The West African Examinations Council WAEC

The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) is an examination board established by law to determine the examinations required in the public interest in the English-speaking West African countries, to conduct the examinations and to award certificates comparable to those of equivalent examining authorities internationally. Established in 1952, the council has contributed to education in Anglophonic countries of West Africa (Ghana, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Liberia, and the Gambia), with the number of examinations they have coordinated, and certificates they have issued. They also formed an endowment fund, to contribute to the education in West Africa, through lectures, and aid to those who cannot afford education. Since established it continues to be one of the biggest and most globally recognized exams in West Africa.

Has Waec Registration for 2022 started.

YES! WAEC Registration/form in Nigeria for 2022/2023 is Officially out. This means that WASSCE registration for 2022/2023 has started. Please Note that WAEC 2022/2023 Exams will start on the 5th MaCouncil

Structure of the Council

The West African Examination Council is known to have a strong committee. The structure of the council is divided into three major parts: International committees, National Committees, and Subcommittees.

The International Committee treat matters affecting all member countries and also harmonizes national views pertaining to policies of the council as a whole. The National committees handle matters relating to specific member countries. It also assists in the articulation of national views on issues affecting the policy of the council as a whole. The subcommittees work on various aspects of the council's activities. The Finance committee, for example, is in charge of WAEC's financial status. There are many subcommittees, and they assist both the International and National committees.

Vision of the Council

To be a world-class examining body, adding value to the educational goals of its stakeholders.

The council current chairman is Professor, Ato Essuman who was elected during the 69th meeting of the council which held virtually from march 22–26, 2021. Professor Ato Essuman is Ghanaian.

Mission of the Council

Generally, the Council have several missions, most of which is to maintain the standard they have achieved. The Missions of the West African Examination Council are:

To maintain internationally accepted procedures.

To keep providing qualitative and reliable educational assessment.

To keep promoting sustainable human resources development, mutual understanding and international cooperation.

Heads of Office

The Gambia: Mr. Odukoya Victor Opeyemi, B.Sc., Ed; M.Ed. (Eval.) Ag. Head of National Office.

Liberia: Mr. Amah Emmanuel, B.Sc., M.Sc., M.A. Head of National Office.

Ghana: Mr. Aguiyi E. Ebube B.Sc. (Hons); Dip (Ed); M. A. (Meas&Eval); PGD (Pub. Admin)

Nigeria: Mr. Williams Joshua O. B.Sc., M.Sc., Head of National Office

Sierra Leone: Mr. Okonkwo Chisom Vincent, B.A. (Ed), M.Ed. Head of National Office.

Issues

There have been some concerns about the efficiency of WAEC as a body. An important episode was an examination leakage scandal in the 1970s, called the Owosho scandal. The scandal was a result of leakage of examination answer slips to students by an official prior to the conduct of the exam. This led to the cancellation of results in some examination centers and some students were asked to take the exam with their juniors the following year. Also in 1977, there was a much wider examination of leakage and malpractice at examination centers which led to what was termed EXPO 77.

By 1982, there were allegations that exams were sold and to combat these types of malpractices, examinations were cancelled at some centers affecting both innocent and guilty students.

The organisation as a whole has failed to keep a rigorous and challenging curriculum. In 2019, WAEC still offers students the option to study subjects like short hand . A tool which was used by secretaries in the 1950s and has fallen out of style in the modern age of computers. One may argue that the lack of an efficient examination body is one of the reasons why the performance of youth in west African countries pale in comparison to western and sub continental counterparts. The fact that the syllabus still remains what it was when the organisation was first founded is proof of the lack of an effective body.

On August 16, 2020, a day before the commencement of WASSCE, there was an alleged circulation of the mathematics paper scheduled for August 17 on social media. However, the council swiftly debunked the reports, described them as fake, and typical of scammers every other examination year. In an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria, Mr Patrick Areghan, WAEC Head of National Office reacted to the reports widely circulated on social media, saying it was " false, malicious, misleading and wicked".