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Understanding the Organizational Structure of the Cameroon GCE Board.

Organizational Set-Up of the Cameroon GCE Board

The Cameroon General Certificate of Education Board is a Para public establishment of an administrative nature created by the Decree Nº: 93/172 of 1st July 1993 as amended by Decree Nº: 07/45 of 5th March 1997. It is placed under the tutelage of the Minister in Charge of Secondary Education.

The Mission of the Board is as provided in Article 3 of Decree Nº: 93/172 as amended by Decree Nº: 97/145 and completed by Prime Minister’s Order Nº:112/CAB/PM of 12th October 1993. In brief, the Mission is to organize the following examinations:

  • The General Certificate of Education, (General Subjects ) Ordinary Level
  • The General Certificate of Education, (General Subjects ) Advanced Level
  • The General Certificate of Education, (Technical Subjects ) Ordinary Level
  • The General Certificate of Education, (Technical Subjects )         Advanced Level
  • For foreign Examinations

The administrative  and financial organization of the Board is as stipulated in the Prime Minister’s Order Nº: 112/CAB/PM of 12th October 1993 referred to above.

By that order, the Council is the Supreme governing organ of the Board. It is charged with the general control and superintendence of policy, finance and property of the Board. The Chairperson of the Board is also the chairperson of the Council. Other members are:

The Vice Chancellor of the university of Buea or his representative;

  • 1 representative of the Presidency of the Republic;
  • 1 representative of the Prime Minister’s Office;
  • 1 representative of the Minister in Charge of Higher Education;
  • 1 representative of the Minister in Charge of Finance;
  • 2 inspectors of pedagogy (one for Secondary General Education and the other for Secondary Technical Education);
  • The Director of Examinations in the Ministry in Charge of Secondary Education or his Deputy;
  • 2 representatives of parents;
  • 4 representatives of organizations of private education.

Representatives of parents, teachers and private education are elected for a period of 3 (three) years renewable.

1.1 Organizational Chart of the Cameroon GCE Board.

1.2 Facilities at the Cameroon GCE Board

The Cameroon GCE Board fully recognizes the Central role that information Technology (IT) plays in meeting the current and future requirements of the Board and its clients. Based on this recognition, the Board has made significant investment in desktop machines, printers and software for handling its examination processes. This section of the publication highlights some of these facilities.

1.2.1 The optical mark reader machines

The Cameroon GCE Board has invested in Optical Mark Reader (OMR) technology to capture and score responses on appropriate OMR forms. The technology equally offers a comprehensive array of analysis and reporting procedures. The Board has the following range of OMR scanner from Data Research Services (DRS) in Milton Keynes in the UK for fast and efficient processing of examination tasks.

These machines are capable of reading more than 7.500, {4 sheets (recto-verso) an hour. The PS900 captures both OMR data and photographs. The Board recently acquired the latest version, PS900 IM2.

1.2.2 Sale of past question papers and examination syllabuses

 Past examination question papers are available at the Service for library and Documentation of the GCE Board and the Bamenda Regional Office at moderate prices. The actual cost of each question paper depends on its volume.

Regulations and syllabuses for General Education subjects application as from June 2009 are available at the cost of 5.000FCFA. Single subject syllabuses are available for GCE Technical Education subjects and the cost depends on the volume of the particular subject syllabus’ 

1.2.3 Other services to the Public

The Board issues duplicate certificates where there is evidence of loss or damage of a certificate that was issued by the Board. Confirmation and authenticity of candidate results are issued to institutions for various purposes. The Board also issues attestations of English Language Proficiency to candidates. The feed charged for these services can be consulted at the service of library and documentation.

1.2.4 Visually impaired candidates

The number of visually impaired candidates registering for the GCE examinations is on the increase. This generates a special challenge for the Board because organizing examinations for visually impaired candidates requires not only special conditions but also special equipment, materials and personnel. The challenge is particularly heightened as the Board, lacks the appropriate personnel, equipment and materials and so has to manage to organize the examinations for these category of candidates under very difficult conditions.

1.2.5 Fighting Examination Malpractice

Another important challenge facing the Board is the fight against examination malpractice. It is a cardinal principle in the science of educational assessment that any act of examination malpractice that successfully goes unchecked, diminishes the credibility of the results and the resultant certificates. That principle challenges the Board to step up its fight against examination malpractice.