Final-year Senior High School (SHS) students across Ghana have commenced the 2026 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE), beginning with the Oral English paper today alongside candidates in other West African countries.
According to the West African Examinations Council (WAEC), a total of 509,862 candidates are expected to sit for this year’s examination nationwide. The figure comprises 225,274 males and 284,588 females.
The 2026 examination process had already begun with practical examinations and project work in subjects including Visual Arts and Home Economics.
Although Oral English has in recent years been conducted as a standalone paper for Ghanaian candidates, this year’s examination is being held simultaneously across all member countries of WAEC.
The examination also marks the complete return to the traditional May–June academic calendar across member states following disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
In 2020, the WASSCE timetable was shifted to July–September due to the pandemic, while the 2021 edition was conducted between August and October. Since then, countries including Nigeria, Liberia, Sierra Leone, and The Gambia have worked to harmonise their academic calendars in order to restore the original regional examination schedule.
Regional Breakdown
The Ashanti Region recorded the highest number of candidates, with 127,702 students made up of 57,885 males and 69,817 females.
The Eastern Region followed with 70,099 candidates, comprising 29,810 males and 40,289 females.
The Bono, Bono East, and Ahafo regions collectively registered 67,739 candidates, including 29,658 males and 38,081 females.
The Central Region recorded 61,303 candidates, while the Greater Accra Region registered 48,099 candidates, made up of 22,418 males and 25,681 females.
In the Volta Region, 41,622 candidates are expected to sit for the examination, comprising 19,261 males and 22,361 females.
The Oti and Western North regions together recorded 35,620 candidates, including 14,480 males and 21,140 females.
The Northern ecological zone, covering the Northern, North East, and Savannah regions, registered 33,155 candidates.
The Upper East Region recorded 15,192 candidates, made up of 6,093 males and 9,099 females, while the Upper West Region registered 9,249 candidates, comprising 3,985 males and 5,264 females.
