Consumer advocacy group CUTS International has launched a strong appeal to the Ministry of Education to intervene and halt what it describes as exploitative charges imposed by the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) on students seeking to access their exam results online.
In a statement issued Monday and signed by its West Africa Regional Director, Mr. Appiah Kusi Adomako, CUTS International criticized WAEC’s continued demand that candidates purchase scratch cards to view their Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) and West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) results.
Describing the practice as “unjustified” and bordering on “extortion,” the think tank argued that WAEC’s shift from printing physical results to online portals should have reduced costs, not created a new revenue stream at the expense of students.
“Going digital should have made result access cheaper and more convenient. Instead, candidates now pay between GHS 15 and GHS 25 just to see their results—something that should be a fundamental right,” the statement said.
With over 600,000 candidates sitting for the BECE annually, the group estimated that WAEC collects about GHS 9 million in scratch card fees alone, questioning why the cost-saving benefits of digitalization are not being passed down to students and parents.
CUTS International drew comparisons with international practices, noting that students in countries like Kenya, South Africa, Egypt, Tunisia, Morocco, and Zambia access their results online free of charge. The group also cited examples closer to home, including Ghanaian universities and professional examination bodies like ACCA and TOEFL, where candidates view results without incurring additional costs.
The advocacy group also took issue with the Computerised School Selection and Placement System (CSSPS), which requires students to pay to check their school placements online. It argued that the digital placement system was introduced to improve transparency and efficiency—not to create another financial hurdle.
“Requiring students to pay for SHS placement checks completely undermines the benefits of automation and places an unfair burden on families, many of whom are already struggling financially,” the statement noted.
CUTS is urging the Ministry of Education, Ghana Education Service, and the Parliamentary Select Committee on Education to take decisive action and scrap the result-checking and placement fees.
“Access to examination results and school placement is a basic academic service—not a luxury,” the statement stressed. “The fact that this has gone on for 21 years doesn’t make it right.”
The group called for immediate reforms, insisting that education-related digital services should prioritize accessibility and affordability, not profit.
