One of the candidates sitting for the 2026 Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) has died in a road accident in the Upper West region, the West African Examinations Council (WAEC), has confirmed.
Head of Public Affairs for WAEC, John Kapi, has explained that the candidate was travelling from his village to Wa to write the examination when the fatal accident occurred.
Meanwhile, he says other reported deaths linked to the ongoing examination cannot be confirmed.
He indicates that WAEC is awaiting official reports from its regional offices before confirming the other incidents.
“What I am aware of is in the Upper West Region where a candidate moving from his village to Wa to write the examination was involved in an accident and unfortunately he passed on. The others, I cannot confirm because we have not received any report from our regional representatives yet,” he noted.
In a related development, seven invigilators have been arrested in Day 1 of the ongoing BECE for indulging in malpractices.
The seven, according to Mr. Kapi, were preparing answers for their candidates and were apprehended during the process. He says the incidents occurred across three various regions.
A total of 620,141 candidates from 20,395 schools are sitting for this years BECE being organised by the West African Examinations Council (WAEC).
The examination commenced on Monday, May 4, 2026, and will run till Monday, May 11, 2026, across all centres within the country.
