Education policy analyst Leonard Justice Adom is calling for a major overhaul of the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) timetable, arguing that the current structure places excessive pressure on Junior High School candidates and undermines the credibility of the assessment system.
In a policy brief titled “Rethinking the BECE Examination Timetable for Ghana’s JHS Candidates,” Adom criticised the existing five-day examination schedule, under which candidates sit for nine subjects, often writing two papers a day.
According to him, the compressed format imposes “unnecessary cognitive overload, increases test anxiety, and undermines the validity of the assessment as a measure of learning.”
“The current BECE timetable requires JHS candidates to complete nine subjects in five working days. The structure is efficient logistically but pedagogically unsound for adolescents aged 14–16,” he stated.
Adom argued that neuroscience research supports longer recovery periods between examinations for adolescents, stressing that continuous testing affects memory consolidation and emotional regulation.
“Continuous testing impairs working memory and encourages cramming over deep learning,” the brief noted.
He further warned that the current arrangement creates inequities among candidates, especially those who may fall ill or experience anxiety during the examination period.
“A candidate who falls ill or experiences anxiety on Day 2 has no time to recover before Day 3’s core papers. One bad day can disproportionately affect three years of schooling,” he said.
Drawing comparisons with international examination systems, Adom observed that major examinations for students within the same age bracket are spread over several weeks rather than days.
He cited the Cambridge IGCSE, UK GCSE, and Kenya’s KCSE examination models, all of which allow significant spacing between core subjects.
“Cambridge International administers IGCSE exams for 15–16 year-olds over 6–8 weeks… Core subjects are separated by 48–72 hours to allow for revision and mental reset,” the brief explained.
He also pointed to WAEC’s own handling of the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE), which runs over six weeks for Senior High School students.
“BECE is the only terminal exam in Ghana compressed into a single week,” he argued.
To address the situation, Adom proposed extending the BECE timetable to between 15 and 20 working days, spreading the examinations over three to four weeks.
Among his recommendations are limiting candidates to one subject per day, staggering core subjects such as Mathematics, English Language and Integrated Science, and introducing weekly buffer days for contingencies and student wellbeing.
“Education is not a race against the clock. It is the cultivation of young minds,” he stated.
He maintained that the proposed reforms would improve student wellbeing, strengthen assessment validity, and align Ghana’s education system with international best practices.
“Extending BECE over weeks rather than days is a low-cost, evidence-based intervention that protects student wellbeing, improves assessment validity, and aligns Ghana with international practice,” he argued.
