More than 500,000 BECE candidates to write this year's exams

More than 500,000 candidates will write this year's Basic Education Certificate Examination across the country, beginning Monday, June 10.

The exams, scheduled to run from Monday, June 10 to 14, 2019, will have 16,871 participating schools, 1,880 supervisors, 1,710 assistant supervisors and 18,136 invigilators.

Out of the total number, Ashanti Region has the highest number of 104,461 candidates, followed by the Greater Accra Region with 90,584, while Upper West has the least number of 13,109 candidates for the exams.

Mrs Agnes Teye-Cudjoe, the Head of Public Relations, West Africa Examination Council in an interview with the Ghana News Agency, said all was set for the commencement of the exams.

She said all stakeholders involved in the exams were briefed on the operations to ensure smooth and peaceful exams.

Mrs Teye-Cudjoe cautioned supervisors who supported in examination malpractices to desist from the act, adding that anybody caught would face the full rigour of the law.

"We are informed that when the supervisors get hold of the question papers before the exams, they open it and solve it for the students,” she added.

She reiterated that supervisors are to open the question papers 15 minutes to the time (0900 hours).

Mrs Teye-Cudjoe said all security arrangements had been put in place and were optimistic that the exams would end successfully.

She advised the candidates to focus on their studies and do independent work and avoid any examination malpractices.

The candidates will write English and Religious and Moral Education on the first day and end with Social Studies.