Sahel EDU

How to prepare the candidate list for official exams, without errors or omissions

The candidate list is the most sensitive document of the school year: a misspelt name, a wrongly chosen stream or a forgotten student is paid for when the certificate arrives. The method has three stages: gather and check each candidate’s data, submit the files according to the examining body’s instructions, then re-read the provisional lists with families before the final list. The instructions change every year: always read those of the session.

Why this list demands so much care

The surname, first names, date and place of birth appear on the certificate, and a certificate that is hard to correct follows its holder for life. Recent instructions also recall that only a candidate on the final list may sit the exam, and that negligence or fraud by a school may be penalised.

The head of school is responsible for the accuracy of the list submitted. It is better to spend two weeks re-reading than two months correcting after the results.

  • A certificate carries exactly what was declared at registration.
  • A candidate missing from the final list cannot sit the exam.
  • Civil status errors are hard to correct afterwards.
  • Responsibility for the list lies with the head of school.

The data to check for each candidate

Start from the birth certificate, not from the student’s memory or last year’s report card. Each field is compared with the document, letter by letter.

The documents required vary by exam and session. According to the instructions we consulted, they recurrently include the birth certificate, the student’s unique identifier or number and identity photos in a precise format.

  • Surname and first names written exactly as on the birth certificate.
  • Date and place of birth, and sex.
  • The student’s unique number or identifier.
  • An identity photo in the format requested, recent and clear.
  • Stream, specialty or option, and working language.
  • The candidate’s status: regular, private or evening classes.
  • Phone number of the school and of the candidate, when the file asks for it.

Who can be registered, and in which class

Regular candidates are the students of the school’s exam class. A student properly enrolled in the class does not sit as a private candidate, and a double registration must be declared within the deadlines, failing which it may be treated as fraud.

Also check the conditions specific to each exam: age limit, prior certificate for some technical streams, the classes concerned.

  • The class list of the exam class, by stream, as the starting point.
  • A check of age and prior certificate when the exam requires one.
  • No regular student registered as a private candidate.
  • Double registration declared before the deadline.

The platforms and the files to submit

Each body has its own procedure. For the baccalaureate, the probatoire and the technical certificate, the baccalaureate board (OBC) uses the Epim’Exams platform. For the BEPC (first-cycle secondary certificate) and the CAP (vocational certificate), the ministry’s examinations directorate (DECC) uses the Spider platform. For the GCE, the GCE Board has its own registration arrangements by centre.

The named lists are sorted by exam, stream and working language, then checked against your class lists before submission. Registration fees are paid to the examining body through its own channels, not to the school.

  • Read the session’s notice before any entry.
  • Enter or submit through the route set for the exam concerned.
  • Check the lists against the class lists.
  • Respect the submission deadlines, which change every year.
  • Keep the receipt issued at registration.

Provisional lists, corrections and the final list

After submission, the body sends back provisional lists. Post them in the school and have each line checked by the family, who sign a verification sheet. A misspelt name reported at this stage can still be corrected.

At the slightest doubt, ask for the correction provided for in the instructions before closing. Beyond that, correction becomes slow and uncertain.

  • Provisional lists posted in the school.
  • A verification sheet signed by each candidate’s family.
  • A list of the errors found and the corrections requested.
  • The correction request submitted within the deadline.
  • The final list checked line by line.

With Sahel EDU: the candidate file and files to check

Sahel EDU keeps the exact list of students in each exam class and flags what is missing: birth certificates to regularise, unique number absent. It tracks the candidate’s status, the reference of the official receipt for the exam fees and, for technical streams, work placements and their forms. It produces the verification sheet signed by the family and the certificate of success after the results.

It prepares candidate files following the exchange templates of the platforms (Epim’Exams, Spider, GCE Board), marked as to be checked against the official file. The photo is taken live from the phone, cropped and locked once saved, with a count of the share of students without a photo.

Sahel EDU does not replace the official registration, which remains the State’s, and transmits nothing automatically: the school checks its files and then submits them itself.

Read also: Exam classes: BEPC, probatoire, Bac and GCE · Student ID Card with Photo: Issue and Verify It

  • The exact list of students in the exam class.
  • Birth certificates to regularise and missing unique number flagged.
  • Candidate files “to be checked against the official file”.
  • Candidate status and the reference of the official fee receipt.
  • Verification sheet signed by the family.
  • Quick photo taken on the phone, with tracking of missing photos.

Frequently asked questions

When should preparation of the candidate list begin?

From the start of the year for exam classes: checking birth certificates and numbers at the start avoids a scramble for documents at submission time.

What should be done about a student whose birth certificate cannot be found?

Start the regularisation process with the civil registry as soon as possible. Sahel EDU flags these files so that the school does not discover them the day before submission.

Does Sahel EDU register candidates with the examining body?

No. It prepares files to be checked against the official file, and the school submits them. The official registration remains the State’s.

Are exam fees paid to the school?

No, they are paid to the examining body under its own arrangements. Sahel EDU only records the reference of the official receipt.

Can I try this preparation on my exam classes?

Yes. The free trial lasts 30 days, with no commitment. The price is then negotiated with each school and can be read on the Pricing page.

Try Sahel EDU for free

Try Sahel EDU free for 30 days, no commitment. Afterwards, the price is negotiated with your school and confirmed in writing.

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