WAEC Introduces Another Diet For Private Candidates

The West African Examinations Council (WAEC), has announced that beginning from 2018, its West African Senior School Certificate Examination for private candidates would hold more than once. This was announced in Lagos yesterday by the Registrar of the examination body, Dr. Uyi Uwadiae, during an interaction with journalists at the WAEC International Office, Agidingbi.

Uwadiae noted that this additional diet will kick off in Nigeria, and that other four-member countries will soon join.

According to the registrar, the reason for the introduction of an additional diet is not unconnected with the increasing demands from private candidates, who he noted, had been requesting for more than one opportunity to sit the examination like their May/June diet counterparts.

The newly-introduced diet, which will be written between January and February each year, will be the third international examination conducted by WAEC after the school candidates’ examination (formerly called May/June WASSCE) and the Private candidates’ examination (formerly called Nov/Dec WASSCE).

He said: “Due to the fact that WASSCE for school candidates comes up first each year and the result is released ahead of the conduct of WASSCE for private candidates, the school candidates, who wish to retake the examination usually have the opportunity of doing so with the private candidates’ examination.

“With growing concern among the stakeholders over what they perceive as ‘discrimination’ or ‘denial of equal opportunity’ against private candidates