BECE Candidates to Take Exams in Three New Subjects

This year’s Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) for final-year junior high school (JHS) students will include three new subjects, according to the West African Examinations Council (WAEC).

The three new subjects introduced are Career Technology, Creative Art and Design, and Arabic.

Career Technology and Creative Art and Design, derived from the previous Basic Design and Technology (BDT) subject, will be compulsory for all candidates, while Arabic will be optional for students in Islamic basic schools.

Extended Exam Days

Due to the inclusion of these new subjects, the BECE 2024 examination will now span six days instead of the usual five. It will commence on Monday, July 8, 2024, and conclude on Monday, July 15, 2024.

Speaking about the new exam format, WAEC’s Head of Public Affairs, John Kapi, explained that the government determines the subjects taught and examined in the BECE since it is solely a Ghanaian examination.

He noted that the council had completed candidate registration and was proceeding with subject breakdowns. Sample questions have been distributed to schools and posted on WAEC’s website.

The Arabic subject will be examined for the first time in the BECE, categorized as an elective for candidates proficient in the language seeking certification

Exam Timetable

According to the official timetable released by WAEC, candidates will sit for English Language and Religious and Moral Education on Monday, July 8, 2024.

On Tuesday, July 9, 2024, they will tackle Science and Computing (formerly ICT), followed by Social Studies and Creative Art and Design on Wednesday.

Mathematics and Ghanaian Language will be written on Thursday, July 11, 2024, while French and Career Technology are scheduled for Friday, July 12, 2024.

Arabic will be the final subject on Monday, July 15, 2024.

Before the BECE registration, the Ghana Education Service listed mandatory subjects as English Language, Mathematics, General Science, Social Studies, Religious and Moral Education, Career Technology, and Creative Art and Design.

Ghanaian languages were elective, with French, Arabic, and Computing as optional subjects.