1. INTRODUCTION

The WASSCE for School Candidates, 2022 (Ghana only version), is being administered to four hundred and twenty two thousand, eight hundred and eighty three (422,883) candidates from 977 schools in Ghana. The schools are made up of 673 public schools and 304 private schools. The number of public schools that presented candidates for this year’s examination increased from 651 in 2021 to 673 in 2022.  There was a decrease in the number of private schools that presented candidates for this year’s examination. From 314 in 2021, it decreased to 304 in 2022. Out of the total number of candidates that registered for this year’s examination, 203,753 are males and 219,130 females. This indicates a decrease of 5.25% compared to the 2021 entry figure of 446,352.

A total of seven hundred and seventy-five (775) centres are being used for the examination. Sixty (60) subjects, comprising four (4) core and fifty-six (56) electives were made available to prospective candidates to choose from. The examination commenced on Monday, 1^st August 2022 with the Visual Art Project Work options and will end on 27^th September, 2022 with ICT Paper 3 Practical.

2. PROVISION OF ACCESS ARRANGEMENTS FOR CANDIDATES WITH SPECIAL NEEDS

The Council has made access arrangements for candidates with special assessment needs. These include:

• Braille papers for the blind;

• Large print papers for candidates with low vision;

• Additional time (one and half times the time allotted to other candidates) for visually-impaired and hearing-impaired candidates, candidates with Cerebral Palsy and a candidate with Autism Spectrum Disorder;

• Use of computers for candidates with Cerebral Palsy and candidates who are blind but cannot read Braille.

3. STRUCTURE OF THE EXAMINATION

The test format for the examination consists of Orals, Practicals, Project Work and Theory Papers. The dates and times for the conduct of papers are indicated on the Final International Timetable dated May 30, 2022. A copy of this timetable has been forwarded to each Head of school and is available at the WAEC website www.waecgh.org. Candidates should disregard timetables which have been hosted on other websites as they may not contain accurate information.

The Visual Art Project Work which was held from 1^st to 19^th August, 2022 has ended successfully. Itinerant Examiners went round from school to school to assess candidates’ project work for the Visual Art options. The administration of theory papers commenced today, Monday, 22^nd August, 2022.The theory papers will be taken alongside some practical papers as well as oral papers for English, Arabic and French.

From 22^nd to 26^th August, 2022, Itinerant Examiners will be visiting schools to administer the Arabic and French Oral papers and also assess candidates taking part in practical papers for Clothing and Textiles 3 and Foods and Nutrition 3. The Performance Test for Music 3B will also be ongoing during that same period. We wish to assure the few candidates who may have the date for the conduct of their French Oral Paper conflicting with that for Government 2 & 1 that alternative arrangements have been made for them to take the French Oral Paper.

  Five practical papers are in session this morning. They are: Electronics 3, Crop Husbandry and Horticulture 3, Fisheries (Alternative A) 3, Animal Husbandry (Alternative A) 3 and Forestry (Alternative A) 3. Two theory papers - Picture Making (2 &1) will be administered at 13:00 hours this afternoon.

The question paper for General Knowledge in Art Paper 3 would be released on 29^th August, 2022 to the candidates two weeks before the conduct of the paper as stipulated in the scheme for the examination.

4. PRE-EXAMINATION ACTIVITIES

Some of the activities undertaken prior to the commencement of the examination are:

• Sensitization of stakeholders

Prior to the start of the examination, the Council held sensitization programmes for a cross-section of candidates throughout the country to educate them on the rules and regulations for the examination. A webinar on the topic “ Promoting Examination Ethics in Our Schools” was also held for Supervisors and Invigilators to reiterate the need to safeguard the integrity of the examination. A number of media engagements have been held in Accra and the regions by our Branch Controllers.

 Printing and packing of question papers and stationery

Question papers have been printed and packed in full compliance with the Council’s Security Regulations. Stationery to be used for the examination have also been packed and dispatched to all centres in readiness for the examination.

• Briefing of Supervisors

Briefing sessions were held for supervisors throughout the country from 8^th to 12^th August, 2022. The supervisors have in turn briefed the invigilators for the examination at the various centres.

• Briefing of Depot Keepers

WAEC Depot keepers who are in charge of the depots where daily distribution of question papers are taking place were duly briefed and reminded of their responsibilities. The depot keepers are undertaking their assignments together with GES personnel not below the rank of Assistant Director. The depots are under 24 hour guard by the Ghana Police Service.

5. MEASURES PUT IN PLACE TO ENSURE TEST SECURITY

The Council has put in place a number of measures to guarantee test security. These include:

• Collaboration with the National Intelligence Bureau (NIB) to monitor the printing of question papers;

• Working closely with a number of security agencies to track and arrest dealers and operators of rogue websites;

• Inspection of all the depots nationwide. Depots that needed further fortification have been duly attended to;

• Serialisation of some question papers;

• Movement of question papers from Strong Rooms to Depots in batches;

• Creation of additional depots for the storage of confidential materials to ensure that the depots are located close to schools to prevent the situation where schools start late or question papers are released to them early;

• Use of number combination padlocks in addition to ordinary padlocks for all security bags containing question paper packets;

• Issuing of question papers not earlier than 45 minutes before the start of each paper;
• Enhanced inspection of malpractice prone centres and surveillance of same;

• Correspondence to the Director-General, GES regarding reports received from concerned citizens of collection of monies and plans of certain schools to cheat. There will be continued surveillance of these schools by the Council’s team of inspectors and security personnel in the course of the examination;

• Naming and shaming of schools who engage in malpractice during the conduct of the examination to serve as a deterrent to others.

6. CAUTION ON ROGUE WEBSITES/WHATSAPP/TELEGRAM GROUPS

We wish to once again caution candidates and members of the public on the operations of rogue websites and other social media groups. The Council has observed that scammers are using the past question papers for the WASSCE (SC) 2022 administered in the other member countries of WAEC to advertise their websites and their activities. Candidates are advised to focus on their books and not to be led astray by these groupings. The security agencies that are collaborating with the Council are on the alert and will not hesitate to bring these perpetrators to book.

7. CONCLUSION

We appeal to our Supervisors and Invigilators to be guided by the rules of the examination. We urge them to be vigilant, refrain from taking their mobile phones into the examination hall and carry out their duties as expected. They should not be agents of malpractice as unfortunately is the case sometimes.

We also call on the media to refrain from putting out unverified information about the conduct of the ongoing examination. Let us be careful not to create unnecessary fear and panic among candidates in particular, and the society in general. This could also send wrong signals on the conduct of the examination to the international community.

The Council wishes all candidates success in their papers and reminds them that   they can pass their examination without cheating.