That changed in 2025. The examination ran from Wednesday, June 11 to Wednesday, June 18, with Saturday and Sunday (June 14–15) designated as rest days. Papers resumed on Monday with Mathematics and Religious and Moral Education and concluded on Wednesday with Arabic. The impact of this revised format was felt deeply by students, teachers and communities.

In a rapid-response field study in selected Ashanti Region schools, students and educators described the change as transformative. “I am not so afraid of the Maths paper because we have the weekend to rest,” shared one female candidate. Another pupil, retaking the BECE after enduring last year’s continuous format, said: “Last year, every day felt like I was carrying a truck on my head. There was no time to breathe or revise properly. This time, the weekend allowed me to rest and concentrate more. I felt confident walking into the exam room.”

These testimonies are more than anecdotal—they are pedagogically significant. According to a 2022 OECD and UNESCO study, rest and spacing enhance cognitive performance, especially in high-stakes settings. Retention and critical thinking are bolstered by sleep, reflection, and spaced learning.

A headteacher told the researchers: “My students came to class on Monday looking refreshed and composed. In my 18 years overseeing BECE candidates, I’ve never seen them like that.”

Rest, it turns out, is not a distraction but a cognitive boost. The weekend break offered students not just recovery time, but also the opportunity to revisit challenging topics and return sharper and more confident. This improvement was particularly visible in under-resourced schools, where students used the time to consult teachers and peers, reinforcing the principle that equity thrives on value—not pressure.

Teacher morale also improved. Educators felt less overwhelmed and used the weekend to better prepare students for upcoming papers, enhancing both pedagogy and performance.

Globally, student-centred assessments that include rest periods and emotional wellness support have become the norm in places like Finland, Japan and New Zealand. In Africa, South Africa’s NSC exams and Kenya’s KCSE also structure breaks between papers. Ghana must not lag behind, especially as the country works to meet Sustainable Development Goal 4: ensuring inclusive and equitable quality education and promoting lifelong learning.

The Ghana Education Service (GES) and WAEC should consider institutionalising the weekend break as a permanent fixture in BECE schedules. An interdisciplinary task force comprising educational psychologists, curriculum developers and assessment experts should study the long-term effects of spaced examination formats on student achievement and emotional wellbeing.

Parliament’s Education Committee could explore policy directives that align national exam schedules with global best practices. Moreover, teacher training institutions and Colleges of Education must prepare educators to integrate wellness-based assessments and support students’ psychological readiness during critical stages.

The 2025 BECE was more than an exam—it tested the soul of Ghana’s education system. Are we prioritising resilience over compassion? Performance over wellbeing? If so, we risk losing our way. Instead of reverting to old habits, we must embrace a new culture—one of preparation, inclusion, and personal development without pressure and burnout.

The 2025 BECE was not a coincidence—it was a prototype. Let it guide us into a more humane future. Rest with us. Rebuild with us. Reform with us.