The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has announced the commencement of scanning objective answer sheets for the recently concluded West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE).

The process began last night following the repair of some critical scanning machines.

This development comes after the government released GH¢25 million to settle part of its debt owed to WAEC, facilitating urgent repairs and operational adjustments.

On Monday, December 23, WAEC’s Head of Public Affairs, Mr. Kapi, disclosed that technicians successfully restored functionality to three key machines required for the scanning process.

“Some of the machines are not fully operational, but we’ve managed to tweak a few of them.

Work will start with the scanning of the objective answer cards, although at a slower pace,” he explained.

Despite initial delays and the holiday season, WAEC has recalled staff from their Christmas break to expedite the process.

The council is determined to meet its timelines for releasing the WASSCE results.

In addition to scanning, examiners have been engaged to scrutinize scripts flagged for potential examination malpractice.

While the partial payment has provided some relief, WAEC continues to face financial challenges.

The council has highlighted urgent needs, including repairing additional machines, compensating invigilators and supervisors, and increasing bandwidth capacity for online results uploads.

“Critical expenses remain unmet, and while we’ve received assurances of more funds from the government, further delays in disbursement could impact the timelines for releasing the results,” Mr. Kapi warned.

WAEC’s commitment to resolving these challenges demonstrates its dedication to ensuring a timely release of results despite operational hurdles.

However, the council continues to rely on government support to fully complete the results processing and meet the expectations of candidates and stakeholders.