevails at all the examination centres,” it said.
As the nation prepares for this crucial academic event, WAEC extended well wishes to candidates across the country: “While we wish all the candidates success in their examination, we wish to admonish them to adhere strictly to the rules governing the examination. Any attempt to breach any of these will have dire consequences on the candidates.”
