A candidate sitting for the 2026 Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) has died in a road accident while travelling to write the paper in the Upper West Region, the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has confirmed.

The incident occurred as the student journeyed from his village to Wa on Monday, May 4, the first day of the nationwide examination. WAEC’s Head of Public Affairs, John Kapi, disclosed the development in an interview, describing it as unfortunate.

“What I am aware of is in the Upper West Region where a candidate moving from his village to Wa to write the examination was involved in an accident and unfortunately he passed on,” he said.

Mr. Kapi added that while there have been reports of other fatalities linked to the ongoing examination, the Council is yet to verify those claims. He explained that WAEC is awaiting official reports from its regional offices before confirming any additional cases.

“The others, I cannot confirm because we have not received any report from our regional representatives yet,” he noted.

Meanwhile, WAEC confirmed that seven candidates have been arrested for engaging in various forms of examination malpractice since the start of the exams.

The 2026 BECE commenced nationwide on Monday, May 4, with a total of 620,141 candidates from 20,395 schools participating. The examination, conducted by WAEC, is expected to end on May 11.

Despite the tragic incident, the examination is proceeding across all centres, with authorities monitoring developments and ensuring adherence to examination regulations.