More than 509,862 final-year Senior High School students across Ghana began the 2026 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) on Wednesday 13 May 2026. According to figures from the West African Examinations Council (WAEC), the cohort comprises 225,274 male and 284,588 female candidates.
The Numbers
- Total candidates: 509,862
- Male candidates: 225,274
- Female candidates: 284,588
- Gender split: Girls outnumber boys (~55.8% vs ~44.2%)
- Start date: Tuesday 13 May 2026 (paper-1 sessions begin)
- Administrator: West African Examinations Council (WAEC)
The Continuing Gender Trend
- Girls have outnumbered boys among WASSCE candidates for several consecutive years
- Reflects Ghana’s progress on girls’ secondary-school enrolment
- Free SHS policy has expanded access for both genders, with girls disproportionately benefiting
- NGO + government investments in girls’ STEM continuing
Why It Matters
- WASSCE results determine tertiary-admission eligibility for the entire cohort
- Exam logistics span thousands of schools across all 16 regions
- Power, transport, and security agencies on heightened readiness
- Ghana Education Service + WAEC running parallel anti-cheating audits this year
What To Watch
- Centre-level incident reports through the first week
- NaCCA + WAEC alignment on the new curriculum components
- Examination integrity metrics — vs last year’s improvement
- Mid-July results release window
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