- 2024 BECE candidates will encounter three new subjects
- The duration of the 2024 BECE will be prolonged to six days
- The 2024 BECE marks the transition to the Common Core Curriculum for candidates
In the upcoming Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) for School Candidates, final-year junior high school (JHS) students across the country will face the challenge of three additional subjects. The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has announced the inclusion of Career Technology, Creative Art and Design, and Arabic.
Career Technology and Creative Art and Design, extracted from the previous Basic Design and Technology (BDT) curriculum, are compulsory for all candidates, while Arabic remains optional for those attending Islamic basic schools.
With the introduction of these new subjects, the duration of the 2024 BECE will be extended to six days, departing from the previous five-day schedule. The examination is set to commence on Monday, July 8, 2024, and conclude on Monday, July 15, 2024.
John Kapi, WAEC’s Head of Public Affairs, shed light on the alterations, emphasizing that the Ghanaian government holds the authority to introduce new subjects based on its educational objectives. Kapi reassured that WAEC is fully prepared for the examination, with registration completed and logistical arrangements underway.
For the first time, Arabic will be examined at the BECE, offering candidates the opportunity to demonstrate proficiency in the language.
WAEC released an official timetable detailing the sequence of subjects. Candidates will tackle English Language and Religious and Moral Education on the initial day, followed by Science and Computing (previously ICT) on the second day. Subsequently, they will face Social Studies and Creative Art and Design.
Mathematics and Ghanaian Language are scheduled for the third day, while French and Career Technology will be examined on the fourth day. Arabic will be the concluding subject on the sixth day of the examination.
This year’s BECE candidates will be the pioneer group sitting the examination under the Common Core Curriculum. Consequently, WAEC outlined that school and private candidates will undergo separate examination processes due to this curriculum shift, which aims to enhance learning experiences and promote critical thinking skills over rote memorization.
