Accra, May 4, GNA – A total of 619,985 candidates are expected to sit for this year’s Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE), scheduled to run from Monday, May 4 to Monday, May 11, 2026.
Providing a breakdown on Sunday, Mr John K. Kapi, Head of Public Affairs at the West African Examinations Council (WAEC), told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) that 304,273 of the candidates are males, while 315,712 are females.
The candidates, drawn from 20,784 schools, will write eleven subjects at 2,302 centres across the country.
Mr Kapi noted that the rules governing the examination remained unchanged, stressing that candidates must report to the examination halls on time.
“No candidate should go to the examination hall late,” he said.
He added that candidates were prohibited from entering examination halls with mobile phones or any electronic devices, including smartwatches.
“They should not carry any foreign material on them,” he emphasised.
Mr Kapi also cautioned teachers who had no official role in the conduct of the examination to stay away from the centres.
“No teacher should attempt to offer assistance to any candidate at the examination centres. Any teacher who falls foul of the law will be dealt with,” he warned.
Statistics made available to the GNA by WAEC showed that the Upper West Region has presented 14,928 candidates from 628 schools, who will sit the examination at 51 centres.
In the Greater Accra Region, 114,243 candidates from 3,295 schools will write the examination at 443 centres.
The Eastern Region has registered 56,700 candidates from 2,222 schools to sit at 211 centres, while the Central Region has 69,496 candidates from 2,531 schools writing at 247 centres.
Western Region recorded 45,457 candidates from 1,408 schools, who will sit at 154 centres.
The Ashanti Region has the highest number, with 124,905 candidates from 3,383 schools writing at 444 centres.
The Bono Region has presented 24,984 candidates from 831 schools to write at 88 centres, while the Volta Region has 30,055 candidates from 1,200 schools writing at 118 centres.
In the Northern Region, 37,308 candidates from 823 schools are writing the examination at 132 centres.
The Upper East Region has 22,449 candidates from 768 schools writing at 94 centres.
The Ahafo Region has registered 12,578 candidates from 465 schools to sit at 50 centres, while the Bono East Region has 20,897 candidates from 742 schools writing at 80 centres.
The North East Region has 10,033 candidates from 268 schools writing at 34 centres, while the Oti Region has 12,401 candidates from 496 schools sitting at 47 centres.
The Savannah Region has presented 6,989 candidates from 250 schools to write at 26 centres.
The Western North Region has 17,372 candidates from 687 schools writing at 83 centres.
The BECE enables final-year Junior High School students to progress to Senior High Schools and Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions in Ghana.
The final results are based on Continuous Assessment, which constitutes 30 per cent, and the external examination, which makes up the remaining 70 per cent.
GNA
Edited by Agnes Boye-Doe
By Joyce Danso