There are three categories of officials: supervisors, invigilators and inspectors. Supervisors are teachers nominated by the various State Ministries of Education. They are actually responsible for conducting the exams at the various centres. It is their responsibility to collect question papers from the custodian and return answer scripts to the custodian centres.
Invigilators are usually teaching staff nominated by their school principals to assist the supervisors at the centres, while inspectors are WAEC staff members who go from one centre to another when the examination is in progress.
In the case of the school examination, the prospective candidate must be in the SS 3 class in a recognized school, For the private candidates' examination, any one of the following categories may enter for the WASSCE:
- Those who have attempted the WASSCE in previous years;
- Those who have attempted the GCE and obtained a pass in at least three subjects;
- Those who have passed the Teachers’ Grade two examination.
Yes, but only if (s)he is a school candidate. No provision is made for a private candidate in this regard. Even then, a school candidate does not write directly to WAEC. It is her/his principal who, knowing the candidate's ability, forwards a request for the review of the candidate's scripts. Of course, there is a specified fee to be paid on every paper to be reviewed. Such requests should be sent in within sixty days of any examination.
WAEC does not prepare candidates for its examinations by establishing secondary schools or tutorial centres, and no such institutions are affiliated to the Council.
WAEC provides feedback in the form of Chief Examiners' Report on candidates' perofrmance in the various papers for each examination diet, which helps schools and private candidates to prepare adequately for subsequent examinations. The Chief Examiners' Reports are avialable for sale at the Council's offices nationwide.
First, a committee of experts draws up a marking guide. All appointed examiners are then thoroughly drilled in all aspects of the marking scheme in a simulated marking exercise called co-ordination. Actual marking does not start until the coordinating officers are satisfied that all examiners know what is required of them. Even when actual marking begins, the examiners are not left entirely on their own.
They are organised into small groups, each being supervised by a highly experienced examiner called a Team Leader. The Team Leader checks and vets the group members' marking progressively to ensure that they are keeping to the guidelines.
The Team Leaders themselves are supervised by more experienced examiners called Chief Examiners. When marking is finally completed, WAEC still goes ahead to employ another group of people called Checkers. The main role of Checkers is to ensure that all marks awarded by examiners are correctly recorded and transferred to the appropriate score sheets.
A Private candidate sends his/her request for an amendment to WAEC directly, while in the case of a school candidate it is the principal who makes the request. In the two instances, the original copy of the certificate should be sent along with the application for amendment. WAEC charges a fee for the amendment where it is discovered that the error emanated from the candidate, otherwise, it is free.
