The Ghana Education Service (GES) has announced that in 2026, Ghana will move the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) back to the traditional May‑June schedule. This marks a return to the pre‑pandemic exam calendar after recent years of adjustment that saw the exams taking place later in the year.
GES Director‑General Professor Ernest Kofi Davis confirmed that the move is part of efforts to align Ghana’s academic calendar with that of other West African countries under the West African Examinations Council (WAEC). Candidates across the region typically sit the WASSCE between May and June each year, and the 2026 exam will follow this timing.
The decision to revert to a May‑June exam period follows years of disruption to the academic calendar caused by the COVID‑19 pandemic and the transitional academic arrangements that followed. Schools and students have been operating on adjusted schedules since 2020, with WASSCE often held in July‑August instead of its usual window. The 2026 change is intended to restore normalcy and improve planning for schools, learners and parents.
Returning to the earlier exam schedule is expected to benefit students by reducing the gap between the end of the school year and final exams, helping them maintain momentum in their studies and better prepare for final assessments. It also aligns Ghana’s calendar with those of other WAEC member countries, which could support smoother coordination and comparability of exam administration across the region.
GES has advised schools, teachers, pupils and parents to take note of the adjustment and prepare for the earlier examination period as part of the broader return to routine academic operations in the coming year.
