WAEC reveals ‘regions’ with rise in WASSCE for School malpractice

The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) through a study has revealed certain regions in the country where examination especially the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) malpractice is more dominant.

According to the research conducted by the Research Department of West African Examinations Council (WAEC), examination malpractice is more prevalent in regions such as Bono East, Ahafo, Ashanti, Central and Eastern regions.

Presenting the findings of the study at a seminar, the Acting Head of the Accra Section of the Research Department of WAEC, Kwaku Dankwa, noted that while the percentage may seem minimal, the actual numbers were alarming, with over 10,000 candidates involved in malpractice in 2021, and rising to 44,586 in 2023.

The study, which covered the period between the 2021 and 2023 academic year, showed a significant increase in the percentage of candidates involved in examination malpractice from two per cent in 2021 to 10 per cent in 2023.

The WAEC study identified collusion, bringing foreign materials and mobile phones to the examination hall and impersonation as some of the common forms of malpractice.

He said the research found that WAEC had in place punitive measures, including cancellation of results and barring of candidates found guilty of malpractice, aimed at addressing the situation but examination malpractice continued to thrive.

The study suggested measures to address examination malpractice, including the use of metal detectors, computer-based examinations, serialisation of examination questions, and regularisation of supervisor and invigilator payments.

For their part, stakeholders at the seminar on the topic ‘WAEC’s intervention to curb examination malpractice in the West African Senior School Certificate Examination in Ghana; Awareness, implementation and effectiveness,”  called for a collective effort to address the issue, emphasising the need for a lasting solution.

While others recommended that supervisors should not be allowed to work in their schools, some suggested that the management of WAEC move from paper-based to computer-based examinations, and use CCTV to monitor examination centres.

The Director in Charge of Administration of WAEC, Emmanuel Brew, speaking on behalf of the registrar of WAEC, Puteh Bah, expressed concern over the growing trend of examination malpractice among candidates sitting the WASSCE.

He said with the study, the not-for-profit-making organization was taking a bold step in addressing the long-standing issue of examination malpractice with a comprehensive study aimed at understanding and curbing the problem.

He said the study was the first of its kind in Ghana designed to tackle the issue of examination malpractice as it “erodes the confidence that the world has in our examinations, and we cannot allow that to happen”.

He said the research, which aimed to assess the effectiveness of WAEC’s operations and identify ways to combat examination malpractice, involved stakeholders from various sectors.

“We didn’t want to grade ourselves, so we went out to talk to stakeholders and get their feedback,” he said. The study’s findings and recommendations, he said, would be taken up and the necessary steps would be put in place to address the issues uncovered.

“We have been thinking about our operations and with this research, we now have scientific proof to implement effective interventions,” the Director in Charge of Administration of WAEC said.