The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has cautioned that candidates who attack exam officers during the 2026 Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) will see their full results voided and may be stopped from taking future exams for many years.
The warning came from WAEC’s Head of Public Affairs, John Kapi, during an interview with journalists on Sunday, 3 May 2026, ahead of the nationwide test set to begin on Monday, 4 May.
He said the council was adopting a tough position on exam cheating and misbehaviour, urging students to act properly across the entire exam period. He noted that besides assaulting invigilators, candidates caught with banned items including mobile phones will face harsh penalties.
“So for mobile phone infractions, you have your entire results cancelled. So any candidate who comes into the examination hall with a mobile phone would have their entire results cancelled,” he stated.
Mr Kapi further urged candidates to arrive at their exam centers at least 30 minutes before each paper starts, stressing that no late arrivals will be allowed in once the bell sounds to begin work. He also warned students against carrying prepared notes, smartwatches, calculators, or seeking help from people outside the exam room.
The 2026 BECE is set to host 620,141 candidates from 20,395 schools across the country, made up of 304,349 boys and 315,792 girls. This shows a rise of 16,813 candidates, or 2.7%, over the 603,328 students who wrote the exam in 2025.
