More than 500,000 final-year Senior High School students across Ghana are set to begin this year’s West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE), starting with the Oral English paper.
The 2026 examination marks Ghana’s return to the regional WASSCE system alongside other West African countries after several years of writing separate papers following disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) said all necessary preparations have been completed to ensure a smooth conduct of the examination nationwide.
Head of Public Affairs at WAEC, John Kapi, said in an interview on Tuesday, May 12, 2026, that measures had been put in place to safeguard the integrity of the exams, including delays in the printing of question papers for security reasons.
“In terms of preparations, I think we are very much on course. For security reasons, we delayed the printing of the exam papers because we don’t want the papers out there early to prevent the activities of those who want to compromise the integrity of the exams,” he said.
Mr Kapi assured candidates, parents and schools that examination materials for all centres were ready and would be delivered on schedule.
“In terms of preparations, I think we are very much on course. For security reasons, we delayed the printing of the exam papers because we don’t want the papers out there early to prevent the activities of those who want to compromise the integrity of the exams,” he said.
Mr Kapi assured candidates, parents and schools that examination materials for all centres were ready and would be delivered on schedule.
“For every institution, what they need for the exams is ready. We are very sure that we will be within time so we will work with the timetable that we have brought out,” he added.
WAEC has in recent years intensified efforts to curb examination malpractice through tighter security measures, enhanced monitoring and collaboration with security agencies.
The examination is expected to take place across hundreds of centres nationwide, with candidates writing a range of core and elective subjects over the coming weeks.