2023 BECE: WAEC Explains Marking Process And Grading System

Following a claim that it uses two marking schemes to mark the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE), the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has explained the national examination’s marking process.

The explanation comes after a politician claimed that the non-profit organization (WAEC) uses a covert marking scheme devised by key stakeholders in the education sector and approved by the government for the BECE.

In an interview with Kumasi-based Ultimate FM, the politician Joseph Yamin claimed that “the Examinations Council uses two marking schemes, one for private schools and one for public schools due to politics.”

However, as the institution in charge of examinations, the Council’s management disclosed the beneath words;

1. It adheres to a standard procedure in the development, finalization, and application of marking schemes used in the marking of BECE scripts.

2. For each subject, only one draft marking scheme is created.

3. At National Preliminary Coordination Meetings attended by Chief Examiners and Zonal Team Leaders for each of the BECE subjects, the draft marking schemes (one for each subject) are finalized.

4. To ensure consistency in the award of marks, the final marking schemes (one for each subject) are used to mark dummy scripts of candidates.

5. Following that, Zonal Coordination Meetings for Chief Examiners, Zonal Team Leaders, and Team Leaders are held at all marking venues across the country to mark dummy scripts and ensure consistency in the award of marks.

6. Primary Coordination Finally, meetings are held for Chief Examiners, Zonal Team Leaders, and Assistant Examiners at all marking venues where BECE scripts are marked. The marking schemes that were previously finalized are the ones that are used.

7. At the conclusion of the Coordination Meetings, all examiners use the final marking scheme for each subject to mark all candidates’ scripts.

8. There are no school names or school codes.

9. Scripts are exchanged across the country’s sixteen regions to ensure that examiners in different regions do not mark the scripts of candidates from their respective regions.

10. The Standard Grading System is used to evaluate BECE candidates.

11. Unlike teacher-created assessments, the BECE has no fixed grade boundaries. The grade boundaries for each subject change from year to year based on candidate performance.

The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) will hold the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) for school and private candidates in the country from August 7, 2023 to August 11, 2023.

READ ALSO: Accra College of Education: Admission Requirement And Courses