The 2026 WASSCE for school candidates will see 33 institutions offering the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) programme write the first-ever critical thinking and knowledge application examination. WAEC has been tasked to spearhead the assessment along with the usual WASSCE examination.
This has been described as the pilot project. However, reliable information available to Ghana Education News is that the 21st-century critical thinking examination will experience the gradual inclusion of about 987 SHSs in the 2026/2027 academic year. In the 2026/2027 academic year, nearly all WASSCE candidates in Ghana will be examined with the 21st-century critical thinking WASSCE for school candidates.
By the end of 2027, Ghana will see a nationwide implementation across all 1,020 public and private SHSs.
This is because the candidates to be examined were introduced to the common core curriculum in 2019-2020, and they were the first batch of BECE candidates examined with the CCP. These students will be due for the first WASSCE, which is a fully critical thinking and knowledge application examination.
33 Schools Selected to Write WAEC’s New “Critical Thinking” Papers
While the Ministry of Education and WAEC have not released the full list of schools that will sit the exam, they have disclosed that Bosomtwe Girls STEM SHS and Abomosu STEM SHS would be part of the pilot examination.
READ: 2026 WASSCE candidates to write the Critical Thinking exam this year
The 33 schools selected to pilot the new “21st Century Critical Thinking” curriculum for the 2026 WASSCE include the newly established STEM senior high schools and specialised engineering pilot institutions.
While the full list of 33 is being rolled out by the Ministry of Education, the primary institutions featured in this pilot are the dedicated STEM schools built to drive the “career-led” curriculum mentioned by WAEC.
Featured STEM & Engineering Pilot Schools
The following table lists the key public STEM schools and technical institutions that are part of this first wave:
| School Name | Specialization | Location | Region |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bosomtwe Girls STEM SHS | Girls’ STEM / Robotics | Deduako | Ashanti |
| Abomosu STEM SHS | Science & Tech | Abomosu | Eastern |
| Kpasenkpe STEM SHS | STEM / Engineering | Kpasenkpe | North East |
| Awaso STEM SHS | Science & Tech | Awaso | Western North |
| Accra STEM Academy | STEM / 21st Century Skills | East Legon | Greater Accra |
| Bosomtwe STEM Academy | STEM / Tech | Jachie | Ashanti |
| Ghana Stem Technical School | Engineering / TVET | Sewua | Ashanti |
| J.A. Kufour STEM Tech | Engineering / Technology | Dabaa | Ashanti |
| Afua Kobi Ampem Girls | Engineering (Aeronautics) | Trabuom | Ashanti |
| Anyinam STEM SHS | STEM | Anyinam | Eastern |
The rest of the schools are selected schools that offer General Science. The list will be updated soon.
Why These Schools?
These institutions were chosen specifically because they are equipped with the infrastructure (modern labs and robotics centres) needed to examine the “21st Century Critical Thinking” modules. Unlike traditional schools, students here are already enrolled in career-specific pathways such as the following:
- Engineering Sciences: Focusing on practical design and mechanics.
- Medical Sciences: Focusing on clinical foundations.
- Computer Science: Covering coding and AI basics.
Implementation Roadmap
The full implementation road map is as follows.
- 2026: 33 Schools (The Pilot Group)
- 2026-2027: Gradual inclusion of the remaining 987 SHSs
- 2027: All SHSs, including private SHS in the country.
Ghana’s return to the international version of WASSCE
This video explains the Ministry of Education’s decision to align Ghana with other West African countries for the 2026 WASSCE.