Minister of Education Haruna Iddrisu announced on Wednesday that the government is overhauling the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) timetable. The move aims to ease the pressure students face by giving them more time between papers and a much-needed break. Speaking at Aburi Girls’ Senior High School on June 10, Iddrisu acknowledged the real toll the current exam schedule takes on candidates.
The problem is straightforward. Right now, BECE runs Monday through Friday, cramming everything into a single week. “I understand that our schedule of the exams for BECE was just Monday to Friday, and that put many of you under some stress,” Iddrisu told students. The compressed timeline forces candidates to jump from one paper to the next with barely any breathing room, leaving them exhausted and anxious.
Under the new system, the BECE will start on a Wednesday and stretch across two weeks, ending the following Wednesday. This extended schedule builds in proper study time between papers and crucially a weekend break in the middle. That extra space gives students a real chance to review material and recover mentally before moving on to their next exam.
The Ghana Education Service will handle rolling out the revised timetable once it’s finalized. Director-General of the GES will oversee implementation across the country. It’s a practical step that reflects what education officials have heard directly from students about exam stress.
