This post covers Ghana Education News’ update to candidates on the 17 dangerous and avoidable 2024 BECE and WASSCE exam rules have been simplified for candidates.

Ahead of the WAEC-administered BECE and WASSCE examinations for 2024, the Ghana Education News team believes in simplifying and explaining.

17 dangerous and avoidable 2024 BECE and WASSCE exam rules

Candidates, invigilators, teachers, and schools stand a great chance of disgrace, humiliation, and disappointment if they decide to break any one or multiple of the 17 dangerous and avoidable 2024 BECE and WASSCE exam rules explained here.

#1: No blank piece of paper, cribs, notes, or textbooks in the exam hall rule

One of the dangerous and avoidable 2024 BECE and WASSCE rules is a student who takes a “blank piece of paper, cribs, notes, textbooks, prepared material, or any other printed material, in the examination hall. This is a serious offence, and when caught, the invigilator and other examiners at the exam centre must take action by picking up all evidence and filling out the examination misconduct form.

#2. The no mobile phone or any other electronic communication device rule

Another dangerous examination offence to run away from is the temptation to take into the exam hall a mobile phone or any other electronic communication device. Please keep in mind that WAEC may completely cancel your results. WAEC is clear on the kind of punitive action to be taken against such candidates. “If the Committee finds a candidate guilty, it will cancel the relevant result.”

With regards to the same offense, WAEC may sometimes be lenient by only withholding a candidate’s results until full investigations are over. If there is no readily available detailed evidence, this is the case. However, in such a situation, the examination rules place you at a critical juncture, as they stipulate that the Committee will cancel your entire results if found guilty. This rule remains one of the most broken of the 16 dangerous and avoidable 2024 BECE and WASSCE exam rules because candidates attempt to cheat by carrying mobile devices into the examination hall.

#3. No programmable calculator rule

If you are found in possession of a programmable calculator in the examination hall, your results for the entire exam will be cancelled.

Adherence to the no-programmable calculator rule is crucial to prevent any issues. Do not be tempted to carry such gadgets into the examination hall.

#4. Rule: No writing on any part of your body or clothing.

If you are found to have any form of writing on any part of your body or clothing, WAEC will not hesitate to withhold your results until investigations are over, and your entire result will be cancelled if you are found guilty.

Certain actions, decisions, and deeds by candidates outside the exam hall are deemed to be breaches of the WASSCE and BECE rules, and as a result, WAEC will punish any candidate found breaking the rules regarding them. Let us take a look at these.

#5. The rule against stealing, converting, or misappropriating exam materials

If you are caught stealing, converting, or misappropriating the scripts of other candidates,

If you attempt to replace one candidate’s scripts with another during or after the exam, For example, sometimes some teachers solve examination questions in the name of a candidate, and as the invigilators bring the examination to an end, such answers are rushed in to be replaced with the original answer booklet of a particular candidate.

#6. Rule: No tearing of any part of the question paper or answer booklet.

It is a serious examination offense for a BECE or WASSCE candidate to be found tearing any part of the question paper or answer booklet during the exam. If you make a mistake, you must ensure you only cancel it and keep the question paper and answer booklets provided to you intact.

#7: Refusing to submit his or her answer booklet rule

A student who refuses to submit his or her answer booklet commits an examination offense under the WAEC rules. This often happens when the supervisor or invigilator demands the answer or question booklet of a candidate suspected to be in possession of foreign material, etc., or when the supervisor has asked for the submission of a worked script.

#8. Do not start answering the examination questions before you are told to do so.

If the examiner finds that you began answering the examination questions before they instructed you to do so, or if you continue to write after the exam officer has instructed all candidates, including you, to stop work, you are guilty of breaking the examination rules.

#9. The rule for passing notes to other candidates in the exam hall

Candidates who pass notes to other candidates in the exam hall are guilty of breaking the rules, just as they are. WAEC’s rules are clear and indicate that receiving or giving assistance, talking with, or colluding in any manner with another candidate or other candidate(s) is an offence. Candidates should avoid this temptation in the exam hall. Do not attempt to assist anyone with answers or anything else. Each student should do independent work, and if needed, they should seek direction and help from the exam supervisor. You, as a candidate, should also be bold enough to report anyone disturbing you in the exam hall before he or she creates trouble for you.

#10. The candidate impersonating rule

If you or someone else impersonates, you have broken the exam rules. To impersonate means to sit in the exam hall and write the examination for another person. If the police catch you in the act, they will immediately take you into custody. You will face the following punishment for this offense:

WAEC will bar the candidate, for whom another person wrote the exam, from taking any examinations for at least two years. Again, the candidate’s entire result will be cancelled, and the candidate and the impersonator will have their names and images published in new papers.

#11. The exam center should have first knowledge of the exam questions rule.

If WAEC finds out that candidates in a given centre had knowledge of the examination questions before the exam, the results of all candidates writing the exam at the centre will be withheld. If the main school serving as the centre is found to be in the middle of the act, it will be derecognized in accordance with Rule 7.

When WAEC suspects a leak of exam materials, such as questions or answers to questions, the appropriate Committee of the Council will find all parties involved in the chain of leakage culpable.

#12. Verbal and physical attack and/or abuse of the exam officer rule

A candidate will have all his results cancelled if he or she is found to have abused the exam officer by insulting or engaging in any form of physical attack. You can also be barred from writing WAEC-administered examinations for not less than two years.

#13. Shading with a pen or ink exam rule

This includes shading with a pen instead of a pencil and writing answers with a pencil instead of a pen after an examiner or exam officer has provided the appropriate instruction. For example, it is an offense to use a pencil to answer Section B of any subject, unless for drawings and sketches.

#14. The rule for multiple candidate registrations

The multiple registration of a candidate by the same school or by two or more different schools. This could lead to the candidate writing the same examination in more than one centre. The registration of non-school or unqualified candidate(s) for school candidates’ examinations is also an offence.

#15. The rule for destroying evidence or exhibits after being caught

After a candidate or stakeholder is caught, evidence or exhibits are destroyed. E.g., a candidate chewing and swallowing a piece of paper with prepared notes just after the examiner caught him or her with it.

#16. Posting of live questions rules

The posting of live questions on social media and the wider internet is prohibited. We consider all candidates who have posted or received live questions or answers on social media to have violated the examination rules. His or her results will be cancelled.

READ: 2024 BECE Cut-off point hidden from candidates

#17. Refusing to grant WAEC examination officials access to the exam centre

Schools that serve as examination centers refuse to provide free and easy access to WAEC examination officials.

Every stakeholder has what it takes to obey these rules and avoid the  sanctions thereof. You can choose to obey them or risk it being caught. Understand all the 17 dangerous and avoidable 2024 BECE and WASSCE exam rules and avoid breaking them.