Top regions for exam malpractices are Bono, Bono East, and Ahafo, according to WAEC
The Bono, Bono East, and Ahafo regions reported the most exam malpractices for the 2023 exam, according to the West African Examinations Council (WAEC). In 2023, the council reported that 18,504 people in the three regions were collectively engaged in various types of examination malpractice.
Immanuel Amuah 
The Bono, Bono East, and Ahafo regions reported the most exam malpractices for the 2023 exam, according to the West African Examinations Council (WAEC). In 2023, the council reported that 18,504 people in the three regions were collectively engaged in various types of examination malpractice.
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According to Mr. Daniel Nii Dodoo, head of the Humanities and Test Development Division at WAEC, “Bono, Bono East, and Ahafo regions had the highest number of candidates involved in malpractice in 2023; these critical areas require immediate attention, given their rising trends in malpractice involvement.”
At a stakeholders' forum in Accra on Thursday, he gave a summary of the nation's examination malpractices and stated that the Ashanti region "remains a focal point for intervention due to its high number of malpractice cases as well." He pointed out that in 2023, there were 17,633 candidates in the region who engaged in serious malpractice.
Even though the Central Region had comparatively lower rates of examination malpractice, Mr. Dodoo pointed out that the recent rise in percentages calls for prompt action.
He reiterated that WAEC's data showed a growing problem, with notable increases in malpractice incidents over a three-year period.
Additionally, Mr. Dodoo stated that the widespread nature of this malpractice and its grave consequences for national security needed to be addressed.
He claimed that exam fraud was a stark reality that had crept into the nation's educational system and required immediate attention. "Any unethical behavior intended to secure an unfair advantage during assessments is considered examination malpractice," he continued.
Exam malpractice has been on the rise in West Africa, he said, alarmingly, due to a complex interaction between socioeconomic pressures, a widespread culture of impunity, and lax regulatory frameworks.
The meeting's goal, according to Dr. Rosemond Wilson, Head of National Office, WAEC, was to turn discussions into collective action to combat exam malpractice, which jeopardizes exam integrity, devalues certificates, lowers academic standards, and damages students' futures.
According to her, the council and stakeholders could work together to fight the threat as a group. In order to address the problem of examination malpractice, the forum included representatives from the Ghana Education Service, the Ministry of Education, the Conference of Heads of Assisted Secondary Schools (CHASS), regional supervisors, and others.
