By: Ferdinand Ellis | EducateGhana.com
Last Updated: August 18, 2026
NaCCA has introduced a national certification framework for assessment service providers in Ghana. Providers of mock examinations, standardized tests and assessment materials for pre-tertiary schools will be required to obtain certification and secure approval for individual assessment instruments.
Article Information Box
| Article Information | Details |
|---|---|
| Category | Education News |
| Hub | Curriculum & Assessment |
| Cluster | Educational Assessment |
| Article Type | Education Policy and Regulatory News |
| Institution | National Council for Curriculum and Assessment |
| Framework | National Assessment Service Provider Certification and Quality Assurance Framework |
| Certification | NaCASP |
| Coverage | Pre-tertiary education |
| Date of Notice | August 17, 2026 |
| Official | Prof. Samuel Ofori Bekoe |
| Last Updated | August 18, 2026 |
Fact Check & Editorial Review
| Editorial Status | Details |
|---|---|
| Fact Checked | ✔ Based on the NaCCA notice supplied for this report |
| Reviewed By | EducateGhana Editorial Team |
| Last Reviewed | August 18, 2026 |
Introduction
The National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NaCCA) has announced the implementation of a new National Assessment Service Provider Certification and Quality Assurance Framework for providers of assessment services and materials in Ghana’s pre-tertiary education sector.
The framework introduces a national regulatory system for organisations and individuals involved in developing and supplying mock examinations, standardized tests, question banks and other assessment instruments for pre-tertiary schools.
According to a notice dated August 17, 2026, and signed by Prof. Samuel Ofori Bekoe, Director-General of NaCCA, the initiative is being implemented as part of the Council’s regulatory mandate under the Education Regulatory Bodies Act, 2020 (Act 1023).
The new arrangement separates the certification of an assessment provider from the approval of the actual assessment instrument. This means that obtaining provider certification will not automatically give an organisation permission to administer every examination it produces.
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Key Takeaways
- NaCCA is implementing a national certification framework for assessment service providers.
- The certification system is known as NaCASP, referring to NaCCA Certified Assessment Provider.
- Providers of mock examinations, standardized tests and other assessment materials will be affected.
- Provider certification and assessment approval are separate regulatory processes.
- Individual assessment instruments must be submitted to NaCCA for approval.
- Marking schemes must also be submitted within the specified period after an assessment.
- After the transitional period, uncertified providers will not be permitted to operate within the regulated framework.
- Assessments cannot be administered without the required NaCCA approval.
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Quick Facts
| Quick Fact | Details |
|---|---|
| Regulator | NaCCA |
| Framework | National Assessment Service Provider Certification and Quality Assurance Framework |
| Provider certification | NaCASP |
| Affected sector | Pre-tertiary education |
| Assessment providers | Companies, schools, publishers, associations, consultants and individuals |
| Assessment instruments | Mock exams, standardized tests, question banks and other assessment tools |
| Provider approval | Required |
| Individual assessment approval | Required |
| Framework notice | August 17, 2026 |
| Application website | NaCCA official website |
What Is the New NaCCA Certification Framework?
The National Assessment Service Provider Certification and Quality Assurance Framework establishes a national system for regulating organisations and individuals that provide assessment services to Ghana’s pre-tertiary education sector.
The framework is intended to create common quality standards for assessment providers and the materials they produce.
This is significant because assessment instruments influence how students’ knowledge, skills and competencies are measured. Poorly designed examinations can produce unreliable results, create unfair advantages or disadvantages and weaken confidence in assessment.
Under the new framework, NaCCA will assess providers against institutional, technical and operational requirements before certification is granted.
The framework therefore places greater emphasis on quality assurance before assessment materials reach learners.
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What Is NaCASP Certification?
NaCASP refers to the certification of an assessment service provider by NaCCA.
The certification process is intended to establish whether a provider has the necessary institutional, technical and operational capacity to develop and supply assessment materials.
A provider that receives NaCASP certification will therefore have met the applicable requirements established under the framework.
However, certification of the provider does not mean that every examination or assessment instrument produced by that provider has automatically been approved.
This distinction is one of the most important features of the new regulatory system.
In simple terms, a company may become a certified assessment service provider and still have to submit each examination paper or assessment instrument separately for NaCCA review and approval.
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Who Will Be Affected by the New Framework?
The framework affects a broad range of organisations and individuals involved in assessment services for pre-tertiary education.
These include assessment consortia, educational companies, publishers, professional associations, consultants and other individuals or organisations supplying common assessments, mock examinations or standardized assessment materials to schools.
Schools and educational institutions involved in developing or supplying assessment services may also need to examine their compliance obligations.
The regulation is therefore relevant to more than commercial examination companies. Anyone providing assessment materials within the scope of the framework should review the requirements carefully.
Teachers who independently prepare ordinary classroom exercises for their own instructional use should distinguish such activities from the provision of standardized or common assessment services covered by the regulatory framework.
Providers should therefore examine the framework and its annexes to determine whether their activities fall within the regulated category.
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Assessment Instruments Must Be Approved Separately
A major feature of the framework is the separation between provider certification and assessment approval.
NaCASP certification establishes that a provider satisfies the applicable requirements. It does not provide blanket approval for all assessment instruments produced by that provider.
Individual examination papers, question banks, mock examinations and other assessment instruments must be submitted to NaCCA for review.
This means that a provider cannot simply rely on its certification status when administering a new examination.
The assessment itself must go through the prescribed approval process before it is administered.
NaCCA has also stated that marking schemes must be submitted not later than one week after the assessment, according to the notice supplied for this report.
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The Three-Step Regulatory Principle
NaCCA has summarized the regulatory approach in a simple sequence:
CERTIFY THE PROVIDER → APPROVE THE ASSESSMENT → VERIFY BEFORE ADMINISTRATION
The first stage concerns the organisation or individual providing assessment services.
The second stage concerns the actual assessment instrument.
The third stage concerns verification before the approved assessment is administered.
This creates a system in which responsibility is considered at both the provider and assessment levels.
A provider cannot assume that certification removes the need for assessment approval. Similarly, an assessment cannot be administered simply because its producer has obtained certification.
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What Assessment Providers Must Do
NaCCA has directed affected and prospective providers to take several steps to prepare for compliance.
1. Review the Framework
Providers should obtain and study the National Assessment Service Provider Certification and Quality Assurance Framework and its annexes.
2. Assess Readiness
Providers should examine their current institutional, technical and operational arrangements against the requirements.
3. Complete the NaCASP Application Form
Eligible providers must complete the application form for NaCCA Certified Assessment Provider certification.
4. Provide Supporting Documents
Applicants must submit the supporting documentation required under the certification process.
5. Submit the Application to NaCCA
Completed applications and supporting materials must be submitted to NaCCA within the communicated period.
Providers should retain copies of submitted documents and carefully follow any additional instructions issued by the Council.
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How the Certification Process Will Work
Applications will undergo several stages before certification takes effect.
The process will include administrative screening, due diligence, technical assessment and verification.
These stages are designed to enable NaCCA to determine whether an applicant meets the applicable requirements.
Certification does not take effect merely because an application has been submitted. According to the notice, certification becomes effective following a formal decision by NaCCA.
Providers should therefore avoid representing themselves as certified before receiving the formal decision.
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Why NaCCA Is Regulating Assessment Providers
The framework is intended to safeguard several important characteristics of assessment.
NaCCA identifies quality, reliability, validity, fairness, inclusivity, security and integrity as key objectives of the regulatory system.
Quality assessment should measure the intended learning outcomes and provide dependable information about learners’ performance.
Reliability is also important because assessment results should be sufficiently consistent to support sound educational decisions.
Validity concerns whether an assessment actually measures what it is intended to measure. Fairness and inclusivity are equally important because assessment should not create unjustified barriers for particular groups of learners.
Security and integrity are especially important for examinations and standardized assessments because compromised materials can undermine confidence in results.
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What the New Framework Means for Mock Examination Providers
The new framework could have particular implications for organisations and individuals producing mock examinations for schools.
Mock examinations are widely used to help learners prepare for major assessments. They can also provide teachers and schools with information about areas in which learners require additional support.
Under the new regulatory arrangement described by NaCCA, providers operating within the scope of the framework will need to consider certification and assessment approval requirements.
Providers should therefore avoid assuming that an established reputation or long period of operation automatically satisfies the new requirements.
They should review the framework, determine their compliance position and follow the application process where certification is required.
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What Schools Should Know
Schools that purchase or administer external assessment materials should also pay attention to the new framework.
School authorities should establish whether assessment providers they engage fall within the scope of the certification requirements.
They should also verify whether assessment instruments have received the required NaCCA approval before administration.
This could become particularly important for schools using common mock examinations supplied by external organisations.
School administrators should retain relevant documentation and follow official NaCCA guidance as the framework moves from implementation into routine regulatory practice.
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EducateGhana Analysis
Educational Significance
Assessment is a central part of Ghana’s education system. It provides evidence about learner achievement and helps teachers and schools identify areas requiring attention.
A national quality assurance framework for assessment providers could strengthen confidence in externally produced assessment materials if the system is implemented consistently and transparently.
Policy Implications
The framework extends the regulatory role of NaCCA into an area involving private and institutional assessment providers.
It creates a clearer distinction between the organisation producing an assessment and the assessment instrument itself.
This distinction may also make accountability easier when concerns arise about the quality or administration of an assessment.
Implementation Considerations
The success of the framework will depend on clear requirements, accessible application procedures, reasonable processing timelines and effective communication with providers and schools.
NaCCA will also need sufficient technical capacity to review assessment instruments efficiently, particularly if the number of applications and examination papers is high.
Providers, for their part, will need to understand the requirements rather than treating certification as a purely administrative exercise.
Future Outlook
The framework could gradually change how mock examinations, standardized tests and other externally produced assessment materials are developed and used in Ghanaian pre-tertiary schools.
Its long-term effect will depend on enforcement, provider compliance and the consistency of NaCCA’s quality assurance processes.
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What Providers Should Do Now
Providers should begin by obtaining the official framework and reviewing the requirements applicable to their operations.
They should assess their capacity, prepare the required supporting documents and complete the NaCASP application where applicable.
They should also establish an internal process for ensuring that assessment instruments are submitted for approval before administration.
The transition to the new system should therefore be treated as a compliance and quality assurance exercise rather than simply an application for a certificate.
NaCCA has identified Dr Eric Amoah, Deputy Director-General, Technical Services, as the contact for enquiries. The telephone number provided in the notice is +233 24 623 6379.
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Why You Can Trust This Information
This article is based on the NaCCA notice dated August 17, 2026, signed by Prof. Samuel Ofori Bekoe, Director-General of NaCCA, as supplied for this report.
Readers and assessment providers should consult the official NaCCA framework, annexes, application forms and subsequent notices for the precise requirements, deadlines and procedures applicable to their circumstances.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What is NaCASP?
NaCASP refers to the NaCCA Certified Assessment Provider certification system for assessment service providers operating within the regulated pre-tertiary education space.
2. Who needs NaCASP certification?
Assessment providers covered by the framework, including relevant companies, publishers, consortia, professional associations, consultants and individuals supplying assessment services or materials to pre-tertiary schools, will need to comply with the certification requirements.
3. Does NaCASP certification approve an examination?
No. Provider certification and assessment approval are separate processes.
4. Must every assessment instrument be approved by NaCCA?
According to the notice supplied for this report, assessment instruments within the scope of the framework must be submitted to NaCCA for review and approval before administration.
5. Does the framework apply to mock examinations?
Yes, mock examinations supplied as assessment services or materials to pre-tertiary schools are among the activities identified in the notice.
6. Are question banks covered?
Question banks are identified among the assessment materials covered by the framework.
7. When should marking schemes be submitted?
The notice states that marking schemes must be submitted not later than one week after the assessment.
8. Can a provider operate without certification after the transition period?
NaCCA states that after the transitional period, providers covered by the framework will not be permitted to operate without NaCASP certification.
9. Can a certified provider administer any examination it produces?
No. Certification of the provider does not automatically approve individual assessment instruments.
10. Why has NaCCA introduced the framework?
The stated purpose is to safeguard the quality, reliability, validity, fairness, inclusivity, security and integrity of assessment within Ghana’s pre-tertiary education system.
11. How will applications be assessed?
The process will include administrative screening, due diligence, technical assessment and verification before a formal certification decision.
12. Where can providers obtain the framework and application forms?
The notice directs providers to the official NaCCA website at .
Conclusion
NaCCA’s new National Assessment Service Provider Certification and Quality Assurance Framework introduces a more formal regulatory structure for assessment providers serving Ghana’s pre-tertiary education sector.
The central principle is clear: the provider must be certified, the assessment must be approved, and the assessment must be verified before administration.
Organisations and individuals producing mock examinations, standardized tests, question banks and other assessment materials should review the framework carefully and prepare for compliance.
For schools, the development also means greater attention should be paid to the status of external assessment providers and the approval status of assessment instruments before they are administered to learners.
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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. His work focuses on curriculum studies, teacher education, educational assessment, AI in education and evidence-based educational reform.
Sources
- National Council for Curriculum and Assessment. (2026, August 17). National Assessment Service Provider Certification and Quality Assurance Framework. Notice signed by Prof. Samuel Ofori Bekoe, Director-General, NaCCA.
- Republic of Ghana. (2020). Education Regulatory Bodies Act, 2020 (Act 1023). Accra, Ghana.
