Final-year junior high school (JHS) students in Ghana will be tested on three new subjects in this year’s Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) for School Candidates.
These subjects are Career Technology, Creative Art and Design, and Arabic. Career Technology and Creative Art and Design, derived from the previous Basic Design and Technology (BDT) subject, will be mandatory for all candidates, according to the West African Examinations Council (WAEC).
Arabic, however, will be an optional subject for candidates in Islamic basic schools.
The addition of these new subjects has led to the extension of the examination period from five days to six days, running from Monday, July 8, 2024, to Monday, July 15, 2024.
Explaining further, the Head of Public Affairs of WAEC, John Kapi, stated to the Daily Graphic that new subjects could be introduced at any time, as the examination was solely Ghanaian, and the government determined its content.
He also mentioned that WAEC had completed the registration of candidates and would now proceed to organize the examination, with all necessary preparations already made. Sample questions have been distributed to schools and posted on the council’s website to assist candidates in their preparations.
“The printing exercise will start very soon, and so we are on course,” he emphasised. In the case of Arabic, he said it was the first time the subject was being examined at the BECE.
He clarified that the subject could be considered an elective, open to individuals who feel proficient in Arabic and desire a certification for it.
According to the official timetable released by WAEC, the examination schedule is as follows:
- Monday, July 8, 2024: English Language and Religious and Moral Education
- Tuesday, July 9, 2024: Science and Computing (previously Information, Communication and Technology or ICT), followed by Social Studies and Creative Art and Design on Wednesday, July 10, 2024
- Thursday, July 11, 2024: Mathematics and Ghanaian Language
- Friday, July 12, 2024: French and Career Technology
- Monday, July 15, 2024: Arabic
Prior to the registration for the BECE for School Candidates, the Ghana Education Service outlined the mandatory subjects as English Language, Mathematics, General Science, Social Studies, Religious and Moral Education, Career Technology, and Creative Art and Design. Ghanaian languages were categorized as elective subjects, along with French, Arabic, and Computing.
This year’s BECE candidates will be the first cohort to sit the examination under the Common Core Curriculum. Consequently, WAEC noted that school and private candidates would be assessed differently due to the introduction of this curriculum, which aims to enhance learning experiences and shift learners from rote memorization to acquiring critical learning skills.