7 invigilators arrested for preparing answers for candidates on day 1 of 2026 BECE - WAEC's Head of Public Affairs

The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has confirmed the arrest of seven invigilators for their alleged involvement in examination malpractice on the first day of the 2026 Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE).

The Head of Public Affairs at WAEC, West African Examinations Council, John Kapi, disclosed the development in an interview with 3news on May 4, stating that the incidents were recorded across three regions in Ghana.

According to him, three cases were reported in the Central Region, two in the Bono Region, and another two in the Ashanti Region, bringing the total number of malpractice cases involving invigilators to seven.

He explained that five of the cases involved the use of mobile phones in examination halls, while the remaining two involved invigilators who were allegedly preparing answers intended for distribution to candidates during the exams.

Mr. Kapi further noted that while three of the individuals were not actively invigilating at the time of the incidents, the remaining four were officially assigned invigilators, raising serious concerns about professional conduct during national examinations.

He expressed disappointment over the recurring involvement of teachers and examination officials in malpractice despite repeated warnings and sensitization efforts.

“It is quite baffling because several appeals have been made. WAEC has done its part, and regional representatives have engaged stakeholders including teachers, chiefs, security personnel, PTA members, and parents. The Director-General has also been very clear about the sanctions that will be imposed on teachers involved,” he stated.

He added that the Minister of Education has consistently condemned examination malpractice, making the continued misconduct by some educators even more concerning.

Despite these challenges, Mr. Kapi assured that the overall conduct of the examination has been largely smooth, with no reported cases of candidates being prevented from writing their papers.

However, he acknowledged operational difficulties, particularly delays in the distribution of examination materials to some centres. The Western Region was notably affected by late arrival of exam papers on the first day.

“We had some logistical challenges this morning, especially with late arrival of materials in certain parts of the Western Region,” he explained.

He assured that WAEC is taking steps to address the logistical setbacks and expects smoother operations in the coming days of the examination period.

The BECE remains a critical national assessment conducted by WAEC, serving as a gateway for junior high school students transitioning to senior high school.