The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has raised alarm over the growing role of social media in facilitating examination malpractices during the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE).
According to the Council, the misuse of platforms such as WhatsApp, Telegram, and Facebook is undermining the integrity of the examination process.
At a recent press briefing, WAEC officials revealed that a significant number of malpractice cases recorded in previous BECE sittings were linked to leaked question papers circulated on social media.
These leaks, often shared in private groups and chatrooms, are said to originate from rogue operators within the school system or printing environments.
Speaking on Channel One TV on Friday, June 13, 2025, WAEC’s Head of Public Affairs, John Kapi, cautioned that digital platforms like WhatsApp and Telegram are being weaponised to undermine the integrity of public exams.
“Social media has created a bigger problem than we anticipated. Of course, there are good sides to it, but pe
ople are exploiting it on the negative side. With the advent of mobile phones, WhatsApp, Telegram, and others, it’s become difficult to curb examination malpractice,” he stated.
WAEC is urging parents, teachers, and school administrators to discourage students from engaging in examination malpractice. The Council emphasised that short-term gains from cheating could ruin a student’s future if caught and sanctioned.
About 603,328 candidates are poised to sit for the 2025 BECE for Schools and Private Candidates, which is scheduled to commence on Wednesday, June 11, 2025, and conclude on Wednesday, June 18, 2025.
This year’s number of candidates represents a 6% increase from the 2024 total of 569,236.
The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) announced the figures today, revealing that approximately 297,250 males and 306,078 females from 20,395 participating schools have registered for the school examination.
In addition, 1,661 private candidates have registered to sit the exam—comprised of 858 males and 803 females.
This marks a 19.5% increase from the 1,390 private candidates who took the exam in 2024.
The BECE for School Candidates will be conducted at 2,237 examination centres nationwide.
Meanwhile, the private candidates will write their exams at fifteen designated centres, primarily located in regional capitals.
