2024 WASSCE: Ghanaian students will still write the ‘Ghana Only’ version from August 5 to September 27 — WAEC

The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has confirmed that Ghanaian Senior High School students will write their own independent West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) from August 5 to September 27, 2024.

In a press release dated March 26, WAEC stated that "the examination, which will be a Ghana only version of the WASSCE, will be conducted from Monday, 5th August to Friday, 27th September, 2024."

This move has over the years, raised questions on its standard from opposing quarters with some saying it is a substandard version.

However, the council added that "despite the difference in the period for the conduct of the examination, the standard of the examination remains unchanged."

WAEC further assured that "Question papers are compiled by officers across the member countries. At the end of the examination, International Preliminary Coordination Meetings are held to finalize draft marking schemes. Further, right after the marking exercise, the International Awards Committee meets to determine the grade boundaries for all subjects. These processes ensure that the examination written by Ghana only, still maintains its International status."

The decision to hold an independent Ghanaian WASSCE was necessitated by disruptions to Ghana's educational calendar due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

While schools in other West African countries have reverted to the May/June schedule, Ghana's date for the exam remains August/September.

Registered candidates have been advised by WAEC to check the official website or their schools for the accurate examination timetable and avoid using unverified online sources.

The upcoming WASSCE marks the fourth consecutive year Ghanaian students will write the "Ghana Only" variant due to pandemic-induced shifts in the educational calendar.