![WAEC calls on 8,328 students involved in exam irregularities to assist investigation – [See Names Below]](https://abcnewsgh.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/WASSCE-SHS-360x180.png)
![WAEC calls on 8,328 students involved in exam irregularities to assist investigation – [See Names Below]](https://abcnewsgh.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/WASSCE-SHS.png)
The Educate Africa Institute (EAI) has urged the government to consider changing the examination body responsible for the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE), citing repeated failures by the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) to curb exam malpractice.
William Boadi, Executive Director of the Institute, told ABC News GH that despite WAEC implementing several mechanisms to prevent cheating, the efforts have consistently failed to achieve the core objective of conducting successful exams without malpractice.
“After contracting all these people we still record malpractice. WAEC cannot continue to conduct exams without malpractice in the country. So we need a different examination body or we stop working with WAEC totally,” Boadi stated, emphasizing the urgency of reform.
His comments follow widespread reports of cheating in the ongoing 2025 WASSCE for School Candidates.
According to WAEC monitoring teams, malpractice involving candidates, invigilators, and school staff has been reported across multiple centres, raising serious concerns about the integrity of the exams.
EAI warned that the growing scale of cheating undermines the value of WAEC certificates, which for decades have served as trusted qualifications for further studies and employment both locally and internationally.
The think tank noted that some foreign universities are already reviewing their acceptance of WAEC results, a development that could force certificate holders to sit additional entrance exams before gaining admission abroad.
The Institute attributed part of the problem to WAEC’s long-standing monopoly over examinations in the sub-region, which it says has fostered complacency, weak accountability, and limited innovation.
EAI is therefore calling on West African governments to establish an independent examination body to operate alongside or possibly replace WAEC, in order to improve transparency, raise standards, and restore public confidence in the system.
