A total of 10,976 candidates are expected to write this year’s Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) in the Oti Region beginning Monday.

They include 6,006 males and 4,970 females from eight Districts/Municipalities of the Region.

The pupils are from 410 Junior High Schools (JHSs) including, 323 Public JHSs and 87 Private JHSs, who are expected to write the examination on seven subjects with Social Studies and French Language being the first two papers to be taken on Monday.

Mr. Maxwell Bodza, the Oti Regional Examination Coordinator, disclosed this to the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in an interview.

A goodwill message from the Oti Regional Directorate of the GES, asked the candidates to be focused and never indulge in any examination malpractices as that would have dire consequences on their future.

The message signed on behalf of GES Management by Mr. Raymond Kubuafor, the Regional Public Relations Officer (PRO), called on parents, heads, teachers and other stakeholders, to continuously support the candidates psychologically, physically, financially and emotionally to enable them to perform to expectation.

The statement advised all supervisors, invigilators, and security personnel assigned to examination centres to conduct themselves professionally and ensure only conducive atmosphere for the examination and adherence to examination regulations.

The communication further cautioned against acts of intimidation, examination malpractice, and any other act capable to mar the safety of candidates and general outcome of the examination.

Miss Abigail Akpese, a candidate from Kadjebi Girls’ Model JHS, who spoke with the GNA, said she is well prepared for the examination and hoped to garner an aggregate of 14.

Master Andy Othniel-Adu and Miss Jessica Elikem Mensah, candidates of Anthony Educational Complex, Kadjebi said they were fully prepared, learnt well and ready for the examination.

They added that their necessary materials for the examination were ready and optimistic of securing aggregates nine and six respectively.