Ghana’s National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NaCCA) has ordered all pre-tertiary schools to stop using assessment items and mock examination papers that have not been vetted by the Council, the second such warning in a month as scrutiny of the country’s exam system intensifies.
In a public notice dated August 7 and signed by Director-General Prof. Samuel Ofori Bekoe, NaCCA said it had observed continued use of mock exams and assessment materials developed by unapproved consortiums, institutions and individuals in some basic schools. The notice cited NaCCA’s mandate under the Education Regulatory Bodies Act, 2020 (Act 1023) as the sole statutory authority for approving assessment materials in pre-tertiary education. “No school shall administer any externally developed assessment item or task unless it has been vetted and approved by NaCCA,” the notice said, directing all school heads to comply immediately.
The Council warned that schools found procuring, administering or facilitating unapproved materials would face regulatory sanctions, and said the requirement is meant to ensure assessments meet national quality standards and align with the approved curriculum.
The directive follows a similar warning NaCCA issued on July 6 ordering publishers, booksellers and schools to use only Council-approved learning materials, each carrying an official NaCCA QR code for verification. It also lands amid mounting pressure over this year’s exam results: the Ghana National Council of Private Schools has planned a formal petition to the Ministry of Education demanding an independent review of the 2026 Basic Education Certificate Examination results, alleging unfair treatment of private school candidates. The Ministry and the West African Examinations Council have maintained the examination process was credible and have asked anyone with evidence of irregularities to submit it through official channels.
NaCCA has not said how many schools it believes are currently using unapproved materials or named any of the consortiums involved.
