Also known as: BECE · 2026 BECE · 2025 BECE · 2026 Basic Education Certificate Examination · 2025 Basic Education Certificate Examination · B.E.C.E · 2027 BECE · BECE 2026
Verbatim sentences from the source article.
Joy Online
About 55,000 candidates who sat the 2026 Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) will not qualify for placement into second-cycle institutions after failing either English Language or Mathematics. …
55,000 BECE candidates to miss SHS placement after failing English or Mathematics — CSSPSJoy Online
Executive Director of the Institute for Education Studies (IFEST), Dr Peter Partey Anti, has described the Stanine Grading System used for the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) as conceptually appropriate for second-cycle school placement. …
Stanine grading system is appropriate for BECE placement but needs review – IFESTJoy Online
The Campaign Against Privatisation and Commercialisation of Education (CAPCOE) has rejected claims that candidates from private schools were deliberately marked down in the 2026 Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE). …
CAPCOE rejects claims of deliberate bias against private schools in 2026 BECEJoy Online
… The BECE Paradox WAEC states explicitly that BECE candidates are graded using the stanine (STAndard NINE), a method of scaling test scores on a nine-point standard scale with a mean of 5 and a standard deviation of 2. …
Rethinking assessment, achievement and ranking in Ghanaian educationJoy Online
The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) says it applies the same marking schemes and grading systems to candidates in public and private schools who sit the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE). …
WAEC denies separate grading system for public, private schoolsJoy Online
The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has firmly denied allegations that candidates from private schools are disadvantaged in the marking of the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE), insisting that its assessment procedures are transparent, objective and applied …
WAEC dismisses claims of bias against private school BECE candidatesJoy Online
The Ghana National Association of Teachers (GNAT) has called on parents, candidates and other education stakeholders to remain calm following the release of the 2026 Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) results. …
GNAT urges calm over BECE results, asks dissatisfied candidates to petition WAECJoy Online
The Ghana National Association of Private Schools (GNAPS) has raised concerns over alleged discrepancies in the provisional results of the 2026 Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE). …
Association of Private schools accuse WAEC of ‘serious discrepancies’ in 2026 BECE gradesJoy Online
The Ghana National Council of Private Schools (GNACOPS) has called on the Ministry of Education to intervene and establish an independent review committee to assess the marking of the 2026 Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE). …
Private schools accuse WAEC of ‘unfair marking’, demand independent review of 2026 BECE resultsJoy Online
The General Secretary of the Ghana National Association of Private Schools (GNAPS), Justice King Essiel, has questioned the transparency of the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) grading system, arguing that the continued use of norm-referenced assessment is inconsist …
GNAPS calls for transparent standards-based BECE grading instead of norm-referenced assessmentEduWatch Executive Director Kofi Asare disputes claims that examination malpractice is declining, presenting data showing the rate increased from about 0.9% in 2018 to 13.5% in 2024 and 14.8% in 2025, with the trend continuing to worsen.
15 September 2026 · Joy Online →
EduWatch Executive Director Kofi Asare disputes claims that examination malpractice is declining, presenting data showing the rate increased from about 0.9% in 2018 to 13.5% in 2024 and 14.8% in 2025, with the trend continuing to worsen.
15 September 2026 · Joy Online →
Of 604,567 BECE candidates who qualified for placement in 2026, 527,932 (87.32%) were automatically placed into senior high schools, the highest rate since at least 2021, up from 81.96% in 2025. The proportion of candidates requiring self-placement has declined from 33.77% in 2021 to 8.91% as of mid-September 2026.
12 September 2026 · Joy Online →
A parent whose daughter obtained an aggregate 9 in the Basic Education Certificate Examination remains without Senior High School placement through the computerised system and says the uncertainty pushed him to consider paying GH¢10,000 to secure admission privately, though he was allegedly asked for GH¢15,000 instead.
11 September 2026 · Joy Online →
About 55,000 children failed to enter Senior House after failing Mathematics or English in the BECE (Basic Education Certificate Examination). The Chronicle's reflective piece questions not just the children's performance but the responsibility of the education system, teachers, and policymakers in identifying and addressing when students first began falling behind.
11 September 2026 · The Chronicle →
Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin called for an honest national conversation on Ghana's education system, citing concerns over WAEC exam results and JHS placement challenges. He noted 183,233 students completed secondary education without a credit in Core Mathematics, English Language credit pass rates fell to 62.40 percent (lowest in four years), and 54,985 BECE candidates were initially denied automatic placement into SHS.
10 September 2026 · Daily Guide →
The Chronicle editorial argues that Ghana's Computerised School Selection and Placement System (CSSPS), while intended to improve transparency and efficiency, continues to generate considerable confusion and frustration during annual school placement exercises despite technological improvements. The number of BECE candidates has been rising in recent years.
10 September 2026 · The Chronicle →
The New Patriotic Party has called for a national conversation on education, citing 183,233 students who completed secondary school without a credit pass in Core Mathematics, an English Language credit pass rate of 62.40 per cent (its lowest in four years), and allegations that 54,985 BECE candidates were initially denied automatic placement despite reported vacancies.
9 September 2026 · The Ghanaian Times →
Angel Carbonu, former NAGRAT president, has warned that more than 54,000 candidates not placed in public SHSs or TVET institutions under the 2026 Free SHS/TVET programme could end up on the streets without another opportunity, cautioning that the situation carries serious social consequences, particularly for candidates from poor backgrounds.
9 September 2026 · Joy Online →
The National Council of Parent-Teacher Associations has demanded an independent technical review of the 2026 BECE assessment and results processing, including examination of marking, moderation, score processing, grade conversion, and the integrity of the electronic system. The council's General Secretary said the objective is to strengthen public confidence in WAEC and that the grading system should be clearly explained to parents and schools.
8 September 2026 · Joy Online →
Parents and candidates seeking to resolve issues with senior high school placements through the Computerised School Selection and Placement System are calling for additional resolution centres in Greater Accra, citing long queues and hours of waiting at the single National Placement Resolution Centre at GNAT Hall.
8 September 2026 · Joy Online →
Hopeson Adorye, director of field operations of the United Party, has blamed the abolition of corporal punishment in schools for declining academic performance in BECE and WASSCE exams, arguing that the loss of disciplinary measures has weakened pupil discipline. He also cited inadequate supervision in public schools, where some teachers allegedly spend instructional time on phones rather than teaching, and called for stronger oversight in the education system.
8 September 2026 · Joy Online →
The Ghana Education Service says there are about 800,000 available class vacancies in senior high schools against approximately 637,328 qualifying candidates, and 87.3% of qualified students have already been automatically placed. The GES notes that the challenge is driven by high demand for Category A schools, where more than 318,000 candidates seek approximately 76,000 available vacancies.
7 September 2026 · Joy Online →
Ghana's weak performance in English and Mathematics examinations reflects persistent literacy and numeracy challenges in the education system, particularly at basic education level, according to the Executive Director of the Institute for Education Studies. About 55,000 BECE candidates failed to progress because they did not qualify in English Language, Mathematics, or both subjects.
7 September 2026 · Joy Online →
Tensions are mounting at the National Placement Resolution Centre in Accra as parents and candidates crowd the facility seeking solutions to placement issues with the Computerised School Selection and Placement System. The Ministry of Education clarified that 54,985 candidates who obtained Grade 9 in either English Language or Mathematics in the 2026 BECE have not been disqualified and are eligible to use the self-placement process to select from schools with available vacancies.
7 September 2026 · Joy Online →
The Education Ministry said 313,283 candidates selected Category A schools as their first choice during the 2026 Computerised School Selection and Placement System exercise, despite only 76,417 vacancies in that category; the ministry noted that overall 859,828 vacancies were declared nationwide, but demand concentrated heavily on the most subscribed schools such as Achimota and Presec.
7 September 2026 · Joy Online →
The Ministry of Education released 2026 CSSPS results, with 527,932 candidates securing placement in secondary and technical institutions—a 87.3% placement rate of the 604,567 qualified candidates. The ministry attributed the placement rate to a mismatch between candidates' school preferences and available vacancies across the system.
7 September 2026 · Joy Online →
The Conference of Heads of Private Second-Cycle Schools says accredited private institutions are ready to admit 54,985 candidates who were not placed in public Senior High Schools following the 2026 BECE, urging them not to abandon their educational goals and noting that private schools have long provided quality education and support.
4 September 2026 · Joy Online →
Approximately 107,000 candidates who sat the 2026 Basic Education Certificate Examination obtained aggregates ranging from six to 18, representing about 17 per cent of the estimated 620,000 candidates who took the exam, according to the Computerised School Selection and Placement System. The CSSPS identified approximately 565,000 candidates as eligible for placement, while those who failed either English Language or Mathematics were excluded from the process.
3 September 2026 · Joy Online →
About 252,000 of approximately 620,000 candidates who sat the 2026 Basic Education Certificate Examination achieved aggregates between 6 and 24, according to the Computerised School Selection and Placement System. Of the candidates, about 565,000 qualified for placement, with approximately 55,000 expected to be excluded because they failed either English Language or Mathematics.
3 September 2026 · Joy Online →
The Computerised School Selection and Placement System reported that 17 per cent of the 620,000 candidates who sat the 2026 Basic Education Certificate Examination obtained aggregates of 6–18, translating to approximately 107,000 candidates. About 565,000 candidates qualified for placement into second-cycle institutions while approximately 55,000 will not be placed.
3 September 2026 · Joy Online →
About 55,000 candidates who sat the 2026 BECE will not qualify for placement into second-cycle institutions after failing either English Language or Mathematics, according to the Coordinator of the Computerised School Selection and Placement System. The CSSPS reported that approximately 565,000 out of 620,000 candidates qualified for placement.
3 September 2026 · Joy Online →
The Institute for Education Studies executive director says the Stanine Grading System used for BECE placement is conceptually appropriate because it enables fair comparison and ranking of candidates for limited school places, though he argues for periodic evaluation of its effectiveness and consideration of more precise scoring methods.
27 August 2026 · Joy Online →
The Campaign Against Privatisation and Commercialisation of Education has rejected allegations that private school candidates were deliberately marked down in the 2026 BECE, describing such claims as misleading and cautioning that they could undermine public confidence in the examination system. CAPCOE said the marking process involves multiple quality-assurance layers and noted that candidates' schools are identified by codes rather than names on scripts.
14 August 2026 · Joy Online →
An opinion piece argues that while ranking has a legitimate place in competitive selection, the primary purpose of education should be to identify whether students have achieved learning standards, not merely to rank them against each other.
7 August 2026 · Joy Online →
The West African Examinations Council says it applies the same marking schemes and grading systems to all candidates in public and private schools for the BECE, with grades determined by individual performance under uniform procedures. The denial comes after Ghana National Council of Private Schools raised concerns over 2026 results, alleging private schools were deliberately awarded poor grades, which WAEC described as false and without factual basis.
7 August 2026 · Joy Online →
The West African Examinations Council has firmly denied allegations that candidates from private schools are disadvantaged in marking the Basic Education Certificate Examination, insisting that its assessment procedures are transparent, objective and applied uniformly to every candidate. The response follows concerns raised by the Ghana National Association of Private Schools over provisional 2026 BECE results and alleged grading irregularities.
6 August 2026 · Joy Online →
The Ghana National Association of Teachers has called on parents, candidates and education stakeholders to remain calm following the release of the 2026 BECE results, urging those with concerns to file formal petitions to WAEC rather than make public allegations. GNAT also cautioned against placing excessive pressure on examination candidates, warning that portraying exams as life-or-death matters could have serious emotional and psychological consequences.
6 August 2026 · Joy Online →
The Ghana National Association of Private Schools has reported alleged discrepancies in the provisional 2026 BECE results, including grades awarded for subjects candidates did not register for or write, and results inconsistent with known academic performance. GNAPS called on WAEC to urgently audit and reconcile affected results, attributing the issues to administrative and technical failures in result processing rather than examination malpractice.
5 August 2026 · Joy Online →
The Ghana National Council of Private Schools (GNACOPS) has called on the Ministry of Education to establish an independent review committee to assess the marking of the 2026 BECE, claiming candidates from private schools were "unfairly marked" compared to public school peers. The council says more than 14,000 private schools have expressed concern and plans to present a petition to the Education Minister alongside affected students and parents.
4 August 2026 · Joy Online →
The General Secretary of the Ghana National Association of Private Schools has called for transparent standards-based grading for the Basic Education Certificate Examination, arguing that the current norm-referenced assessment system ranks candidates against peers rather than measuring them against fixed performance standards, which conflicts with Ghana's education reforms that now expect all children to progress to the next educational level.
4 August 2026 · Joy Online →