The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has released provisional results for candidates who sat the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) for School Candidates in 2026, even as the Council continues to grapple with a wave of examination malpractice cases uncovered during marking.
In a press release signed by Head of Public Affairs, John K. Kapi, the Council said results would be dispatched to schools through the Metropolitan/Municipal/District Directors of Education, and would also be accessible to candidates directly via the Council's website, www.waecgh.org.
According to WAEC, 620,243 candidates, 304,415 males and 315,828 females from 20,789 schools nationwide sat the examination this year. The Council said the cohort included 136 candidates with visual impairment and 282 with hearing assessment needs, while 510 candidates received other test accommodations. The examination was administered across 2,237 centres countrywide, with 3,601 candidates recorded as absent.
The results come after the 37th Meeting of the Final Awards and Examiners' Appointment Committee for the BECE, held on July 21, 2026, concluded investigations into a number of irregularities detected during the conduct and marking of the examination.
As a result of the committee's findings, WAEC announced the following sanctions:
- 496 candidates had subject results cancelled
- 105 candidates had entire results cancelled
- 119 candidates had subject results withheld
- 48 candidates had entire results withheld
In addition, the Council disclosed that subject results belonging to 2,722 candidates drawn from 229 schools have been withheld pending further scrutiny. WAEC noted that these results could either be cancelled or released depending on the outcome of ongoing investigations, which are expected to conclude by August 31, 2026.
The Council has directed candidates whose results were cancelled or withheld to visit https://irreg.waecgh.org and select the "withheld/cancelled" option on the homepage. This will redirect them to a dedicated irregularities and investigations page, where they can view the specific reasons behind the action taken on their results. Candidates with withheld results will also receive guidance on the next steps to take.
WAEC further advised heads of schools and proprietors to use their results-listing logins to check the status of any of their candidates' withheld results.
The Council used the opportunity to warn the public against fraudsters who claim they can help upgrade examination results for a fee, stressing that WAEC results are secured and can be independently authenticated.
WAEC extended its gratitude to stakeholders who supported the successful conduct of the examination and the release of results, including the Ministry of Education, the Ghana Education Service, security agencies, heads of schools, supervisors, invigilators, and examiners.