Schools across Ghana have been warned to review the mock examinations and externally developed assessment materials they use after NaCCA raised concerns about materials produced by unapproved sources.
NaCCA has warned Ghanaian pre-tertiary schools against using unapproved mock exams and assessment items. Here is what schools need to know.
Accra, Ghana | August 8, 2026
The National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NaCCA) has directed pre-tertiary schools in Ghana to stop using assessment items and tasks developed by unapproved external sources unless those materials have been vetted and approved by the Council.
The directive, contained in a public notice dated August 7, 2026, concerns the use of externally developed assessment items, including mock examination materials, by schools.
NaCCA said it had observed with serious concern the use of assessment materials developed by what it described as unapproved consortiums, institutions and individuals in some basic schools.
The development is significant for school heads, teachers, private education providers, assessment developers, parents and students because mock examinations and other school-based assessments are widely used to prepare learners for national examinations and monitor academic progress.
What Has NaCCA Directed Schools to Do?
NaCCA has reminded schools of its statutory responsibility for the approval of assessment items and tasks used in pre-tertiary education.
According to the notice signed by Prof. Samuel Ofori Bekoe, Director-General of NaCCA, the Council is the statutory body mandated to approve assessment items and tasks for pre-tertiary schools in Ghana.
The Council therefore directed schools not to administer externally developed assessment items or tasks unless those materials have been subjected to the required vetting and approval process.
The directive applies to schools operating within the pre-tertiary education system. This includes institutions delivering basic and second-cycle education programmes.
School heads are consequently expected to exercise caution when procuring mock examination papers, test banks, assessment packages and other externally developed materials.
The directive also places greater responsibility on organisations and individuals who develop assessment materials for schools. Materials intended for use beyond a school’s own internal assessment arrangements may need to satisfy the applicable approval requirements.
Why Has NaCCA Raised Concern About Unapproved Assessment Materials?
Assessment is an important part of curriculum implementation. It provides teachers and school leaders with information about what students have learned and where additional support may be required.
Poorly developed assessment materials can therefore create problems beyond the examination itself.
An assessment item may test content that students have not been taught, use an inappropriate level of difficulty, contain ambiguous wording or fail to measure the intended learning outcome.
Such problems can affect students’ understanding of their own academic performance.
NaCCA’s concern also relates to curriculum alignment. Assessment materials used in schools are expected to reflect the curriculum, learning outcomes and assessment principles applicable to the relevant level of education.
The issue becomes particularly important when schools use externally prepared mock examinations as preparation for national examinations.
What Does the Directive Mean for School Heads?
School heads have a central responsibility in ensuring that assessment practices within their institutions comply with applicable regulatory requirements.
Before procuring an externally developed mock examination or assessment package, schools should establish whether the material has received the necessary approval.
School authorities should also maintain appropriate records of assessment materials procured and used by the institution.
Where an organisation claims that its assessment materials have been approved, schools should seek evidence of that approval rather than relying solely on promotional claims.
The directive also means that school leaders should communicate clearly with teachers about the distinction between internally developed assessments and externally developed assessment materials.
This distinction is important because teachers routinely prepare class exercises, quizzes, tests and examinations as part of normal teaching and learning.
Can Teachers Still Set Tests and Examinations?
The NaCCA notice should not be interpreted as meaning that teachers are prohibited from assessing their students.
Classroom assessment remains an important component of teaching and learning.
Teachers routinely develop questions to determine whether learners understand lessons, identify learning difficulties and provide feedback.
The central issue raised by the directive is the use of externally developed assessment items or tasks without the required approval.
Schools should therefore distinguish between assessment activities developed by teachers for their own instructional purposes and externally developed assessment materials intended for broader use.
Where uncertainty exists about a particular assessment activity, school authorities should seek clarification from the appropriate regulatory authority.
What About Mock Examinations?
Mock examinations are commonly used by schools to help students prepare for major examinations.
They can provide opportunities for students to practise examination techniques, manage time and identify areas requiring further study.
However, a mock examination should also be properly constructed.
The questions should reflect the curriculum and the expected cognitive demands of the examination for which students are preparing.
NaCCA’s directive therefore places attention on the quality and regulatory status of externally developed mock examination materials.
Schools should not assume that a mock examination is suitable simply because it has been circulated widely or produced by an organisation with an established reputation.
The appropriate approval status of externally developed materials should be established before they are administered.
How the Directive Could Affect Private Schools
Private schools are among the institutions that may be affected by the directive because many private schools procure assessment packages from external providers.
The directive does not, based on the notice supplied, create a separate assessment standard for private schools.
The relevant requirement is compliance with the applicable approval arrangements for externally developed assessment materials.
Private school proprietors and administrators should therefore review their existing assessment procurement practices.
Where schools routinely purchase mock examination papers from external organisations, they should verify whether those materials have undergone the required NaCCA approval process.
What Assessment Providers Should Know
The directive also has implications for individuals, organisations and institutions that develop assessment materials for schools.
Assessment developers should ensure that their products comply with the relevant curriculum and assessment requirements before offering them to schools for administration.
Simply describing a test as a mock examination does not establish that it has been approved.
Providers should also avoid making unsupported claims about regulatory approval.
Schools purchasing assessment materials may reasonably request evidence of approval before using the materials.
What Could Happen to Schools That Ignore the Directive?
NaCCA stated that schools that violate the directive shall be liable to appropriate regulatory sanctions.
The notice, as supplied, does not provide a detailed schedule specifying each possible sanction for every type of violation.
EducateGhana.com therefore advises schools not to assume that a particular penalty will automatically apply unless it is expressly provided by NaCCA or another competent authority.
School heads should instead focus on compliance and seek clarification where the regulatory position is uncertain.
This is especially important because the use of unapproved assessment materials could expose schools to regulatory concerns and undermine confidence in their assessment practices.
What Should Schools Do Immediately?
School authorities can take several practical steps in response to the directive.
First, review assessment materials currently being used. Schools should identify externally developed mock examinations, test banks and other assessment packages used across the institution.
Second, verify approval status. Where an assessment provider claims that its materials have been approved, school authorities should request appropriate evidence.
Third, review procurement procedures. Schools should ensure that assessment materials are obtained through a process that considers curriculum alignment, quality and regulatory requirements.
Fourth, brief teachers. Teachers and heads of department should understand the school’s assessment policy and the implications of the NaCCA directive.
Fifth, retain records. Schools should keep relevant documentation concerning assessment materials and any approval or correspondence received from the appropriate authorities.
Sixth, seek clarification where necessary. Where a school is uncertain about whether a particular externally developed assessment falls within the directive, it should contact NaCCA for guidance.
What Does This Mean for Students and Parents?
Students are not responsible for determining whether an assessment paper used by their school has been approved.
The responsibility rests primarily with the institution and the relevant authorities.
Parents, however, may wish to ask schools about their assessment practices, particularly where large-scale external mock examinations are being organised.
Students should also understand that performance in a school mock examination does not automatically determine their performance in a national examination.
A mock examination is a preparation and assessment tool. Its value depends heavily on the quality and relevance of the questions used.
EducateGhana Analysis
NaCCA’s directive places an important focus on the relationship between curriculum, assessment quality and regulatory oversight.
Assessment should provide useful evidence about learning. When poorly designed materials are introduced into schools, the resulting scores may give teachers and students an inaccurate picture of learner achievement.
The directive also highlights the need for stronger communication between regulators, schools and assessment providers.
Schools need clear guidance on which materials require approval, how approval can be verified and what procedures should be followed when externally developed assessment materials are considered for use.
For school leaders, the safest approach is to treat assessment procurement as an academic and regulatory responsibility rather than simply a commercial transaction.
The development of high-quality mock examinations also requires knowledge of curriculum content, assessment objectives, item construction, cognitive demand and examination standards.
NaCCA’s intervention may therefore encourage schools and assessment providers to place greater attention on the quality and regulatory status of materials used to assess learners.
The directive should also be communicated carefully. Schools need to understand precisely what constitutes an externally developed assessment item or task and how the approval requirement applies to different forms of school assessment.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What has NaCCA directed schools to do?
NaCCA has directed pre-tertiary schools to stop using externally developed assessment items or tasks from unapproved sources unless those materials have been vetted and approved by the Council.
2. Does the directive affect mock examinations?
Yes. Externally developed mock examination materials fall within the broader issue of assessment items and tasks addressed by the directive. Schools should verify the approval status of such materials before using them.
3. Can teachers still set classroom tests?
Teachers can continue to assess learners as part of teaching and learning. Schools should, however, distinguish their normal internal assessment practices from the use of externally developed materials subject to NaCCA’s approval requirements.
4. Does the directive apply to SHS?
The directive concerns pre-tertiary education. School authorities should therefore follow the applicable NaCCA requirements for their institutions and seek clarification where necessary.
5. Does it apply to private schools?
The directive concerns pre-tertiary schools generally. Private schools should therefore review their use of externally developed assessment materials and verify applicable approval requirements.
6. Can schools buy mock examination papers from external organisations?
Schools should not assume that externally produced materials are automatically approved. They should verify the required approval status before administering them.
7. Why is NaCCA concerned about assessment materials?
Assessment materials need to reflect the curriculum, learning outcomes and appropriate assessment standards. Poorly designed or unapproved materials can undermine the quality and usefulness of assessment.
8. What sanctions could schools face?
NaCCA stated that schools violating the directive may be subject to appropriate regulatory sanctions. The supplied notice does not provide a detailed list of specific sanctions.
9. What should a school do if it is unsure whether a mock examination is approved?
The school should seek clarification from NaCCA before administering the material.
10. What should assessment providers do?
Assessment providers should ensure that externally developed assessment items and tasks meet the applicable curriculum and approval requirements before supplying them for school use.
Conclusion
NaCCA’s August 7, 2026 directive has placed renewed attention on the regulation and quality of assessment in Ghana’s pre-tertiary schools.
School heads and teachers should review their current assessment practices, particularly the use of externally developed mock examinations and other assessment packages.
Schools should verify the approval status of externally developed materials and seek guidance from NaCCA where uncertainty exists.
The broader objective is to ensure that assessment used in Ghanaian schools remains aligned with curriculum requirements, sound assessment principles and the regulatory framework governing pre-tertiary education.
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About the Author
Ferdinand Ellis is an education blogger, curriculum specialist, researcher and education policy analyst. He is the Founder and Editor of EducateGhana.com, where he publishes evidence-based analyses on curriculum development, teacher education, education policy, assessment reforms and institutional developments within Ghana’s education sector.
Ellis holds a Master of Philosophy (MPhil) in Curriculum and Pedagogic Studies from the University of Education, Winneba. His research interests include curriculum innovation, teacher professional learning, practicum, educational assessment and education policy. Through EducateGhana.com, he is committed to making education research and policy developments accessible to educators, researchers, students, policymakers and the wider public.
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