The Ghana Education Service (GES) has announced that all arrangements have been finalised for the 2026 Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE), scheduled to run from Monday, May 4, to Monday, May 11, 2026.
At a media briefing in Accra, the Director-General of the GES, Professor Ernest Kofi Davis, revealed that a total of 620,141 candidates from 20,395 schools across the country will sit for the examination.
This figure represents a 2.7 per cent increase from the previous year, comprising 304,349 boys and 315,792 girls.
Each candidate is expected to write 11 subjects.
Professor Davis assured the public that the GES, in collaboration with the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) and other key stakeholders, has implemented all necessary measures to ensure a smooth, fair, and credible examination process.
According to the Director-General, the examination will be conducted at 2,303 centres nationwide, overseen by 2,303 supervisors, supported by 2,070 assistant supervisors and 21,791 invigilators.
“These figures demonstrate our resolve to ensure the credibility of the examination,” Professor Davis said. “All examination materials and relevant logistics needed for a successful exercise are already in place. WAEC and the GES are also working closely with security agencies to maintain law and order at all examination centres.”
Professor Davis expressed concern over the persistent threat of examination malpractice, commonly referred to as ‘apo’, warning that it distorts academic evaluation and undermines education policy formulation.
“At the end of the day, the results of a student who cheated will never reflect their true academic capability. This often leads to wrong judgments about learning outcomes and has the potential to affect education policy in our country,” he stated.
He urged candidates to prepare adequately and remain confident, stressing that all questions will be drawn strictly from the syllabus.
“There is no need for students to panic or be anxious. The questions will definitely come from the curriculum and will be within their experience.”
Professor Davis also issued a firm warning against cheating. “We will do everything possible to ensure that students do not get ‘apo’,” he said, adding that strict measures have been deployed to prevent any form of external assistance.
The GES Director-General called on supervisors and invigilators to uphold the highest standards of professionalism, warning that any staff found aiding malpractice would face severe sanctions.
“I wish to remind all supervisors and regional directors of education that all teachers and supervisors linked to examination malpractice last year who are currently being processed for sanctions are banned from examination centres. They are not expected to have anything to do with these examinations,” he stressed.
Professor Davis appealed to teachers, parents, school authorities, traditional leaders, security agencies, and the media to support efforts aimed at ensuring a credible examination process.
He further encouraged the public to report any suspected cases of malpractice to WAEC or the GES, noting that dedicated hotlines would soon be made available for that purpose.
