WAEC adjusts exam timings to curb examination leakages

The Head of Public Affairs of the West African Examinations Council, John Kapi, has disclosed that adjustments have been made to examination questions and schedules to address cross-border leakages. The move is part of ongoing efforts by WAEC to strengthen examination security and protect the credibility of certification across West Africa.

Speaking on Badwam on Adom TV, he explained that although Ghana and Nigeria previously wrote the same examination questions at the same time, changes have now been introduced. The coordinated exam system had long been used to maintain standardisation across participating countries.

According to him, the adjustments were necessary due to incidents of “apor” (exam leakages) across borders. These leakages have raised concerns about fairness and the integrity of results, prompting WAEC to review its examination administration processes.

“We’ve made adjustments to the questions and timing. Starting earlier helps prevent cross-border leakages,” he said. He added that early commencement reduces the risk of question papers being shared across borders before examinations begin.

He noted that differences have been introduced in both the questions and the timing of the exams to reduce the risk of leakages. This means candidates in different countries may no longer receive identical question sets at exactly the same time.

He further explained that because Nigeria is an hour ahead of Ghana, the timing has been revised. Instead of the usual 9:00 am start time, exams now begin at 8:30 am in Ghana, with corresponding adjustments in Nigeria. The scheduling shift is designed to limit opportunities for cross-border sharing of exam content.

He said these measures are aimed at ensuring fairness and maintaining the integrity of the examination process across the region. WAEC continues to implement reforms to uphold credibility and ensure that academic assessments reflect genuine student performance rather than compromised results.