The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has announced that the 2025 Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) will be held from Wednesday, June 11 to Wednesday, June 18, 2025.
In its statement, WAEC revealed that a total of 603,328 candidates have registered to sit for this year’s BECE. This figure includes 297,250 males and 306,078 females from 20,395 schools across the country.
The Council noted that this represents a 5.99% increase compared to the 569,236 candidates who registered in 2024.
WAEC also confirmed that 1,661 private candidates, comprising 858 males and 803 females, will participate in the exam this year. This number is 19.49% higher than the 2024 private candidate entry of 1,390.
The examination will be conducted at 2,237 centres nationwide, with an additional 14 centres, mainly in regional capitals, dedicated to private candidates.
As in 2024, school candidates and some private candidates will be examined under the core curriculum, while other private candidates will take exams based on the old syllabus. WAEC has indicated that this will be the last year private candidates will write under the old syllabus.
WAEC assured that adequate provisions have been made to accommodate candidates with special educational needs. “Heads of schools, parents, and guardians should rest assured that no child will be left behind in the examination process,” the Council stated.
The Council also reminded stakeholders of the revised rules and regulations for handling examination irregularities, which have been in effect since 2023. These include prohibitions on:
Having inscriptions on the body or clothing
Posting live exam questions online
Refusing timely access to exam centres
Misconduct by examination officials
Multiple registrations by candidates in both public and private schools
WAEC called on all stakeholders to ensure a peaceful and orderly examination environment. The Council further admonished candidates to strictly adhere to the examination rules, warning that any breach would lead to severe consequences.
“While we wish all candidates success, we urge them to comply fully with the examination regulations,” WAEC concluded.
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Read the full statement below: