The official WAEC 2026 timetable for the May/June West African Senior School Certificate Examination has been released. Whether you are a school candidate, a private candidate, a parent, or a teacher, this guide gives you every date, every rule, and every download link you need — all drawn from the official WAEC bulletin so you are never working from outdated information.
When Does the 2026 WAEC Exam Start and End?
The 2026 WASSCE for school candidates is scheduled to begin on Tuesday, 30 April 2026 and end on Monday, 24 June 2026, spanning approximately eight weeks across all registered subjects. Practical examinations and project-based papers start earlier — from Tuesday, 7 April 2026 — to allow candidates sufficient time to complete laboratory work, studio projects, and technical assessments before the main written papers begin.
School Candidates vs Private Candidates (GCE) — Which Timetable Applies to You?
School candidates are current SS3 students registered through an accredited secondary school. They sit the WASSCE for School Candidates under the May/June timetable described in this article — a paper-and-pen examination held across West Africa from late April to late June 2026.
Private candidates sit a completely separate examination called the CB-WASSCE (Computer-Based WASSCE) for Private Candidates. This runs in two series each year. The 2026 First Series already held from 28 January to 14 February 2026 as a fully computer-based test. The 2026 Second Series is expected in the October–December window. Private candidates must use the timetable published specifically for their series at waecinternational.org/timetable — it is entirely different from the school candidates’ timetable.
Full WAEC 2026 May/June Timetable — All Subjects, Dates and Times
The complete provisional timetable covering all 82 registered subjects has been released. Below is a summary of the major subject dates across the examination period. All times are in West Africa Time (WAT, GMT+1 for Nigeria). Morning sessions begin at 09:30 AM and afternoon sessions at 02:00 PM unless stated otherwise on the question paper.
| Period | What Is Happening | Who Is Affected |
|---|---|---|
| 7 Apr – 27 Apr 2026 | Practical, oral, and project-based papers (dates arranged by WAEC per centre) | Science, Technical, and Language candidates |
| 30 Apr 2026 | Written examinations begin | All school candidates |
| Early May 2026 | English Language (Paper 1 & 2), Mathematics, core subjects | All candidates |
| Mid-May – June 2026 | Science, Art, and Commercial elective papers | By subject combination |
| 24 Jun 2026 | Final written paper — examinations close | All school candidates |
The full dated subject-by-subject schedule is available as a PDF from WAEC’s official website. See the download section below for instructions.
WAEC 2026 Timetable by Student Type — Science, Art and Commercial
Science students should pay particular attention to the practical examination period running from 7–27 April, which covers Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Agricultural Science, and Food and Nutrition practicals. These dates are assigned per examination centre and will not necessarily be the same across all schools. Confirm your practical dates directly with your school’s examination officer.
Art students writing Visual Art face an earlier preparation requirement — Paper 3A instructions are distributed to schools two weeks before the examination date, and Paper 3B question papers are also given to candidates two weeks in advance for preliminary work. Paper 3C requires project submissions within six months, with submission details communicated by WAEC directly. Literature in English, Government, CRS/IRS, and History are among the major written papers falling in the May–June block.
Commercial students sit Financial Accounting, Commerce, Economics, Office Practice, and related subjects during the main written examination block. Most of these papers have both an objective paper (Paper 1) and an essay paper (Paper 2) on the same date, with a short break between sessions. Use the timetable to note which days carry double papers and plan revision accordingly.
Important Timetable Rules Every Candidate Must Know
- Duration conflict rule. If the time printed on the question paper differs from what the timetable states, always follow the question paper. The question paper takes precedence.
- Visual Art Paper 3A and 3B. Schools receive Paper 3A instructions two weeks before the exam date. Candidates receive the Paper 3B question paper two weeks in advance. Begin work immediately upon receipt.
- Visual Art Paper 3C. This is a project-based submission. Candidates have up to six months to complete it. Submission details are communicated directly by WAEC to registered centres.
- Block Laying, Bricklaying and Concrete Works Paper 3. The question paper for this practical is distributed three days before the examination date to allow candidates to prepare materials.
- Special needs candidates. Candidates who are blind, deaf, or have a certified physical impairment are entitled to one and a half times (1.5×) the standard examination duration. Schools must notify WAEC of special needs candidates at the point of registration.
Country-Specific Subjects — What Nigeria, Ghana, Gambia, Sierra Leone and Liberia Candidates Need to Know
The international WAEC timetable uses asterisk codes to indicate which subjects are available only to candidates in specific member countries. These codes appear beside subject names throughout the timetable PDF and cause significant confusion for students who do not know what they mean.
- No asterisk — subject available to candidates in all five WAEC member countries
- * (single asterisk) — available to candidates in The Gambia only
- ** (double asterisk) — available to candidates in Ghana only
- *** (triple asterisk) — available to candidates in The Gambia and Sierra Leone only
- **** (four asterisks) — available to candidates in Liberia only
- † (dagger symbol) — available to candidates in Nigeria only
- ‡ (double dagger) — available to candidates in Sierra Leone only
Nigerian candidates should focus only on subjects marked with no asterisk or the Nigeria-specific dagger (†). Subjects marked exclusively for Ghana, Gambia, Liberia, or Sierra Leone are not available at Nigerian examination centres and will not appear on your result slip regardless of registration.
How to Download the WAEC 2026 Timetable PDF (Official and Free)
The only safe source for the official timetable PDF is WAEC’s own website. Third-party downloads frequently carry outdated, modified, or fabricated timetables that have caused candidates to miss examination dates. Follow these steps to get the verified version:
- Visit waecinternational.org (for international/Nigeria candidates) or waecgh.org (for Ghana).
- Click the Timetables menu item in the top navigation bar.
- Select 2026 WASSCE School Candidates Timetable from the list.
- Click Download to save the PDF to your device.
- Print on A4 paper and keep a copy at home, at school, and saved to your phone.
Your school’s examination officer will also have printed copies distributed to all registered candidates. If you have not received one by the end of March 2026, follow up with your school immediately.
How to Use the WAEC 2026 Timetable to Plan Your Study Schedule
Once you have the timetable, write out your registered subjects in chronological order of their examination dates. Subjects appearing earliest on the timetable — typically English Language and core sciences — need to enter your revision schedule first. For every subject, check whether it has both a morning and an afternoon paper on the same day and plan rest time accordingly. Use the duration printed on the timetable to set timed practice sessions: if a subject runs for two hours, practise answering past questions within that exact window. Pay special attention to weeks with back-to-back exams on consecutive days — cluster your intensive revision for those subjects in the week before, not the night before.
What to Do If Two of Your Subjects Clash on the Same Date
A subject clash — where two of your registered subjects fall on the same date and time — is rare but possible, particularly if a candidate registered subjects across multiple disciplines. The moment you receive your timetable, cross-reference every date against your registered subject list. If a genuine clash exists, report it immediately to your school’s examination officer, who must raise a formal complaint with WAEC through the school’s registered examination portal. Do not wait until exam day. WAEC resolves verified clashes by scheduling the candidate for one paper in the morning and the other in the afternoon at the same centre, or by arranging a supervised separate sitting on an alternative date. Attempting to sit both papers simultaneously or without WAEC’s prior knowledge will result in disqualification of both entries.
WAEC 2026 GCE (Private Candidates) Timetable — 1st and 2nd Series
Private candidates sit the CB-WASSCE, which is conducted entirely on computer. The 2026 First Series ran from 28 January to 14 February 2026 and is now concluded. If you are a private candidate who missed the First Series, the next opportunity is the 2026 Second Series, typically held between October and December 2026. WAEC will announce the exact Second Series dates and open registration on the official portal at waecinternational.org approximately two to three months before the examination begins. Monitor that page directly or follow the verified WAEC social media handles for the announcement.