The 2025 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) for School Candidates began on Wednesday with the Oral English paper, marking a smooth start across second-cycle schools nationwide.
In Accra, the Daily Graphic observed the process at Odorgonno SHS, Accra High School, St. Thomas Aquinas SHS and Labone SHS.
At Odorgonno, 1,188 students had registered, including candidates from Talent SHS and Lapaz Community SHS. Out of this number, 1,159 were present, with 29 absent.
Labone SHS presented the largest group, with 1,365 students writing in five batches. Accra High had 652 candidates divided into three sets, while St. Thomas Aquinas presented 728 students in four sets.
School authorities confirmed that question papers arrived on time, security was present at all centres, and no challenges were reported.
Rev. Fr. Dr. George Obeng Appah of St. Thomas Aquinas expressed confidence in his candidates’ performance, citing intensive preparation, while some students also said the paper went well.
Nationwide, 461,640 candidates—207,381 males and 254,259 females—are expected to sit for the examination in 701 centres.
The Ashanti Region has the highest number, 115,982, followed by the Eastern Region with 64,225 and the three Bono regions combined with 61,773.
Greater Accra will present 45,877, with smaller numbers from the northern and coastal regions.
This year’s exams cover 65 subjects, with each student taking about eight on average. The practicals began on August 5, and the entire exercise is scheduled to end on September 19, 2025.
