This year's May/June West Africa Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) begins today.

In all,242,152 candidates, comprising 126,919 males and 115,238 females, are expected to write the examination at 809 centres in different parts of the country.

The Ashanti Region is presenting the highest number of 62,422 candidates, while the Upper West is presenting the lowest of 4,868.

The Eastern Region follows the Ashanti Region ’ with 35,782 candidates, while the Greater Accra Region presents                27,204 candidates.

The mix of candidates in the Ashanti and the Eastern regions is significant, since the two regions present more girls than boys for the examination.

For instance, in the Ashanti Region, 31,960 girls are writing the examination, compared with 30,462 boys, while in the Eastern Region 18,088 females will be writing, compared with 17,694 males.

The Central Region is presenting 25,767 candidates, while the Brong Ahafo and the olta regions are presenting 22,562 and 20,903 candidates, respectively.

The Northern and the Western regions are presenting 17,844 and 16,041 candidates, respectively, while the Upper East Region is presenting 8,764 candidates.

Subjects

The candidates will begin the examination with English Language (Oral) tomorrow and follow up on Wednesday with the Integrated Science One and Two papers, as well as Integrated Science Practicals.

Only candidates in Ghana will write the following subjects: Animal Husbandry,   Crop

Husbandry, Social Studies, Graphic Design, West African Traditional Religion, Fishery Practicals and Ghanaian Languages.

End of Exams

The curtain will be drawn on the examination on May 16, 2014 with Management-In-Living, a paper to be written by candidates from only Liberia and Ghana.

the period of reckoning and I believe in your ability to perform creditably in the examination. Indeed, your teachers have, over the period, prepared you adequately for the task ahead”.

Advice

The minister urged the candidates to conduct themselves properly, in accordance with the rules and regulations governing the examination.

"In your interest, I implore you to desist from any unacceptable conduct that may have the tendency to bring the examination into disrepute and also bring untold hardship to you, your parents and the community at large,” she advised them.

Professor Opoku-Agyemang also entreated all supervisors and invigilators to be vigilant and ensure that the right atmosphere