The Basic Education Certificate Examinations got off to a smooth start on Monday at the Nungua Secondary School (NUSEC) Centre.

Students arrived at the centre at about 08:30 hours, and were settled and ready for the first paper, English Language, at about 0900 hours.

The Ghana News Agency (GNA) observed that there was no tension as students remained calm before and during the examination.

The centre, which is also a depot for the examination question papers, houses twenty-four schools with 625 candidates sitting for the examinations.

Emmanuel Aheto, a teacher at Prisdark Academy, told the GNA that his students were well prepared and ready to write the examinations.

During a tour by Mr Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, the Deputy Minister of Education to the centre, he expressed satisfaction with the conduct of the West African Examinations Council officials, the invigilators and the students.

He said he is highly hopeful the students would churn out good results and urged them to work hard and abstain from examination malpractices.

Police presence was also high as compared to the other centres because the NUSEC centre was also a depot.

Joshua Oddai, a student of Harmony School, in an interview with the Ghana News Agency said the first paper went well.