WAEC Warns: Examination malpractice undermines national security and quality workforce

The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) is concerned about the rapid increase in examination malpractices, causing serious concern for national security and educational integrity.

Inconsistencies in withheld subject results have increased by 16,000% over the past five years, whilst subject results cancelled increased by 269%. This intensifying problem, the council says, threatens national integrity, producing an underprepared workforce that jeopardises competitiveness in the changing global economy.

Subject results withheld rose from 3,235 in 2020 to 522,891 in 2024, whilst subject results cancelled increased from 10,496 to 38,693.

The whole subject cancellations dropped by 9.41%, decreasing from 510 in 2020 to 462 in 2024. Daniel Nii Duodu, the Head of Humanities at WAEC, warns that the growing misconduct undermines academic integrity, affecting the long-range advancement of the nation.

Daniel Nii Duodusaid that “After the results are released, others also came up which beefed up the figures. Erosion of educational integrity. As instances of cheating and unethical behaviour increase, the credibility of our academic system is severely undermined.”

He added that “this decline in educational integrity results in a workforce that is not only ill-prepared but fundamentally incapable of meeting the demands of the rapidly evolving global economy: a generation of graduates lacking essential skills and knowledge threatens our national competitiveness and long-term development and ultimately jeopardises the future prosperity of gravity.”

He was speaking on the issue, “Examination Malpractice, a National Security Concern,” during a thorough analysis with the WAEC that gathered leaders of education stakeholders to develop innovative and forward-thinking solutions to exam malpractices.

The West African Examination Council (WAEC) is waging an all-out war against the increasing rates of examination malpractices, as perpetrators now apply modern technological advancements. John Kappi is the Head of Public Affairs at WAEC.

“Regardless of all the measures to curb malpractices, the illegal acts had developed into sophisticated approaches. With the use of electronic communication devices, sourcing answers from AI platforms during exams, students are exploiting teachers and printers nearby to supply pre-answered exam papers.

He declared that “The body mandated to conduct an examination, which has conducted examinations for the past seven decades, we do not absolve ourselves of the blame and responsibility to tackle this canker hands-on.”

Ernest Akoto, the Kumasi branch controller, highlighted the need for immediate and collaborative effort against malpractices. Ernest Akoto, the Kumasi branch controller, stated that “The unethical behaviour being championed by some students and other perpetrators is undermining the integrity of the examination. This is why we are having and will have consistent engagements to consolidate ideas and solutions.”

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