The West African Examinations Council has revealed how the sitting arrangements for this year’s external examinations will be done. WAEC has its own way of ensuring decency in the sitting arrangements of all candidates in order to prevent cheating.
1. Candidates will sit based on their index numbers. The index numbers are generated using the surname of candidates. Candidates whose surname starts with the letters A or B are usually found at the first row of the exams hall. This varries as some examiners or invigilators do prefer to start the arrangement from the back of the exams hall.
2. The distance between seats will be between 1 meter and 2 meters. This will prevent some candidates from cheating.
3. Candidates will not use the same examination hall to write all papers. Writing elective subjects will require a small number of candidates and for this reason, the exams hall or the seat one sat on for a core subject paper will not be the same seat for the elective subject paper.
Below are some other rules and regulations associated with the exams
Where a candidate is apprehended for offence(s) such as those listed below inside or outside the examination hall, the candidate’s entire results shall be withheld pending the outcome of investigation by the appropriate Committee of the Council:
- Stealing, converting or misappropriating the scripts of other candidates.
- Substituting worked scripts during or after the examination.
- Submission of more than one worked script.
- Possession of more than one question paper or answer booklet.
- Seeking or receiving help from non-candidate(s) such as invigilator(s), supervisor(s), teacher(s) or other personalities before, during or after the examination.
Where the person giving the help is not a candidate for the examination in session, but a prospective candidate, he/she shall be barred from taking any examination conducted by the Council for 1 year and will also be reported to the appropriate authority for disciplinary action to be taken against him/her. In addition to the above action, the candidate’s entire results shall be withheld pending the outcome of investigation by the appropriate Committee of the Council.
Where a candidate is apprehended for offence(s) such as those listed below inside or outside the examination hall, the candidate’s entire results shall be withheld pending the outcome of investigation by the appropriate Committee of the Council:
- Tearing part of the question paper or answer booklet during the examination.
- Refusing to submit worked script to the Supervisor after the examination.
- Starting to write an examination before commencement of work is officially announced OR continuing to write after official orders have been given for candidates to stop work.
- Other irregular activities including but not limited to causing noise or disturbances within the immediate precincts of the examination hall before, during or after the examination.