The Oforikrom Municipal Assembly, in collaboration with the Kingdom Conquerors Network International, has sensitised candidates ahead of the 2026 Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) to enhance their preparedness for the examination.

The municipality has registered 3,276 students for this year’s examination starting from May 4 to May 11, 2026.

As the time draws closer, the candidates have been equipped to remain focused, disciplined, and well-prepared for the examination.

The student engagement event was organised by the Kingdom Conquerors Network International, under the theme "The Victorious Army", to address the persistent student inability to make up grades in the secondary school due to ill-preparedness.

This year’s edition of the “You Shall Excel Conference for JHS Candidates” aimed to enlighten, empower, and encourage final-year Junior High School (JHS) students as they prepare for their examinations.

The programme also provided guidance on senior high school selection and career pathways post-examination.

The Oforikrom Municipal Director of Education, Mrs Dorothy Opare Baidu, urged students to approach the exams with diligence, self-discipline, and a positive mindset, emphasising that these qualities are key to their success.

“My dear candidates, the BECE is your battlefield; it is not a place of fear but a platform to demonstrate all that you have learnt over the years. Victory does not come by chance; it comes through preparation, determination, and belief in oneself,” she said.

She further called on examination supervisors to uphold their responsibilities and ensure a fair and malpractice-free examination process.

“Sometimes, supervisors also allow the student to cheat. So I have called them; we have come together; we have told them that they shouldn’t allow the student to cheat. They shouldn’t entertain phones in the examination hall,” she added.

Convener for Kingdom Conquerors Network International, Maxwell Opong Adjei, also raised concerns regarding the increasing use and potential addiction to social media among students.

He appealed to government, parents, and other stakeholders to collaborate in establishing effective frameworks and guidelines for responsible social media usage.

“We should put some framework and boundaries in place to forestall the profuse abuse of using these tools. If it’s not properly handled, it can cause harm, and it’s really causing harm. There should be some boundaries that would guide the people from abusing such tool,” he explained.

“Both the government and the parent have a role to play in putting up a system, guideline and frame work that can limit the abuse of these tools.”

Some students who attended the conference expressed confidence in their preparation and encouraged their peers to study hard and refrain from examination malpractices.

“I am very prepared for the exam because I want to go to a big school like St. Louis Senior High School. So I have really studied hard to pass my exam,” a student from Weweso said.

“I urge my colleagues to get prepared, stay confident and calm and everything is going to be alright,” a student at KNUST JHS added.