The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has increased its examination depots across the country, from 169 to 176, for this year’s West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE).

The increase in depots where exam questions and booklets are kept is to shorten the distance to some centres to ensure the examination starts on time.

The Head of the National Office of WAEC, Dr Rosemond Wilson, stated this in an interview with the Daily Graphic and added that all the depots had also been sufficiently fortified to protect the integrity of the examination papers.

“Prior to the commencement of the examination, senior officers of the council, together with security personnel, inspected all examination depots to ensure they were adequately fortified to guarantee the security and safety of question papers,” Dr Wilson said.

She said in compliance with the council’s security regulations, “question papers have been printed and packed. The question papers will be sent to the fortified depots in readiness for the examination.”

Dr Wilson explained that the question papers were dispatched in three or four batches during an examination period, adding that the frequency varied depending on the nature of the timetable.

Commencement

The practical session of this year's WASSCE for School Candidates (WASSCE-SC) took off smoothly on August 5, 2025, in various senior high and technical schools in the country.

The written papers will begin on August 20, 2025, and end on September 19, 2025.

In all, 65 subjects will be taken by candidates, with each candidate writing an average of eight subjects.

A total of 461,640 candidates, consisting of 207,381 males and 254,259 females, are expected to sit the examination, which will be conducted in about 701 examination centres across the country.

She reaffirmed the council’s commitment to conducting credible examinations, assuring stakeholders that all necessary tests and security measures were in place for a successful assessment.

In line with that, Dr Wilson said the council held briefing sessions nationwide to update supervisors and invigilators on the rules governing the conduct of the examination, “with particular emphasis on extra vigilance to prevent malpractices”.

Cheating allegations

Dr Wilson said the council had intelligence information that some school heads and teachers had allegedly devised plans to facilitate cheating in their schools by collecting money ranging from GH¢500 to GH¢650 from candidates.

Those schools, she claimed, also intended to use subject teachers to invigilate their own subjects during the exam.

“We are monitoring closely all these allegations,” Dr Wilson said.

While wishing the candidates well in the examination, she reminded them that achieving excellence through honest means was possible.

Dr Wilson further urged all candidates to strictly adhere to the rules and regulations governing the conduct of the examination, which include arriving early at examination centres and getting seated at least 30 minutes before the commencement of the examination.