In 2026, the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) will pilot a new WASSCE-SC curriculum across 33 selected senior high schools (SHSs) in Ghana. This initiative aims to integrate ’21st Century Critical Thinking and Problem Solving Questions’ into the examination format.
A total of 473,658 final-year SHS students are expected to participate in this year’s WASSCE-SC. The candidates comprise 248,461 males and 225,197 females. This marks a 2.58% increase in candidature compared to last year.
The pilot program will include institutions such as Bosomtwe Girls STEM SHS and Abomosu STEM SHS. By 2027, all 1,020 SHSs in Ghana are anticipated to adopt the new curriculum.
This year’s examination also signifies Ghana’s return to the international WASSCE after five years of administering a Ghana-only version due to COVID-19 restrictions.
John Kapi, a spokesperson for WAEC, stated, “These people are not any special kind of students. It’s just that they are doing the new curriculum and that curriculum is career-driven.” He added that the updated curriculum introduces new subjects, allowing students to explore areas like engineering science and Spanish.
The examination will commence this month with practicals or project work. Details remain unconfirmed regarding specific implementation timelines for each school.
