The West African Examinations Council has issued a strong warning to school proprietors, principals, supervisors and invigilators to stop demanding unauthorised payments from candidates and parents during the ongoing 2026 May/June West African Senior School Certificate Examination.

In a statement released on Monday by the Public Affairs Department and signed by Head of Public Affairs Moyosola Adesina, the Council condemned a pattern of illegal charges being levied on candidates under various pretexts, including fees for script transportation, welfare packages and so-called "cooperation" charges.

WAEC also identified cases where schools charged candidates for KAPEK calculators already supplied free of charge by the Council. The examination body described the practices as "illegal, unethical, and a direct threat to the integrity of the West African Senior School Certificate Examination."

The Council directed all examination officials to cease any form of unauthorised money collection immediately, stating that "no collection of money from candidates or parents for any examination official" would be tolerated. Stakeholders were further urged to report extortion attempts to zonal coordinators or through designated official communication channels.

WAEC warned that schools and officials found culpable would face sanctions including derecognition, blacklisting, prosecution and referral to relevant authorities for disciplinary action. The Council also cautioned against intimidation or harassment of candidates.

Reaffirming its position on examination integrity, WAEC stated it remained focused on protecting students and safeguarding the credibility of its assessments. The Council added that efforts were ongoing to strengthen logistics and prevent future disruptions to the examination exercise.

WAEC had previously acknowledged that the ongoing WASSCE faced operational challenges, noting that some papers were delayed due to logistical issues and a fatal accident involving its officials.

The 2026 May/June WASSCE for school candidates commenced on April 21 and is scheduled to conclude on June 19, 2026.