Examination malpractice is rising, not declining – EduWatch

Eduwatch's Executive Director, Kofi Asare, has refuted claims that examination malpractice is decreasing. According to Asare, data indicates the opposite – a significant uptick in the issue. In 2018, malpractice was around 0.9%, but by 2024, it had soared to 13.5%, and rose further to 14.8% in 2025. Asare contends that increased arrests of offenders do not necessarily reflect a decline in malpractice.

He disagrees with the President's assertion that examination malpractice is on the decline. Between 2024 and 2025, the trend shows the situation worsening rather than improving, with the rate rising from 13.5% to 14.8%. Eduwatch's data also reveals that subject cancellations and entire results are increasing sharply. Between 2024 and 2025, this doubled, with the level of malpractice for cancelled subjects jumping from 4.22% in 2024 to 28.95% in 2025.

Although a decline was noted in 2020, Eduwatch believes the current malpractice level remains higher than that of 2024. Asare suggests a shift in attitude and behavior as the solution to examination malpractice, rather than solely focusing on arrests. His organization measures progress by the number of people involved in fraudulent activities, not just arrests, as precise arrest data is lacking.

The data shows a concerning long-term trend, with the percentage of examination malpractice rising from about 1% in 2018 to 13.5% in 2024, and further to 14.8% in 2025. Asare also warns about the impact of subject cancellations, with more than 7,000 candidates having their results cancelled due to examination malpractice. He urges education authorities to address the underlying behavior and attitudes that lead to malpractice.

Eduwatch will be keenly awaiting the 2026 data to see if the trend has reversed, but for now, the statistics do not support claims that examination malpractice is declining.