WAEC’s new mode of assessment and why Ghana must catch up fast

The release of the 2025 WASSCE results has sparked intense debate as a result of the poor performance by the students. So much has been said so far. I take this opportunity to fill in an important gap in the reasons that have been adduced to explain the poor performance of the students.

WAEC has quietly but decisively shifted its exams toward critical thinking, analytical reasoning and knowledge application in line with Ghana’s new standards-based curriculum. WAEC has publicly defended this shift, saying the updated assessment approach is designed to evaluate not only recall but also problem-solving, analysis and real-world reasoning.

This new direction aligns perfectly with Ghana’s national push into STEM and TVET, where students must learn to apply skills like measuring, calculating, interpreting data, troubleshooting technology and not just memorising notes. WAEC’s exam style is now mirroring the practical, hands-on mindset that STEM and TVET demand. The previous government highlighted this.

As an example from the 2025 exams, instead of asking students to simply define a principle, questions required them to apply it to real-life situations like performing a calculation or interpreting data to make a decision. These are the exact competencies Ghana needs for engineering, construction, ICT, manufacturing, agriculture and modern trades.

The problem this year was that students were not supported by the government through the Ministry of Education and GES with the necessary resources and materials to adjust to this new paradigm. As a result, the 2025 WASSCE results showed a sharp drop in performance, especially in math and social studies. Nearly one in four students failed these core subjects.

The results exposed a reality we cannot ignore. The students were examined using this new paradigm, whilst many classrooms and instructors have not fully transitioned to teaching that way.

Ghana can build a STEM and TVET-driven economy if students are supported to understand the current exam expectations, which demand higher-order reasoning. Instruction delivery in the classrooms must also support and match this. Education experts have already warned that assessments must be aligned with real classroom capacity. We must heed this advice.

Government must act fast to strengthen teacher retraining, equip schools with STEM/TVET learning materials, and ensure students have the foundational support (food, safety, functioning labs, engaging instruction, etc) to thrive under this new assessment regime of WAEC. Otherwise, the shift, though good, will widen inequalities and discourage thousands of learners.

WAEC has taken the right step toward a smarter, more skills-ready generation. Now Ghana must match that move with the right investment so that 2025 becomes a turning point, not a warning sign.