There has not been any leakage of WASSCE 2019 papers - WAEC

The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has refuted information circulating on social media about purported leakage of examination papers for the ongoing 2019 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE).

A statement copied to the Ghana News Agency and signed by Mrs Agnes Teye-Cudjoe, the Deputy Director of Public Affairs, for the Head of National Office, WAEC, explained that the Council’s attention had been drawn to that false information circulating on social media.

However, it explained that there had not been any leakage of examination papers for the WASSCE for School Candidates, 2019.

The statement said the Council, in its monitoring of the examination, had received information regarding examination malpractice in some examination halls as a result of poor supervision and invigilation.

It had also received reports by insiders that some school authorities create hideouts for teachers knowledgeable in the subject area to wait for the question paper packets to be opened for snapshots to be taken in order to solve the questions and send answers to candidates at the examination hall.

The statement said the Council had also learned that there was smuggling of mobile phones to the examination hall by some candidates awaiting solutions as well as the resurgence of the operation of rogue websites.

These website operators, it explained, with the connivance of some invigilators and supervisors, received snapshots of the question papers from the centres after the packets were opened, solve the questions and post the answers on their websites and the WhatsApp groups of candidates who had paid for their services.

To address the challenges, the Council had increased the inspection and monitoring of the examination at the various centres; and withdrawn and/or annulled the appointment of some supervisors and invigilators pending further sanctions.

It had also made a formal complaint to the Cyber Crime Unit of the Criminal Investigations Department of the Ghana Police Service on the operations of the rogue websites.

“A number of candidates suspected to have been involved in examination malpractice are being investigated. As a further step, the Council would scrutinise all scripts of schools where cheating has been reported,” the statement noted.

The statement said a great number of candidates had conducted themselves very well and due diligence would be followed to ensure fairness to all.

The Council urged all stakeholders including members of the public to collaborate with it to safeguard the integrity of the examinations and certificates awarded.