The West African Examination Council (WAEC) has explained the BECE marking process & grading system explained. This follows a claim that suggested that WAEC uses marking schemes to mark the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE)
A politician alleged the council uses a clandestine marking scheme set out by the key stakeholders in the education sector and endorsed by the government for BECE.
The allegation made by Joseph Yamin did state that two marking schemes are used by the Examinations Council and that one was meant for private schools and the other for public schools to help play politics with the results and make public school candidates perform better.
The politician, Joseph Yamin in an interview with Kumasi-based Ultimate FM said “alleged that “two marking schemes are used by the Examinations Council, one for the private schools and one for the public schools because of politics.”
But as the institution responsible for the conduct of examination, the management of the Council says;
BECE marking process & grading system explained by WAEC
1. It follows a standardized procedure in the development, finalization, and application of marking schemes used in the marking of scripts for the BECE
2. Only one draft marking scheme is developed for each subject.
3. The draft marking schemes (one for each subject) are finalized at National Preliminary Coordination Meetings which are attended by Chief Examiners and Zonal Team Leaders for each of the BECE subjects.
4. The final marking schemes (one for each subject) are used to mark dummy scripts of candidates to ensure consistency in the award of marks.
5. Zonal Coordination Meetings for Chief Examiners, Zonal Team Leaders, and Team Leaders are thereafter held at all marking venues throughout the country to once again, mark dummy scripts and ensure consistency in the award of marks.
6. Main Coordination Meetings are finally held for Chief Examiners, Zonal Team Leaders, and Assistant Examiners at all marking venues used for the marking of BECE scripts. The marking schemes which were finalized earlier are the marking schemes that are used.
7. At the end of the Coordination Meetings, all the examiners use the final marking scheme for each subject to mark the scripts of all candidates.
8. Neither names of schools nor school
9. Scripts are swapped across the sixteen regions of the country to ensure that examiners in the various regions do not mark the scripts of candidates for their respective regions.
10. The Stanine Grading System is used to grade candidates who sat for the BECE.
11. Unlike teacher-made assessments, there are no fixed grade boundaries for the BECE. The grade boundaries for each subject vary from year to year depending on the performance of candidates.
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Now that you know the step-by-step procedure for the upcoming 2024 BECE marking process & grading system explained by WAEC, the doubts in your mind should be cleared.
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The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) is expected to carry out the 2024 BECE in July. It will be the first examination under the 2020 curriculum.