Tema, Sept. 9, GNA -- Over 6,000 private candidates are writing the November/December 2008 West Africa Senior Secondary Certificate Examination (WASSCE) in the Tema Metropolis. The examination which started nationwide with Chemistry Practical on September 8, would end on October 13.

An official from West African Examination Council (WAEC) told Ghana News Agency (GNA) on Tuesday during the English Paper Three (Oral English) that the candidates were more than that of last year. He said the increase was the desire of more private candidates to improve on their performance to gain admission into tertiary institutions.

Mr Wisdom Kwame Dzeagu, Supervisor-in-Charge of Tema Senior High School (TEMASCO) centre said in addition, some of the candidates were private students who were writing the examination for the first time. Mr Dzeagu explained that there was no law that required a student to pass through formal education before writing an examination to acquire the needed certificate. He said while other students still in Senior High Schools wrote the examination to know their standards, others also used it as security against possible failure as some registered before their formal WASSCE results were released.

Mr Dzeagu said 883 candidates sat for the Oral English at the centre and the students who wrote the 45 minutes paper were in four batches due to lack of space in the hall.

He said there were no logistic problems as the compact disc player was very audible compared to that of last year.

Mr Dzeagu expressed appreciation to the comportment of the candidates as the centre recorded no examination malpractice. "Most of them willingly handed over their mobile phones to the invigilators," Mr Dzeagu said.

Candidates writing at WAEC examination centres A and B in Tema also wrote the examination in three batches with some not knowing their batch.

Security personnel at the centre had a tough time clearing the corridors of candidates who had either completed their paper or were yet to write in their quest to create a quite atmosphere for those writing in the second batch. Mr Christian Tsidi and Master Godwin Teye both candidates confirmed the clarity of the sound as they said "it was better than previous years."