Ghana Rejoins May-June WASSCE-School Calendar After Five-Year Break
Ghana is set to rejoin its West African neighbors in the common May-June West African Senior School Certificate Examination for School Candidates (WASSCE-SC) this year, marking the end of a five-year period of conducting its own version of the exam.
Professor Ernest Kofi Davis, Director-General of the Ghana Education Service (GES), confirmed that Ghanaian students will now sit for the WASSCE-SC alongside candidates from Nigeria, Liberia, Sierra Leone, and The Gambia. “Yes, we are returning to the international exams. Our students will write in May-June with the other West African countries,” he stated.
The COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 forced WAEC member countries to adjust their schedules, pushing the WASSCE-SC from May-June to July-September, and in 2021 the exam took place between August and October. While most West African countries quickly returned to the May-June timetable, Ghana continued with a separate “Ghana Only Version” of the WASSCE-SC until now.
Preparations for reintegration began last year, according to Prof. Davis, and schools across the country have already been informed to prepare students for the upcoming exams, which start next month with practical and project work.
He expressed optimism that Ghanaian candidates would perform exceptionally well, encouraging students to study diligently and rely on their own abilities rather than expecting external assistance. Teachers have also been urged to provide strong support to help students succeed.
Prof. Davis highlighted the importance of academic integrity, urging candidates to avoid any form of examination malpractice so that results reflect true academic performance. “This approach allows authorities to accurately assess the state of our education system,” he explained.
The suspension of the WASSCE-SC in March 2020 came as a response to the COVID-19 crisis, with WAEC citing the pandemic’s impact and government safety protocols as reasons for halting the exams, even though 357,737 candidates were registered to sit for the exam that year.
With Ghana now returning to the standard May-June schedule, students and educators alike are preparing to restore the country’s presence on the regional examination stage.
Source: Graphic online
