Some BECE candidates have been hiding money inside their examination scripts in a bid to influence examiners, according to Executive Director of Africa Education Watch (EduWatch), Kofi Asare.
He said the practice is one of several methods employed by candidates hoping to secure favourable marks, stressing that such attempts only succeed if an examiner chooses to compromise professional ethics.
Speaking on the Citi Breakfast Show on Tuesday, August 4, Asare said examiners who uphold the integrity of the examination process should reject and report such acts rather than accept the money.
“In some instances, candidates put money in the examination scripts. They put money in the script for whoever is going to mark it,” he said.
Beyond bribery attempts, Asare expressed concern over what he described as inadequate investment in examination monitoring and surveillance systems. He argued that stronger oversight and better-resourced monitoring structures are essential to curb examination malpractice.
He therefore called for reforms to strengthen the systems used by examination bodies to detect and address irregularities.
His remarks come after the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) cancelled the results of 601 candidates who sat the 2026 Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE), withheld the results of 167 candidates, and placed 2,722 others under investigation over suspected examination malpractice.
