The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has pushed back strongly against claims spreading on social media and in parts of the press that private school candidates who sat the 2026 Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) were deliberately given poor grades.
In a statement issued on August 6, 2026, WAEC described the claims as false and without any factual basis, stressing that its grading process is carried out with fairness, objectivity, and integrity at every stage. The Council was categorical that it does not discriminate against candidates based on whether they attended a private or public school, and that its procedures follow internationally recognized standards designed to treat every candidate equally.
How BECE Scripts Are Marked
WAEC explained that a number of safeguards are built into the marking process specifically to prevent bias. Scripts are anonymized so examiners never know whose work they're grading, and they're swapped between regions, coded, packaged, and randomly assigned to markers.
Every script is marked according to standard schemes drawn up by subject experts, and all examiners — regardless of whether they teach in a public or private school — must study the same approved guides before marking starts. The Council was firm that there is no separate marking scheme or grading system for public and private school candidates, calling it a misconception it has clarified repeatedly over the years.
Understanding the Stanine Grading System
To clear up confusion about how grades are assigned, WAEC detailed the Stanine (Standard Nine) system used for the BECE. Rather than relying on fixed percentage cut-offs, Stanine grading measures each candidate's performance relative to everyone else who sat that subject, so a grade reflects a candidate's standing within the whole group rather than a static score threshold.
| Grade | Performance Level |
|---|---|
| Grade 1 | Highest performance |
| Grade 2 | Higher performance |
| Grade 3 | High performance |
| Grade 4 | High average |
| Grade 5 | Average |
| Grade 6 | Low average |
| Grade 7 | Low performance |
| Grade 8 | Lower performance |
| Grade 9 | Lowest performance |
According to WAEC, this approach helps keep grading standards consistent from year to year even when exam papers vary in difficulty, and a candidate's grade depends solely on how they performed against the established standards — not on the type of school they attended.
WAEC Reaffirms Its Commitment to Fairness
The Council reiterated that it treats every candidate's script impartially and gives each person an equal chance to show what they know. It urged the public to set aside the claims of bias against private school candidates, noting that such allegations damage public trust in the examination system without any supporting evidence.
Parents, guardians, school heads, and other stakeholders with genuine concerns about results were encouraged to reach out through WAEC's official channels rather than relying on rumors or unverified claims circulating online.
Appreciation to Stakeholders
WAEC closed its statement by thanking the Government of Ghana, the Ministry of Education, the Ghana Education Service, school authorities, parents, and the general public for their continued trust. The Council reaffirmed its commitment to professionalism, transparency, and integrity in running the country's public examinations, with fairness remaining central to how it assesses and grades every candidate.