WASSCE 2026: 33 SHSs to Take Special Exam as Part of New Curriculum
- In 2026, 33 Ghanaian senior high schools will tackle a special WASSCE with a new curriculum twist
- Questions will focus on 21st-century critical thinking and problem-solving skills for future careers
- The curriculum aims to guide students toward roles in fields like engineering and medical sciences
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Candidates from 33 selected senior high schools will sit for a special West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) in 2026 based on the new second-cycle school curriculum.
Graphic Online reported that the examination would be based on what was termed the '21st Century Critical Thinking and Problem Solving Questions'.
Source: Facebook
The Head of Public Affairs of the West African Examinations Council, John Kapi, said this curriculum would be rolled out nationwide to include the remaining 987 schools.
“These people are not any special kind of students. It’s just that they are doing the new curriculum, and that curriculum is career-driven. So whatever it is that you are studying right now is leading you towards a certain career path.
“So you can have those who are into medical sciences, so at every stage you know what you are doing, and also we have those who are into engineering."
The schools taking the new WASSCE include Bosomtwe Girls STEM SHS and Abomosu STEM SHS.
About the 2026 WASSCE
A total of 473,658 final-year senior high school students will sit for the 2026 West African Senior School Certificate Examination.
The Ghanaian candidates comprise 248,461 males and 225,197 females from 1,020 public and private second-cycle schools, according to the West African Examinations Council.
Graphic Online reported that this represents a 2.58% increase over the 2025 figure of 461,736.
Source: Facebook
Ghana will also be rejoining Liberia, The Gambia, Nigeria and Sierra Leone in taking the regional exam together.
The country had been taking its own version of the exam because of disruptions from the COVID-19 pandemic.
On April 14, Kapi said that the printing of the examination scripts was currently ongoing.
When is the 2026 BECE?
The West African Examinations Council is also preparing for the 2026 Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE).
The 2026 BECE is expected to take place from May 4 to May 11, 2026.
The exam is for the certification and selection into Senior High Schools and Technical Institutes in Ghana.
According to the WAEC, candidates in the third year of Junior High Schools approved by the Ghana Education Service are eligible to register to take part in this examination.
BECE candidates will also now select their preferred senior high schools only after their results are released.
Non-JHS3 students to be barred from BECE
YEN.com.gh also reported that the government plans to bar students who have not progressed to Junior High School 3 from registering for the BECE, as part of plans to overhaul the country's basic education system.
The Minister for Education, Haruna Iddrisu, noted that the practice had contributed to persistently poor performance in BECE results over the years, as some candidates are not adequately prepared for the exam's demands.
Proofreading by Bruce Douglas, copy editor at YEN.com.gh.
Source: YEN.com.gh
