GENERAL BUSINESS CERTIFICATE EXAMINATION (GBCE).
Introduction
The examination will be taken once in a year. The examination is equivalent to the West African Senior School Certificate Examination. Holders of the General Business Certificates have been specially prepared for the world of work and further academic studies at the Advanced Business Certificate level and in tertiary institutions.
Entry For The Examination
(1) A candidate may enter up to eight subjects.
(2) A candidate would be awarded the General Business Certificate for the subjects he/she is successful in.
(3) The certificates are in the following categories:
(a) Accounting
| Compulsory Subjects | Optional Subjects |
| Financial Accounting | Cost Accounting |
| English Language | Business Law |
| Mathematics | Commerce |
| Economics | Social Studies |
| Integrated Science |
(b) Business Studies
| Compulsory Subjects | Optional Subjects |
| Economics | Office Practice |
| English Language | Business Law |
| Mathematics | Financial Accounting |
| Commerce | Social Studies |
| Integrated Science | |
| Marketing | |
| Salesmanship |
(c) Secretarial Duties
| Compulsory Subjects | Optional Subjects |
| Commerce | Economics |
| Text Processing | Business Law |
| English Language | Mathematics |
| Office Practice | Social Studies |
| Integrated Science |
The following subjects will also be available to candidates who wish to register for the GBCE.
Mathematics Elective
Geography
Government
French
The WASSCE Syllabus will be used in this regard.
How To Enter for the Examination
(1) The Examination is available to both school and private candidates ie. candidates who attend schools that prepare them and register them for the
examination and those who study and register as individual candidates for the examination.
(2) The candidates are expected to be registered by their schools or on their own by the approved means. Registration by both means is done electronically.
(3) Entry software will be made available to all schools on the Council’s approved list for the examination. The software should be returned by deadlines to be set by Council from year to year.
(4) The compact discs (CDs) containing details of the registered candidates, evidence of payment of the appropriate registration fee, together with other
documents to be specified should reach the appropriate Office of the Council by the deadline that will be determined by the Council from year to year.
(5) It is the responsibility of Heads of School to ensure that the candidates check the correctness of their entries and sign against them on the hard copies of the entry documents before they are submitted to the Council. The West African Examinations Council shall not take responsibility for any error, oversight or default made on the entry schedules (soft or hard copies) by Heads of School or their representatives.
(6) The Council reserves the right to refuse entries which do not satisfy the regulations of the examination. Entries which do not arrive before the closing date or which are not accompanied by the correct fees will also be rejected outright.
(7) The Council reserves the right to cancel any entry at any stage before, during or after the examination is taken if it is found to be irregular.
(8) The Council reserves the right to cancel the scripts of a candidate in subject/paper for which he/she did not enter.
(9) No candidate will be permitted to sit the examination at a centre other than where he/she has been assigned.
(10) The Council does not undertake to refund fees.
Guidelines for Admission into Tertiary Institutes
Candidates are advised that they will be required to satisfy not only the tertiary institutions’ general entrance requirements but also the requirements of the particular programmes which they wish to enter and that these requirements vary considerably. Particulars of admission requirements may be obtained from the National Accreditation Board and the tertiary institutions.
General Arrangement
(1) Dates for the Examination
The examination will be held once in a year. The actual dates for the examination will be made known to candidates either directly or through their schools. Detailed timetables will be made available along with the entry documents.
(2) Fees
Fees are to be paid at designated banks using the appropriate guidelines provided by the Council.
(3) Time Allowed for Question Papers
Unless otherwise indicated on the question papers, the time allowed for answering the questions include reading time.
(4) Materials to be provided by Candidates
(a) Candidates must provide their own pencils, mathematical sets and typewriters.
(b) Candidates will be required to write their answers in ink; but pencils may be used only for diagrams and objective answers. Only black or blue ink should be used.
(c) Unless otherwise stated electronic calculators of the silent, cordless and non-programmable type shall be allowed for the examination. A silent, cordless and non-programmable calculator must not have audio or noisy keys or be operated in such a way as to disturb other candidates
(d) Supplementary materials such as instruction leaflets must under no circumstances be taken into the examination hall.
Issue of Results and the award of Certificates
(1) The Council reserves the right to cancel the results of candidates if it considers that they have been involved in irregularities before, during or after the examination. It also reserves the right to withhold certificates and to cancel certificates of candidates involved in any acts of malpractice.
(2) The Council will not enter into correspondence about results with school candidates or their parents or guardians or other persons claiming to act in loco parentis. All correspondence regarding such issues may only be dealt with directly between schools and the Council. The Council may however entertain correspondence on such issues with bonafide private candidates.
(3) Request for re-marking of scripts whether from schools or individuals (i.e. private candidates) must be made within 60 days (2 months) after release of results of the examination.
(4) Results listing will be sent to Heads of School as soon as possible after each examination. The result listing will indicate the grades attained in each subject taken by each candidate presented unless the results of the candidate have been withheld or cancelled.
(5) Candidates, both school and private, may access their individual statements of results from the internet after paying the appropriate fee. The address of the website will be made known to the candidates when necessary.
(6) Certificates will be awarded soon after the release of results. Those for successful school candidates will be forwarded to them through their Heads of School. Private candidates may collect theirs at the Council’s offices according to programmes to be made public at the appropriate times.
(7) The award of a certificate is entirely within the discretion of the Council. The Council will not be liable to any candidate in respect of the withholding or cancellation of any certificate improperly obtained.
(8) Certificates remain the property of the Council and legal proceedings will be instituted against any person who alters anything on them.
(9) Examination scripts will be disposed of three months after the release of results.
The Conduct of Candidates in the Examination Hall
(1) Supervision of the Examination
(a) The examination shall be under the control of the Supervisor who shall be responsible to the Council.
(b) The Supervisor will be required to carry out the detailed instructions on the conduct of the examination at the centre that will be assigned to him/her. These will relate to the admission of candidates into the examination halls, the distribution of examination question papers to candidates, the collection of scripts at the end of each period, and their despatch to the Council and the maintenance of constant and effective supervision over the candidates.
(c) It is the duty of a Supervisor to report to the Council all cases of irregularity or misconduct in the examination. The report must be written immediately a candidate is caught in such irregularity or misconduct. The candidate should be requested to write his/her statement on the incident and then allowed to continue the examination unless he/she interferes with the work of other candidates. Further action on such candidates will be taken by the Council in accordance with its rules and regulations.
(d) A candidate whose examination work is affected by adverse circumstances should inform the Supervisor at the centre at which he/she takes the examination. Where the candidate falls ill and cannot take the examination in some papers, he/she must supply the Supervisor with medical certificate to that effect, which should be forwarded to the Council together with the appropriate Special Report on the candidate which has been completed by the Supervisor.
(e) The Council may, at any time, send an External Supervisor to a school or centre to take control of the examination, or may send an Officer or Inspector to a centre during the examination to verify if it is being conducted in strict accordance with the regulations.
(2) Instructions to Candidates
(a) Candidates must obey all instructions given by the Supervisors and Invigilators. In particular, they must enter and leave the halls when told to do so.
(b) Candidates must not give or receive any assistance in answering the examination questions.
(c) Candidates must not talk to other candidates inside the examination hall.
(d) Candidates must not tear part of their question papers, answer sheets or answer booklets.
(e) Candidates must stop work when they are told to do so and must always hand over their answer scripts or answer booklets personally to the Supervisor/Invigilators at the end of the examination.
(f) Candidates must not remove any answer booklet or paper from the examination hall. Examination papers remain the property of the Council.
(g) In all cases of misconduct, the Council may, after considering the report, cancel either the result of the candidate in the subject involved or his/her entire results.
(h) Candidates should not bring any book, mobile phone or other electronic gadgets (except calculators of the silent, non-programmable type), bag or other property into the examination room/hall.
(i) The Council does not accept responsibility for such books, bags or other properties which candidates leave at the precincts of the examination hall.
(j) Candidates may not be allowed into the examination hall after the commencement of the examination.
(k) Candidates should not leave the examination hall within thirty (30) minutes of the commencement of the examination.
Rules and Regulations for GBCE
Get the full pdf HERE
Rules and Regulations for GBCE
GBCE SYLLABUS
ADVANCED BUSINESS CERTIFICATE EXAMINATION (ABCE).
Introduction
This section contains the Rules and Regulations and Syllabuses for the Advanced Business Certificate Examination that will be taken from 2021 onward. The regulations are meant to guide candidates for the examination. Candidates are expected to acquaint themselves thoroughly with them. The syllabuses seek to give students the opportunity to acquire relevant skills and knowledge for living meaningfully in the 21st century. Holders of the Advanced Business
Certificate have been specially prepared for the world of work and further academic studies in tertiary institutions. The examination is equivalent to the erstwhile General Certificate of Education (Advanced Level). The examination is taken once in a year. All the subjects for the examination are made available for prospective candidates to choose from.
Entry For The Examination
Options Available
Two options of entry for the examination are available. These are the Diploma and Single
Subject entry options.
(1) Diploma Entry
(a) The Diploma option of the ABCE involves entering for a combination of three compulsory and two optional subjects, all of which must be passed in not more than two sittings within a maximum period of two calendar years
from the date of the first registration.
(b) The Diploma is awarded in the following subject areas:
(a) Diploma in Accounting
| Compulsory Subjects | Optional Subjects |
| Financial Accounting | Economics |
| Cost Management Accounting | Taxation |
| Auditing | Business Law |
| Business Finance | |
| Business Mathematics | |
| Business Communication | |
| Information Technology | |
| Logistics and Supply Chain | |
| Management | |
| Microfinance |
(b) Diploma In Business Administration
| Compulsory Subjects | Optional Subjects |
| Marketing | Economics |
| Business Finance | Business Law |
| Human Resource Management | Business Mathematics |
| Financial Accounting | |
| Business Communication | |
| Information Technology | |
| Entrepreneurship | |
| Logistics and Supply Chain Management | |
| Sales Management | |
| Tourism and Hospitality Management |
(c) Diploma In Office Management
| Compulsory Subjects | Optional Subjects |
| Business Communication | Business Finance |
| Office Administration and Practice | Business Law |
| Text Processing | Economics |
| Human Resource Management | |
| Information Technology | |
| Marketing |
(d) Diploma In Information Technology
| Compulsory Subjects | Optional Subjects |
| Hardware & Networking | Business Mathematics |
| Information Technology | Entrepreneurship |
| Information Systems | Financial Accounting |
| Human Resource Management | |
| Logistics and Supply Chain Management | |
| Marketing | |
| Office Administration & Practice | |
| Tourism and Hospitality Management |
(c)
A candidate who satisfies the conditions for the Diploma option will be awarded a Diploma at the Advanced Business Certificate Examination. The subjects and the various grades will be stated on the certificate.
(d) A candidate who makes an entry for the Diploma Option and obtains passes in some subjects at the first sitting may be issued with a statement of results pending the award of the Diploma when he/she passes the remaining subject(s) within the stipulated period.
(e) A candidate who enters for the Diploma Option but is unable to obtain a pass in all the subjects within the stipulated period of 2 years from the date of the first registration will be issued single Advanced Business Certificates for those subjects in which he/she has obtained passes.
(2)
SINGLE SUBJECT ENTRY
(a) Under the Single Subject option, a candidate may enter for any number of single subjects.
(b) A candidate who enters for single subjects will be awarded the Advanced Business Certificate for each subject passed.
- 3.
How to Enter for the Examination
(1) The Examination is available to both school and private candidates ie candidates who attend schools that prepare them and register them for the examination and those who study and register as individual candidates for the examination.
(2) The candidates are expected to be registered or register on their own by the approved means. Registration for both types of candidates is done electronically.
(3) It is the responsibility of Heads of School to ensure that the candidates check the correctness of their entries and sign against them on the hard copies of the entry documents before they are submitted to the Council.
(4) The West African Examinations Council shall not take responsibility for any error, oversight or default made on the entry schedules (soft or hard copies) by Heads of School or their representatives.
(5) The Council reserves the right to refuse entries which do not satisfy the regulations of the examination. Entries which do not arrive before the closing date or which are not accompanied by the correct fees will also be rejected outright.
(6) The Council reserves the right to cancel any entry at any stage before, during or after the examination is taken if it is found to be irregular.
(7) The Council reserves the right to cancel the scripts of a candidate in subject/paper for which he/she did not enter.
(8) No candidate will be permitted to sit the examination at a centre other than where he/she has been assigned.
(9) The Council does not undertake to refund fees.
GUIDELINES FOR ADMISSION INTO TERTIARY INSTITUTIONS
Candidates are advised that they will be required to satisfy not only the tertiary institutions’ general entrance requirements but also the requirements of the particular programmes which they wish to enter and that these requirements vary considerably from institution to institution. Particulars of admission requirements may be obtained from the National Accreditation Board and the tertiary institutions.
- 5.
GENERAL ARRANGEMENTS
(1) Dates for the Examination
The examination will be held once a year. The actual date for the examination will be communicated by a circular to approved Schools for the information of their candidates or by publication in the press.
Detailed timetables will be made available along with the entry documents.
(2) Fees
Fees are to be paid at designated banks using the appropriate guidelines provided by the Council.
(3)
Time Allowed for Question Papers
Unless otherwise indicated on the question papers, the time allowed for answering the questions include reading time.
(4)
Materials to be provided by Candidates
(a) Candidates must provide their own pencils, mathematical sets and computers.
(b)Candidates will be required to write their answers in ink. Pencils may be used only for diagrams and objective answers. Only black or blue ink should be used.
(c) Unless otherwise stated electronic calculators of the silent, cordless and non programmable type shall be allowed for the examination. A silent, cordless and non-progammable calculator must not have audio or noisy keys or be operated in such a way as to disturb other candidates.
(d)Supplementary material such as instruction leaflets, etc. must under no circumstances be taken into the examination hall.
ISSUE OF RESULTS AND THE AWARD OF CERTIFICATES
(1) The Council reserves the right to cancel the results of candidates if it considers that they have been involved in irregularities before, during or after the examination. It also reserves the right to withhold certificates and to cancel certificates of candidates involved in any acts of malpractice.
(2) The Council will not enter into correspondence about results with school candidates or their parents or guardians or other persons claiming to act in loco parentis. All correspondence regarding such issues may only be dealt with directly between schools and the Council. The Council may however entertain correspondence on such issues with bonafide private candidates.
(3) Request for re-marking of scripts whether from schools or individuals (i.e. private candidates) must be made within 60 days (2 months) after release of results of theexamination.
(4) Results listing will be sent to Heads of School as soon as possible after each examination. The result listing will indicate the grades attained in each subject taken by each candidate presented unless the results of the candidate have been withheld or cancelled.
(5) Candidates, both school and private, may access their individual statements of results from the internet after paying the appropriate fee. The address of the website will be made known to the candidates when necessary.
(6) Certificates will be awarded soon after the release of results. Those for successful school candidates will be forwarded to them through their Heads of School. Private candidates may collect theirs at the Council’s offices according to programmes to be made public at the appropriate times.
(7) The award of a certificate is entirely within the discretion of the Council. The Council will not be liable to any candidate in respect of the withholding or cancellation of any certificate improperly obtained.
(8) Certificates remain the property of the Council and legal proceedings will be instituted against any person who alters anything on them.
(9) Examination scripts will be disposed off three months after the release of results.
- THE CONDUCT OF CANDIDATES IN THE EXAMINATION HALL
(1) Supervision of the Examination
(a) The examination shall be under the control of the Supervisor who shall be responsible to the Council.
(b) The Supervisor will be required to carry out the detailed instructions on the conduct of the examination at the centre that will be assigned to him/her. These will relate to the admission of candidates into the examination halls, the distribution of examination question papers to candidates, the collection of scripts at the end of each period, and their despatch to the Council and the maintenance of constant and effective supervision over the candidates.
(c) It is the duty of a Supervisor to report to the Council all cases of irregularity or misconduct in the examination. The report must be written immediately a candidate is caught in such irregularity or misconduct. The candidate should be requested to write his/her statement on the incident and then allowed to continue the examination unless he/she interferes with the work of other candidates.Further action on such candidates will be taken by the Council in accordance with its rules and regulations.
(d) A candidate whose examination work is affected by adverse circumstances should inform the Supervisor at the centre at which he/she takes the examination. Where the candidate falls ill and cannot take the examination in some papers, he/she must supply to the Supervisor with medical certificate to that effect, which should be forwaded to the Council together with the appropriate Special Report on the candidate which has been completed by the Supervisor.
(e) The Council may, at any time, send an External Supervisor to a school or centre to take control of the examination, or may send an Officer or Inspector to a centre during the examination to verify if it is being conducted in strict accordance with the regulations.
(2) Instructions to Candidates
(a) Candidates must obey all instructions given by the Supervisors and Invigilators. In particular, they must enter and leave the halls when told to do so.
(b) Candidates must not give or receive any assistance in answering the examination questions.
(c) Candidates must not talk to other candidates inside the examination hall.
(d) Candidates must not tear part of their question papers, answer sheets or answer booklets.
(e) Candidates must stop work when they are told to do so and must always hand over their answer scripts or answer booklets personally to Supervisor/Invigilators at the end of the examination.
(f) Candidates must not remove any answer booklet or paper from the examination hall. Examination papers remain the property of the Council.
(g) In all cases of misconduct, the Council may, after considering the report, cancel either the result of the candidate in the subject involved or his/her entire results.
(h) Candidates should not bring any book, mobile phone or other electronic gadgets (except calculators of the silent, non-programmable type), bag or other property into the examination room/hall.
(i) The Council does not accept responsibility for such books, bags or other properties which candidates leave at the precincts of the examination hall.
(j) Candidates may not be allowed into the examination hall after the commencement of the examination.
(k) Candidates should not leave the examination hall within thirty (30) minutes of the commencement of the examination.
Rules and Regulations for ABCE
Get the full pdf HERE
Rules and Regulations for ABCE
ABCE SYLLABUS
FOREIGN PROFESSIONAL EXAMINATIONS
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- The Council also conducts examinations on behalf of foreign professional bodies and examination boards. These include:
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- Associated Board of the Royal School of Music (ABRSM)
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- Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators (ICSA)
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- Association of Business Executives (ABE)
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- Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA)
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- Institute of Chartered Shipbrokers (ICS)
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- Institute for the Management of Information Systems (IMIS)
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- University of London International Programme
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- Cambridge International College (CIC)
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- Institute of Fire Engineers (IFE)
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- London Centre of Marketing
- Paris Graduate School of Management (PGSM)
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Further Enquires
You may visit the websites of these institutions or boards for information on their examination OR contact the Controller, Professional and Vocational Examinations Administration Department (PVEAD) on Tel. Numbers:
+233-302 685920/685943/685982-84/ 685946
REVIEW OF SCRIPTS
Schools and individual candidates may request for a review of their scripts after the release of results.
The request for review arises from dissatisfaction with a candidate’s results and the desire to know what might have accounted for such a performance.
The review of scripts is done with a view to identifying the weaknesses of the candidates and correcting any defects in teaching and the way candidates tackle questions.
For school-based examinations, requests for review of their scripts are entertained from heads of schools. Private candidates may also request for review of their own scripts. It must be noted that scripts are kept for only three months after the release of results. In view of this, all requests for review should be done within the stipulated period.
The review of scripts attracts a fee that is reviewed periodically.
Request for the review must be made formally to the Senior Deputy Registrar/Head of Test Administration Division.