GNACOPS launches ‘survey’ to identify causes of poor BECE results

The Ghana National Council of Private Schools (GNACOPS) is inviting school owners and educational leaders to complete a survey aimed at identifying the key factors contributing to the underperformance of candidates in the 2025 Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) for School and Private.

In a social media post sighted by Pretertiary.com, the Private Schools Council said, “Your responses will help us gain deeper insights into the challenges and develop strategies to address them effectively.”

Click on this link to participate in the GNACOPS survey aimed at identifying the cause of the poor performance of students who sat for the 2025 edition of the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE).

Below are some thought provoking questions asked in the 2025 Ghana National Council of Private Schools  (GNACOPS) Basic Educaton Certificate Examination (BECE) poor performance survey

1. Do you believe the 2025 BECE questions and marking were fair and aligned with the approved curriculum?

2. How has the poor results or cancellation affected your school’s reputation, enrollment, and student transition to SHS?

3. What two or three key reforms should WAEC introduce to ensure transparency and fairness in future BECE exams?

4. Would your school like a remarking of the learner’s script?

The survey follows WAEC revelation that about 95% of this year’s Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) for school and private results were cancelled due to candidates using mobile phones in examination halls.

This was disclosed by the Head of Public Affairs at West African Examinations Council (WAEC), John Kapi, speaking on Accra-based Starr FM’s Morning Star with Naa Dedei Tettey on Monday, August 25, monitored by Pretertiary.com.

“At the end of this, the marking process, we cancelled 718 subject results, that is, for 718 candidates. Then we had 177 of them who had their entire results cancelled. We withheld 1,240 results of candidates, and then also the entire results of ninety-three candidates have withheld for further investigation. A number of schools have had, I mean, for the entire school, subject results have been cancelled for about 119 schools,” he said.

The spokesman for the not-for-profit organization explained that WAEC’s rules explicitly bar candidates from entering examination halls with mobile phones or other electronic devices capable of storing information.

“Any candidate who assaults an examination official will have their entire results cancelled, and so and of course, anybody who has any other electronic gadget that has, you know, facilities that can store information for later would also have their entire results cancelled. So, basically, these are the things. Most of them, actually, or I would say about 95% of them had mobile phone infractions,” he emphasized.

This year, a total of 603,328 candidates, comprising 297,250 males and 306,078 females, from nineteen thousand, five hundred and five (19,505) participating Junior High Schools (JHSs) entered for the school examination.

This includes seventy-two (72 ) candidates with visual impairment, two hundred and thirty-nine (239) with hearing impairment, and one hundred and sixty-one (161) candidates with other test accommodation needs.

The examination was conducted at two thousand, two hundred and thirty-seven (2,237 ) centres across the country. Out of the total number, two thousand, five hundred and twenty-six (2,526) candidates were absent.

The BECE for Private Candidates recorded a total entry figure of one thousand, three hundred and ninety (1,661) candidates. This was made up of eight hundred and fifty-eight (858) males and eight hundred and three (803 ) females.

Fifteen (15) centres, mostly in the regional capitals, were used for the BECE for Private Candidates. Out of the total number of candidates who entered for the examination, fifty-seven (57) were absent.