Gabriel Gyamfi, the Bono East Regional Examination Coordinator, says a total of 20,831 candidates are expected to write this year’s Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) in the Bono East Region.

He said the candidates comprised 10,703 girls and 10,128 boys drawn from 511 public and 230 private schools in the 11 politically administrative Districts and Municipalities in the region.

Speaking in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) at Nkoranza, Mr Gyamfi advised the candidates to eschew examination malpractices, warning that culprits would be sanctioned accordingly.

The BECE is scheduled to be written from May 4 to May 11, 2026.

Mr Gyamfi expressed worry that the Bono Region was noted for examination malpractices, and urged examination supervisors and invigilators to strictly enforce exam rules and regulations to help bring the situation under control.

In another interview, the Reverend Father Kingsley Dwamena, the Bono East Regional Director of Education, said the directorate had put in place measures to stem examination malpractices in the 2026 BECE.

He said the directorate had engaged stakeholders, including parents, teachers, traditional authorities, and faith-based organisations, to end the malpractices.

Rev Fr Dwamena said engaging in examination malpractices impeded the nation’s efforts to produce a quality human resource base needed for development.

He appealed for adequate resources to enable the directorate to undertake effective monitoring and supervision at all the examination centres.

Mr Godfred Dapaah, the Nkoranza South Municipal Chief Executive, also spoke to the GNA and urged the candidates to be confident, write and pass the examination to build a better future for themselves and their families.

He also cautioned the candidates against the temptation to engage in malpractice that could lead to the cancellation or withholding of their results and possibly truncate their education.