The West African Examinations Council, WAEC, has announced that
registration for the General Certificate Examination (GCE) 2017 for
private candidates starts on Friday, 28th April.
This was disclosed via the examination body official tweeter handle, @waecnigeria.
It reads: “This is to inform intending candidates for the WASSCE for
private candidates 2017 that registration begins on Friday this week.
“Candidates are expected to pay a registration fee of thirteen
thousand, nine hundred fifty naira N13,950 at any of the approved bank
or any accredited agents to obtain the registration pin and information
VCD.
“Normal registration period is from Friday April 28 to June 28. After
obtaining registration pin, candidates should log on to
www.waeconline.org for registration.
“Candidates should also note that the registration procedure has been
designed to accommodate biometric features that will be used for
validation at the exam center.
“Candidates who wish to register for the exam after the close of
entries can be accommodated as ” walk-in-candidates” provided they
register 24hours to the start of the paper(s) they intend to write.
“The “walk-in-candidates” fee is twenty five thousand naira, N25,000.”
The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) on Thursday said it had
approved the commencement of an additional diet in its examination for
the private candidates every year.
The council’s Registrar, Dr Iyi Uwadiae announced the approval at a news conference in Lagos.
Uwadiae said the move was in connection with the growing concerns
among stakeholders over what they perceived as discrimination or denial
of equal opportunity to private candidates.
“WAEC conducts its West African Senior School Certificate Examination
(WASSCE) twice every year, in May/June for school candidates and in
November/December for private candidates.
“The council also conducts various national examinations in the member countries except Nigeria.
“Now, the school candidates who wish to retake the examination
usually have the opportunity of doing so with the private candidates’
examination.
“With this development, there has been a wave of agitation,
criticisms and appeal across the sub-region for the council to
ameliorate the agony of long waiting experience by private candidates
who desire another attempt at WASSCE,’’ he said.
Uwadiae added that the situation was often cited as being responsible
for the level of desperation sometimes exhibited by the perpetrators of
malpractice at the private candidates’ examination centres.
“The council, after painstakingly considering all ramifications of
the matter, has finally given approval for the national offices to begin
the conduct of one additional diet each year of WASSCE for private
candidates.’’
He noted that the modalities for the take off of the examination were
already being worked out and the examination could begin in
February/March of 2018.
“I must be quick to point out that though the council has given the
nod, the conduct of the additional diet may not take off in all the
member countries immediately or at the same time.
“But let me also assure stakeholders in Nigeria that the Nigeria
national office has indicated its willingness and readiness to blaze the
trail by making the examination available to Nigerians in 2018.
“Details of the scheduled dates, available subjects, location of
centres and their information would be provided by the Head of Nigeria
national nffice at the appropriate time,’’ Uwadiae said.
The registrar recalled that the maiden WASSCE was conducted in the
Gambia in 1998 and was later introduced in Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Ghana
and Liberia in 1999, 2000, 2006 and 2013 respectively.
“Now, I am glad to inform you all that the government of Liberia has
now taken the bold decision to finally phase out the country’s national
examination (LSHSCE) and adopt WASSCE,’’ he said.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the registrar lauded
the Nigerian media, especially the education writers for their vibrancy
and critical role in national development.
