WAEC Cracks Down on BECE Malpractice

The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has imposed sweeping sanctions on thousands of candidates over examination malpractice while releasing the provisional results of the 2026 Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) for school candidates. The Council announced on Wednesday July 29 in a statement that, following investigations into cases of examination irregularities detected during the conduct of the examination and the marking of scripts, hundreds of candidates have had either their subject results or entire examination results cancelled, while thousands of others remain under investigation.

According to WAEC, the sanctions were approved by the 37th Meeting of the Final Awards and Examiners’ Appointment Committee for the 2026 B.E.C.E, held on July 21, 2026. A total of 496 candidates had their subject results cancelled for engaging in examination malpractice, while the entire results of 105 candidates were cancelled after they were found to have committed examination offences. Additionally, the Council withheld the subject results of 119 candidates and withheld the entire results of 48 candidates pending further investigations into suspected irregularities.

Beyond these sanctions, WAEC disclosed that the subject results of 2,722 candidates from 229 schools have also been withheld for further scrutiny. The Council indicated that the affected results could either be released or cancelled depending on the outcome of ongoing investigations, which are expected to be concluded by August 31, 2026. Candidates whose results have been cancelled or withheld have been directed to visit WAEC’s irregularity portal to ascertain the reasons for the sanctions and receive guidance on the next steps. Heads of schools and proprietors have also been advised to monitor the status of affected candidates using their institutional result-listing logins.

The Council stressed that its firm action underscores its commitment to protecting the integrity and credibility of public examinations, warning that candidates found culpable of violating examination regulations would continue to face appropriate sanctions. While the malpractice cases dominated the release, WAEC also announced that the provisional results of the 2026 BECE had been dispatched to schools through the Metropolitan, Municipal and District Directors of Education. Candidates wishing to access their results online may do so through the Council’s official results portal.

This 2026 Basic Education Certificate examination recorded 620,243 candidates, comprising 304,415 males and 315,828 females, drawn from 20,789 participating schools across the country. The candidates included 136 visually impaired candidates, 282 candidates with hearing assessment needs, and 510 candidates requiring other special test accommodations. The examination was conducted at 2,237 centres nationwide. WAEC further disclosed that 3,601 registered candidates were absent from the examination.

The Council cautioned parents, candidates and the general public to remain vigilant against fraudsters who claim they can alter or upgrade examination results for a fee. It emphasized that its results are securely protected and can be authenticated, urging candidates not to fall victim to such scams. WAEC also expressed appreciation to the Ministry of Education, the Ghana Education Service, security agencies, heads of schools, supervisors, invigilators, examiners and all stakeholders whose contributions ensured the successful conduct of the examination and the timely release of the results.

By: Joyce Owusu