The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has cautioned that any candidate who attacks examination officials during the 2026 Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) will have all their results cancelled and may also be prohibited from sitting future exams for several years.
This warning was delivered by WAEC’s Head of Public Affairs, John Kapi, during an interview on Channel One News on Sunday, May 3, ahead of the nationwide exams set to begin on Monday, May 4.
He emphasized that the council is adopting a strict approach toward malpractice and misconduct, urging candidates to maintain discipline throughout the examination period.
He added that offences go beyond physical misconduct, noting that possession of banned items such as mobile phones will also attract serious penalties.
According to him, candidates caught with mobile phones inside the exam hall will have their entire results cancelled. He also stressed that WAEC will not tolerate any violations of examination regulations.
Mr Kapi further advised students to arrive at their examination centres at least 30 minutes before each paper begins, warning that latecomers will not be allowed entry once the examination starts.
In addition, candidates were cautioned against bringing unauthorized materials such as prepared notes, smartwatches, and calculators, or attempting to seek help from outside the examination hall.
The 2026 BECE is expected to involve 620,141 candidates from 20,395 schools across the country, including 304,349 boys and 315,792 girls. This marks an increase of 16,813 candidates, representing a 2.7% rise compared to the 603,328 candidates who sat for the exam in 2025.