The West African Examinations Council is West Africa's foremost examining board established by law to determine the examinations required in the public interest in the English-speaking West African countries, to conduct the examinations and to award certificates comparable to those of equivalent examining authorities internationally.
By this mandate, the Council is expected to:
Assist in the development of sound education
Ensure that educational standards are maintained
Give the people of West Africa a vision of the great
potentials which lie beyond examinations. WAEC vision is to be a world-class
examining body, adding value to the educational goals of its stakeholders. Its
mission is to remain Africa's foremost examining body, providing qualitative and
reliable educational assessment, encouraging academic and moral excellence, and
promoting sustainable human resource development and international cooperation.
In its sixty years of existence, the Council has
achieved its mission in very large measure. For instance, it has over the years
developed a team of well-trained and highly motivated staff and has administered
examinations that are both valid and relevant to the educational aspirations of
member countries. Its certificates enjoy international recognition. WAEC has
also been promoting the ideals of hard work and honesty in the youth through
its awards for outstanding performance in its examinations.
The Council conducts several international and
national examinations in all member countries except Nigeria where it has shed
all but one of its examinations, The West African Senior School Certificate
Examination (WASSCE) for School Candidates and Private Candidates (First and
Second Series)
Culled From WAEC Official Website.