WAEC outlines process for 2026 BECE scripts marking and grading

The West African Examinations Council (WAEC), as part of effort to educate the public on its examination activities, has explained the marking and grading process for the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE).

This follows an allegation that the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) uses two marking schemes in the BECE, one for the private schools and one for the public schools, because of politics.

According to the allegation, the controversial Basic Education Certificate Examination marking (BECE) scheme set out by the key stakeholders in the education sector is endorsed by the central government.

But reacting to the claim, an official of not-for-profit-making organization (WAEC) said, “The Council has never used two different marking schemes for candidates of BECE in private and public schools.”

The WAEC official in an interview monitored by Pretertiary.com added, “Let me use this opportunity to state that a final marking scheme is developed for each subject at the end of the Preliminary Coordinating meeting and all examiners use this final marking scheme to mark scripts of all candidates for that subject.”

WAEC process for BECE scripts marking and grading

1. WAEC follows a standardised procedure in the development, finalisation, and application of marking schemes used in the marking of scripts for the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE).

2. Only one draft marking scheme is developed for each subject.

3. The draft marking schemes (one for each subject) are finalised at National Preliminary Coordination Meetings, which are attended by Chief Examiners and Zonal Team Leaders for each of the BECE subjects.

3. The final marking schemes (one for each subject) are used to mark dummy scripts of candidates to ensure consistency in the award of marks.

4. Zonal Coordination Meetings for Chief Examiners, Zonal Team Leaders, and Team Leaders are thereafter held at all marking venues throughout the country to once again mark dummy scripts and ensure consistency in the award of marks.

5. Main Coordination Meetings are finally held for Chief Examiners, Zonal Team Leaders, and Assistant Examiners at all marking venues used for the marking of BECE scripts. The marking schemes that were finalised earlier are the marking schemes that are used.

6. At the end of the Coordination Meetings, all the examiners use the final marking scheme for each subject to mark the scripts of all candidates.

7. Neither the names of schools nor the school status (private/public) are indicated on the envelopes containing the scripts of candidates.

8. Scripts are swapped across the sixteen regions of the country to ensure that examiners in the various regions do not mark scripts of candidates for their respective regions.

9. The Stanine Grading System is used to grade candidates who sat for the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE).

10. Unlike teacher-made assessments, there are no fixed grade boundaries for the BECE. The grade boundaries for each subject vary from year to year depending on the performance of candidates.