The 2022 Basic Education Certificate Examinations (BECE) commences today, Monday, October 17.

The examinations will take place at 2,038 centres across the country.

A total of 552,276 candidates from 18,501 schools will be sitting for the examinations. This is 3.48 per cent less than the 2021 entry figure of 572,167.

The number comprises 276,988 males and 275,288 females.

For this year, both schools and private candidates are sitting for examinations at the same time.

In a statement issued ahead of the exams, the West African Examination Council (WAEC) said it decided to organise the exams for both private and school candidates this year as a result of the consistently low entries for the private candidates over the years.

“This year’s BECE will, therefore, see a total of 552,276 candidates from 18,501 schools across the country take the exams for school candidates while a total of 1,132 private candidates have registered for the exams and will take the papers at 15 selected centres.”

The Council said that all appropriate measures have been put in place to ensure a successful examination.

“The Council is advising candidates to be focused and be on the alert for the activities of ‘examination social media racketeers’ whose primary aim is to make money through deception.”

The exams start with Social Studies and ICT today.