The Ghana Only Version of the West African Senior School Certificate Examination for School Candidates (WASSCE-SC) 2023 has begun in the country with project works in Basketry, Ceramics, and Graphic Design.

A total of 447,204 candidates, including 211,834 males and 235,370 females, will participate in the examination at 834 centres across the nation.

This year's candidature represents an increase of 24,321 candidates compared to last year. Final-year students from 975 second-cycle schools will participate in the examination, which is being written for the second time in Ghana. The examination will have 834 supervisors, 2,243 assistant supervisors, and 14,907 invigilators to ensure its smooth conduct.

Ghanaian candidates are writing Ghana Only WASSCE-SC for the second time consecutively due to the return of other member countries of the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) – Nigeria, Liberia, Sierra Leone, and The Gambia – to the May/June calendar.

In an interview, the Head of National Office (HNO) of WAEC, Wendy Enyonam Addy-Lamptey, wished candidates success in the examination while cautioning against cheating, which could lead to the withholding of their papers for investigation. She emphasized the importance of proper preparation and adherence to examination rules, including not bringing mobile phones to the examination halls.

The breakdown of candidates by region shows the Ashanti Region with the highest number of candidates at 107,061, followed by the Ahafo, Bono, and Bono East regions with 65,731 candidates.

The examination is set to conclude on Tuesday, September 26, 2023, with subjects such as Literature-In-English (Drama & Poetry), Jewellery, and Woodwork.

The visually impaired and hearing impaired candidates will be allowed one and a half times the time allotted to other candidates.

Additionally, WAEC has revised the rules and regulations for dealing with cases of irregularity in the examination, including the destruction of exhibits and posting live questions on the Internet.

Meanwhile, the government has released GH¢50.5 million to WAEC for the organization of both the WASSCE-SC and this year's BECE, scheduled for August 7-11, 2023, with over 600,000 candidates expected to take part.