GCE O Level and A Level in Cameroon: the Cameroon GCE Board
In the English-speaking subsystem, the two main secondary examinations are the General Certificate of Education Ordinary Level (GCE O Level), taken in Form Five after five years of secondary school, and the Advanced Level (A Level), taken in Upper Sixth after two years of high school. They are run by the Cameroon General Certificate of Education Board (GCE Board), based in Buea, which also runs the technical and vocational examinations (TVEE). In 2026, 208,741 candidates registered for its examinations.
Information checked on
At a glance
- Organiser
- Cameroon GCE Board, Buea (created by decree of 1 July 1993)
- O Level
- Form Five; 4 to 11 subjects
- A Level
- Upper Sixth; up to 5 subjects
- Technical exams
- TVE Intermediate Level and TVE Advanced Level
- 2026 session
- Written papers from 2 June; results on 21 August
- Candidates, 2026
- 208,741 registered (over 213,000 reported in 2025)
- Overall pass rate, 2026
- 67.88% (75.46% in 2025)
- Francophone counterpart
- BEPC (O Level), Baccalauréat (A Level)
The GCE Board, from London to Buea
According to the GCE Board's own history, schools in Southern Cameroons entered their pupils for the University of Cambridge examinations until 1954, then for the West African School Certificate; in 1963 West Cameroon switched to the University of London GCE, before the first session of a Cameroonian GCE in June 1977. Decree No. 93/172 of 1 July 1993 created a national board; it was installed in Buea on 25 October 1993 and held its first general education examinations in June 1994, followed by technical subjects in June 1995.
The Board's successive registrars were Azong Wara Andrew (1994-1997), Omer Weyi Yembe (1997-2006), Monono Ekema Humphrey (2006-2018) and Dang Akuh Dominic (2018-2023). In June 2026, Cameroon Tribune described Ndi Bernadette Frinwie Ntemna as interim registrar. The Board now operates under the 1998 education law and reorganisation decrees of 2018 and 2019.
The GCE Ordinary Level
The O Level is for pupils completing five years of secondary school. Candidates take at least 4 and at most 11 subjects (the eleventh being Religious Studies), out of 21 on offer; English, French and Mathematics are among the compulsory subjects, according to the Board. Most subjects have two papers and three have three; Paper 1 is always a fifty-question multiple-choice test. Food and Nutrition, Special Bilingual Education French and Computer Science include a practical.
The GCE Advanced Level
To enter for the A Level, candidates must in particular have passed at least four O Level subjects (Cameroon or London), or hold a qualification the Board deems equivalent. The A Level normally marks the end of Upper Sixth. Candidates take up to five subjects out of about twenty: accounting, biology, chemistry, economics, geography, geology, history, pure mathematics (with mechanics or statistics), further mathematics, physics, philosophy, computer science, ICT, literature in English, French and others.
| Fee | O Level | A Level |
|---|---|---|
| Registration | 8,000 CFA francs | 9,000 CFA francs |
| Per subject | 1,000 CFA francs | 2,000 CFA francs |
| Practical | 5,000 CFA francs | 5,000 CFA francs |
| Form G3 franking | 1,000 CFA francs | 1,000 CFA francs |
Technical examinations (TVEE)
The Board also runs the TVE Intermediate Level and the TVE Advanced Level. For the TVE Advanced Level, candidates must have been promoted to Upper Sixth and hold a CAP, BEPC, GCE O Level or equivalent, plus a technical Probatoire or technician's certificate. They take 6 to 8 subjects, including three professional subjects, each with three papers (MCQ, problem-solving or essay, practical). To pass, they need at least two professional and two related professional subjects. Specialities are commercial (accounting, marketing, secretarial work…) or industrial (22 fields, from motor vehicle construction to woodwork).
The 2026 session
| Exam | Sat | Passed | Pass rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| GCE O Level | 88,053 | 65,539 | 74.43% |
| GCE A Level | 69,947 | 43,211 | 61.78% |
| TVEE Intermediate | 27,775 | 16,804 | 60.50% |
| TVEE Advanced | 10,804 | 7,875 | 72.89% |
| All exams | 196,579 | 133,429 | 67.88% |
The written phase began at 8 a.m. on 2 June 2026. The Board strictly turned away latecomers (beyond 30 minutes) and installed surveillance cameras in some centres, according to Cameroon Tribune. Result slips are collected from registration centres.
Equivalence and recognition
In Cameroon, the O Level sits at the level of the BEPC (the Board accepts either for some registrations) and the A Level at the level of the Baccalauréat: they are the two main university entry qualifications. For Germany, a specialist guide says the A Level can be recognised as equivalent to the Abitur under conditions (three full subjects, good grades), whereas the Cameroonian Bac generally requires a Studienkolleg.
Frequently asked questions
How many subjects do you need for GCE O Level in Cameroon?
At least 4 and at most 11, out of 21 subjects offered by the GCE Board; English, French and Mathematics are compulsory.
What do you need to sit the GCE A Level?
A pass in at least four O Level subjects, or an equivalent qualification recognised by the Board; candidates can take up to five subjects.
How much does GCE registration cost?
According to the Board: 8,000 CFA francs plus 1,000 per subject for O Level, 9,000 plus 2,000 per subject for A Level, and 5,000 per practical.
When were the 2026 GCE results released?
On 21 August 2026, with an overall pass rate of 67.88%, down from 75.46% in 2025.
Where is the GCE Board based?
In Buea, in the South-West Region, where it was installed on 25 October 1993.
Is the Cameroon GCE A Level recognised abroad?
It can be: in Germany, an A Level with three full subjects and good grades can count as the Abitur, according to a Studienkolleg guide; rules vary by country and university.
Handle with care
The grading scale (A, B, C… for O Level, A to E for A Level), the subject pass mark and the number of subjects required for a certificate do not appear on the GCE Board pages consulted, so they are not detailed here. The TVE Intermediate Level page was unreachable. A third-party site (Temovision) publishes 2026 figures that differ from Cameroon Tribune's; only the latter are used.