It says the examination would be written from June 10 to 14, 2019 instead of the previously announced date of June 3 to 7.

This was contained in a letter signed by the Director General of the GES, Prof. Kwasi Opoku-Amankwa, and copied to the Minister of Education, Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh and other personalities, including district and regional directors of education.

Management
“Management of the GES wishes to inform you that the revised date for the BECE for School Candidates is 10th to 14th June, 2019. The revised date supercedes the 3rd to 7th June, 2019 stated on the 2018/2019 academic year school terms and holidays for basic schools,” the letter addressed to all metro, municipal and district directors of education said.

It stated further that “You are by this letter directed to communicate this information to all heads of basic schools and prepare the students for the examination accordingly”.

The BECE is used by the GES to select qualified candidates for senior high schools (SHSs) and Technical Institutes (TIs) across the country.

Private BECE
In a related development, this year's BECE for Private Candidates would be written from Monday, February 11 to Friday, February 15.

The examination would be written by 2,505 candidates, comprising 1,553 males and 952 females.

The Greater Accra Region is presenting the highest number of candidates of 689, 416 males and 273 females.

The Eastern Region follows with 394 candidates, 263 males and 131 females while 301 candidates registered for the Ashanti Region (182 males and 119 females). The Central Region has 269 candidates, 177 males and 92 females; Upper West Region, 204 candidates, 100 males and 104 females; Western Region, 180 males, 83 females and the Volta Region, 151 candidates made up of 97 males and 54 females.

Others
The rest are the Upper East Region, 114 candidates; 68 males and 46 females; Brong Ahafo Region, 73 candidates, 36 males and 37 females, as well as the Northern Region, 47 candidates, 34 males and 13 females.

The Private BECE began in 2015 to give candidates who did not perform well in the school edition of the exam to improve on their performance. It also provides an opportunity for those who have never written the examination to do so.

In 2015, 1,181 candidates sat for the maiden examination while 1,418 candidates wrote in 2016, with 1,379 writing in 2017.