The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has released the provisional results of the 2026 Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) for school candidates, but for hundreds of students, the announcement came with disciplinary action rather than celebration.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, July 29, the Council confirmed that results have been sent to schools through Metropolitan, Municipal and District Directors of Education. Candidates may also access their results through WAEC's official online portal.
This year's examination attracted 620,243 candidates from 20,789 schools across Ghana. The figure included 304,415 males and 315,828 females who wrote the examination at 2,237 centres nationwide.
Not everyone who registered made it to the examination hall. WAEC said 3,601 candidates were absent.
Hundreds sanctioned after investigations
The release of the results followed the Council's review of reported examination irregularities.
After deliberations by the 37th Meeting of the Final Awards and Examiners' Appointment Committee, WAEC approved sanctions against candidates found to have breached examination regulations.
The subject results of 496 candidates have been cancelled, while the entire results of 105 candidates have also been nullified.
Another 119 candidates had their subject results withheld, with the complete results of 48 candidates remaining under review pending further investigations.
The Council also withheld the subject results of 2,722 candidates from 229 schools while it conducts additional scrutiny.
Investigations into those cases are expected to conclude by August 31, after which the affected results will either be released or cancelled based on the findings.
Support for candidates with special needs
WAEC said the 2026 BECE continued to provide accommodation for candidates with special educational needs.
Among those who sat the examination were 136 visually impaired candidates, 282 hearing-impaired candidates and 510 others who received additional support during the examination period.
The Council urged candidates whose results have been withheld or cancelled to visit its irregularities portal for details of the decisions affecting them. School heads can also retrieve the information using their official login credentials.
"Candidates whose results have been cancelled or withheld should visit https://irreg.waecgh.org and click on the withheld/cancelled button on the home page," the Council said.
WAEC warns against fraudsters
WAEC also cautioned candidates and the public against individuals claiming they can upgrade or alter examination results for a fee.
The Council stressed that its examination results are secure, tamper-proof and can be independently verified, urging candidates not to fall victim to fraud.
It also expressed appreciation to the Ministry of Education, the Ghana Education Service, security agencies, school authorities, supervisors, invigilators and examiners for their contributions to the successful conduct of this year's BECE and the timely release of the provisional results.
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