Over 620,000 BECE graduates have begun selecting their senior high schools under a new process introduced by the Ministry of Education and the Ghana Education Service (GES) — for the first time allowing students to choose schools after their results are released.
Why the Selection Process Changed
Previously, candidates selected their preferred senior high and technical schools before sitting the BECE. The new approach is designed to:
- Help students choose schools based on their actual grades
- Prevent oversubscription of top Category A schools by students with uncompetitive grades
- Reduce the number of students left unplaced, who previously had to converge on chaotic resolution centres
- Cut down on self-placement as a workaround
The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) released the 2026 BECE results last Saturday, officially kicking off the selection window. A total of 620,243 candidates — 304,415 males and 315,828 females — from 20,789 schools sat the exam.
Check out: WAEC Releases 2026 BECE Results
Key CSSPS Selection Guidelines
Per the 2026 SHS/TVET School Selection and CSSPS Placement Guide, released jointly by the Ministry of Education, GES, and the Ghana TVET Service, candidates must follow these rules:
- Select eight schools in order of preference
- Choose a maximum of two Category A schools
- Choose up to three Category B schools
- Fill the remaining three choices from Category C schools
- No school can be selected more than once
- Indicate preferred programme and whether they want to board or day
- Select a maximum of five boarding schools and three day schools
Students are also advised to choose day schools within a reasonable travel distance from home.
Placement Isn’t Based on Grades Alone
The GES clarified that automatic placement under CSSPS considers more than just a candidate’s aggregate. Other factors include:
- Programme of choice
- Boarding or day preference
- Availability of vacancies
“Your aggregate is important, but it is not the only factor,” the guidelines state, advising candidates to rank their first-choice school as the one they most want to attend.
Placement Slip and Reporting
Successfully placed candidates will receive a placement slip showing their:
- Assigned school
- Programme
- Boarding or day status
- Reporting date
Candidates are required to print this slip and present it when reporting to their assigned school.
How the Exercise Is Going So Far
Feedback from schools and stakeholders has been largely positive:
- At Awudome ‘1’ Junior High School, headteacher Janet Owusua said only one candidate remained to complete selection as of 2 p.m., crediting a platform their computing teacher created to guide parents through the process.
- Educationist Isaac Bondzie of St Augustine’s Anglican Basic School said selecting schools after results are released helps candidates make better-informed choices.
- Enoch Kwesi Gyetuah, Executive Director of the Ghana National Council of Private Schools (GNACOPS), said the process has been smooth across institutions, with no major issues reported so far.
- Parents interviewed, including Shirley and Atta Quartey, said they were able to complete the selection process for their children without difficulty.
Selection Process Timeline
The selection exercise began last Monday and is scheduled to end on Friday, with the GES portal opening Friday for schools to upload selection details.
