WAEC Warns of Mass Cheating Plots in 2024 WASSCE
- Candidates are being charged between GHC200 and GHC500 to receive assistance from invigilators
- Schools are planning to assign teachers to invigilate subjects they teach
- Some schools have registered individuals who are not bona fide students
The West African Examination Council (WAEC) has revealed that certain institutions are plotting to engage in large-scale cheating during the 2024 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE).
According to WAEC’s intelligence, these institutions plan to charge candidates between GHC200 and GHC500 for “assistance from invigilators.”
A statement from John K. Kapi, WAEC’s head of public affairs, detailed that some examination centers are scheming to have teachers invigilate subjects they themselves teach, and some schools have enrolled individuals who are not legitimate students.
WAEC has assured the public that robust security measures are in place to uphold the examination’s integrity.
The council has warned school heads, supervisors, and invigilators against participating in cheating schemes, stating that those caught will face severe consequences, including the nullification of candidates’ entries and the cancellation of results for those who manage to cheat.
Moreover, examination centers failing to adhere to the rules will be relocated to WAEC-designated centers. WAEC is calling on all stakeholders, particularly supervisors and invigilators, to support the examination’s integrity.
Candidates are advised to follow the examination rules and be cautious of fraudulent websites that promote fake questions and attempt to distract them from their studies. WAEC emphasizes that success can be achieved through honest efforts.
The 2024 WASSCE for school candidates began with practical and theory papers on August 19, 2024, following the Visual Art Project work conducted from August 5 to 16, 2024. The exam is scheduled to conclude on September 20, 2024.
This year, 460,611 candidates—comprising 212,954 males and 247,657 females from 1,003 schools—are registered, marking a 2.66% increase from the 448,674 candidates in 2023. The examinations are being held at 1,000 centers nationwide.