This year’s Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) for schools and Private candidates will start on Monday, August 7 and end on Friday August 11, across the country.
A total of 600,714 candidates, comprising 300,323 males and 300,391 females from 18,993 participating schools registered for the school examination.
Mr. John K. Kapi, Head of Public Affairs, West African Examinations Council (WAEC) said the number of candidates that registered for this year’s examination was 8.8% higher than the year 2022 entry figure of 552,276.
He said for private candidates, a total entry figure of 1,743 Candidates was recorded for 2023.
“This is made up of 889 males and 854 females. This year’s figure is 5.4% higher than the entry figure of 1,132 for 2022.”
He attributed the increase of candidates to increase in enrollment in various schools across the country.
Mr Kapi said the BECE for school candidates would be held at 2,137 examination centres across the country, while 15 centres mainly in regional capitals would be used for the BECE for private candidates.
WAEC has revised its rules and regulations towards eliminating examination irregularities.
The revision had become necessary because of the new trends in examination malpractice.
One of the stipulated rules mandates that 2023 BECE candidates should refrain from wearing socks or watches inside the examination halls.
Instead, they are exclusively permitted to wear “Flat Open Sandals” without socks – a distinctive type of footwear characterized by its open design and absence of heels or closed-toe components.
The primary objective behind these stringent measures is to ensure an equitable and secure examination environment, fostering equal opportunities for all candidates and upholding the integrity of the BECE.
By enforcing these restrictions, the authorities aim to deter any potential cheating during the 2023 BECE.
One of the rationales for this regulation is the inclination of students to conceal prepared notes, answers, and unauthorized materials within their socks, aiming to evade detection by invigilators and gain an unfair advantage during the exam.
Furthermore, the directive explicitly specifies that 2023 BECE candidates are strictly forbidden from carrying wristwatches, mobile phones, earphones or earpieces, and any electronic devices into the examination hall.
These prohibitions are put in place to uphold the examination’s integrity and ensure a fair and equitable environment for all candidates.
The BECE is a traditional in-person examination that mandates candidates to solely pens, pencils, rulers, erasers, mathematical sets drawing board, and other authorized educational materials to the exams hall.
Furthermore, the directive instructs candidates to ensure that there are no unauthorized materials concealed under their desks.
They are required to utilize exclusively transparent blue pens, akin to those manufactured by BIC.
This measure is implemented to ensure any concealed content within the pen is readily visible.
