There are many examination rules that govern the conduct of the BECE and WASSCE but in this article, we will touch on just 8 basic BECE/WASSCE Examination Rules which some students disobey and end up failing. Do not blame anyone if you do not follow simple instructions in the examination hall.
Passing the BECE or WASSCE demands good preparation, however, these simple to follow but ignored basic examination rules make students fail WASSCE and BECE each year. Let us take a critical look at them and get used to doing the right things to avoid failure.
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BECE/WASSCE Rule 1
1. Before doing anything else, please kindly write your name in full and index number in ink (pen) in the spaces provided on your question paper and answer booklet as well.
It is sad to say that, most candidates fail the BECE and WASSCE examinations because they do not write their name and index number on particularly the answer booklet, which is a common but expensive mistake, avoid practising that this year.
BECE/WASSCE Rule 2
2. Use 2B pencil only to shade your answer sheet for the objective tests. This simple instruction is clear and simple. However, some candidates use the wrong kind of pencil. At least a month to the examination, get five of these 2 B pencils purposely for the examination. Do not use any other pencil.
BECE/WASSCE Rule 3
3. Read through all questions carefully and make sure you better understand the demands of each question before selecting the ones you wish to answer.
How many times must your teachers repeat this instruction from form 1 to form 3 and in the mock examinations before you do the right thing? Rules and guidelines per question differ, hence always read the sub instructions carefully before you start working.
BECE/WASSCE Rule 4
4. In determining the requirements of a question take note of keywords such as When, State, Describe, Calculate, Compare, Contrast, Define, Discuss, Identify, illustrate and Summarize. You need to take a look at the 15 Essay Question Keywords for Exams Success When Understood by Students
as well as Answering Essay Questions: 10 standard rules and tricks for HIGH SCORES
BECE/WASSCE Rule 5
Always write clearly so that the examiner can read your handwriting.
BECE/WASSCE Rule 6
Number your answers very well to ensure you have not mixed them up. Some candidates are always in a rush and never extra careful when numbering answers. Make sure you cross-check all the questions and sub-questions answered and the numbering of the answers before submitting your answer booklets.
Read: BECE Social Studies Questions & Answers for 2022 October Candidates
BECE/WASSCE Rule 7
All candidates shall use blue ball pens for the examination. Do not use any other pen colour except blue. Using fanciful ink and pens will not earn you more marks. Stick to a standard blue ink pen and be free.
BECE/WASSCE Rule 8
Candidates are to note that possession of a mobile phone, pieces of paper with notes, blank sheets, and books in the examination hall/room is a punishable offence by the cancellation of results. Finally, candidates who take papers they have not registered for will not be graded, for example, if you have not been registered for French don’t write it.
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Now that we are all aware of these 8 Basic BECE/WASSCE Examination Rules, let us follow them and apply them in our mock examinations before we sit the upcoming BECE and WASSCE.
Source: Ghana Education News
The Ghana Education News Editorial Team is a specialized collective of education researchers, journalists, and policy analysts dedicated to providing high-fidelity reporting on the Ghanaian academic landscape. Serving as a primary bridge between governing bodies—including the Ghana Education Service (GES) and WAEC—and the public, the team leverages over a decade of combined experience to serve students, parents, and educators nationwide.
Lead Architect & Editor-in-Chief
The team is led by Wisdom Kojo Eli Hammond, a distinguished Ghanaian Edu-Tech Entrepreneur, AI Solutions Developer, and Product Architect with over 25 years of cross-disciplinary experience in education, finance, and digital media. Wisdom is the visionary force behind SkulManager, Ghana’s premier school management ecosystem, and the Lead Consultant at Education-News Consult.
A self-taught innovator, professional Web Designer, and regular columnist on GhanaWeb, Wisdom engineered SkulManager.com as the only platform strictly tailored to the GES Curriculum. His technical leadership has redefined educational assessment through a Hybrid Marking Ecosystem, pioneering the BECE and WASSCE Home Mock services—a unique fusion of WAEC-trained human examiners and advanced AI marking engines operational since 2022.
Wisdom’s 360-degree view of institutional challenges is grounded in his tenure as College President and Lecturer at Pinnacle College (Achimota), as well as his background as a school administrator and accountant. He is a dedicated lifelong learner currently advancing his studies at the Accra Institute of Technology (AIT), with academic ties to the University of Professional Studies, Accra (UPSA).
An accomplished author, his works include Returnees of the Dead Forest (UK Published), Simplified Beacon of Light (850+ Q&A), and The Leader in Me. A foundational pillar of the award-winning NGO Human Rights Reporters Ghana (HRRG), Wisdom is committed to building intelligent systems that solve societal problems and prepare the next generation of Ghanaian students for a digital future.
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