'It's cruel to allow BECE students to write 10 subjects in 5 days' – UG lecturer

A lecturer at the University of Ghana Business School, Benjamin Otchere-Ankrah, has criticised the structure of the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE), describing it as “cruel” and unfair to candidates.

Speaking in an interview on Adom FM on May 4, 2026, the academic revealed that he has consistently raised concerns about the examination timetable over the past 15 to 17 years, arguing that the demands placed on junior high school students are excessive.

According to him, BECE candidates are required to sit for as many as ten subjects within a five-day period, often writing two papers in a single day. He described the situation as unjustifiable, especially when compared to the structure of examinations at the tertiary level.

“At the university, we teach students for about three months for five, six, or a maximum of seven subjects, and examinations are spread over three weeks,” he explained.

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“Even then, students are only tested on what they have been taught. So why would we allow BECE students to write two papers a day?”

He further questioned how students are expected to adequately prepare under such conditions, noting that candidates often return home late after sitting two papers, with little time to study for subsequent exams.

“The student wakes up early, goes to school, writes two papers, and returns home tired. What time do they have to prepare for the next papers?” he asked.

Otchere-Ankrah suggested that adopting a one-paper-per-day approach could significantly ease the burden on candidates without compromising academic standards.

It is cruel to allow students write 10 subject in five days during BECE - Dr. Benjamin Otchere-Ankrah (Lecturer, University of Ghana Business School)#DwasoNsem pic.twitter.com/pHrPLPVWT6

— Adom1063fm (@Adom1063fm) May 4, 2026

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