The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has released provisional results of the maiden Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) for private candidates ahead of schedule.
WAEC had earlier announced that the results would be released in May 2015. However, the council has been able to release the results ahead of schedule.
Online A statement signed by the Deputy Director of Public Affairs of WAEC, Mrs Agnes Teye-Cudjoe, said the results had been posted online and candidates could access them from the council’s website.
A total of 1,181 candidates, made up of 717 males and 464 females, registered for the examination. The figure included one hearing-impaired candidate.
“Out of the total number which registered for the examination, 715 were first timers and 466 were re-sitters. Fifty-six candidates were absent,” the statement from WAEC revealed.
Withheld results It said the council had withheld the entire results of three candidates who were allegedly involved in examination malpractices.
“The council has withheld the results and is investigating the cases of 79 candidates who are reported to have written the examination without meeting the entry requirements for re-sitters and first-timers. The withheld results will be released as soon as the council concludes its investigations,” the statement added.
The BECE resit for private candidates was written at 11 centres across the country from February 16 to 20, 2015. The Western Region recorded the highest number of registered candidates (276), with the Upper East Region registering the lowest number of registered candidates (28).
Twenty-one subjects were made available for the examination. Candidates had the option of choosing any subjects from one to nine. A total of 75 examiners were commissioned to mark the examination scripts.
Mathematics and English Language were the subjects which had the highest number of candidates.
Past policy Since the inception of the BECE in 1990, candidates who needed to resit the examination for one reason or the other had to go to their former schools to take the examination. This was, however, a disincentive to such candidates as they found it difficult to go back to their previous schools and sit in the same classrooms with their juniors to prepare. and re-write the examination.
To gain admission to the second cycle schools (SHS), the re-sitters would be required to buy the Ghana Education Service (GES) re-entry forms and apply for placement into the SHS and technical institutes under the Computerised School Selection and Placement System (CSSPS).
Registration for the examination which was done online with the capture of the biometric data of candidates began on September 1, 2014.
Continuous assessment scores Continuous assessment scores will not be required for this examination and grading of candidates will be based solely on their final examination scores, as is done for the private candidates in the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE).
Re-sitters and first-timers Re-sitters needed to provide their index numbers and the year they wrote the previous BECE, while a person writing for the first time must be 16 years and above.
Students in junior high school (JHS) are not qualified to register for the examination.
Unqualified candidates “The date of birth of candidates would be printed on their certificates. Unqualified candidates caught taking the examination will have their registration nullified and be barred from taking any WAEC examination for two years,” the WAEC guidelines on the re-sit policy said.
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