More than 620,000 Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) graduates have begun selecting their preferred second-cycle schools under a new policy introduced by the Ministry of Education and the Ghana Education Service (GES), which allows candidates to choose schools only after the release of their examination results.
The new approach is intended to help students make informed choices based on their grades, reducing the likelihood of candidates selecting highly competitive schools they may not qualify for. Officials say the change is expected to improve the Computerised School Selection and Placement System (CSSPS) and minimise placement challenges experienced in previous years.
In the past, students selected their Senior High Schools (SHSs) and Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions before writing the BECE, a system that often resulted in oversubscription to Category A schools and left some candidates without placements.
Following the release of the 2026 BECE results by the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) last Saturday, parents, guardians and candidates have been visiting basic schools nationwide to complete the school selection exercise, which is expected to end on Friday.
A total of 620,243 candidates—comprising 304,415 males and 315,828 females from 20,789 schools—sat for this year’s BECE and are expected to gain admission into SHSs and TVET institutions for the 2026/2027 academic year.
According to the 2026 SHS/TVET School Selection and CSSPS Placement Guide issued by the Ministry of Education, GES and the Ghana TVET Service, candidates must select eight schools in order of preference. They may choose a maximum of two Category A schools, up to three Category B schools, while the remaining three selections must come from Category C schools.
Candidates are also required to indicate their preferred programmes and whether they wish to be enrolled as boarding or day students. The guidelines prohibit candidates from selecting the same school more than once.
GES has emphasised that placement under the CSSPS is not determined by aggregate scores alone. Other factors, including programme choice, boarding or day preference, and available vacancies, are considered during the automatic placement process.
Candidates may choose up to five boarding schools and three day schools, with GES advising students to select day schools within a reasonable distance from their homes. Successful candidates will receive placement slips indicating their assigned school, programme, residential status and reporting date.
School authorities have reported a smooth selection process. Janet Owusua, Headteacher of Awudome ‘1’ Junior High School, said nearly all candidates at her school had completed the exercise after parents were educated on the new system through online platforms and school guidance.
Educationist Isaac Bondzie of St. Augustine’s Anglican Basic School described the new policy as a positive step, saying it enables candidates to make realistic school choices based on their results.
The Executive Director of the Ghana National Council of Private Schools (GNACOPS), Enoch Kwesi Gyetuah, also confirmed that the exercise had been largely smooth across private schools, with no major concerns so far. He noted, however, that some candidates whose results have been withheld will have to resolve their issues directly with WAEC.
Parents have also welcomed the new process, describing it as straightforward and well organised, with many schools assisting families to complete the selection before details are uploaded to the GES portal ahead of Friday’s deadline.
