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About 50,000 BECE candidates miss 2026 SHS placement because they failed English and Maths
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About 50,000 candidates who sat for the 2026 Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) are expected to miss placement into senior high schools after failing to meet the required pass marks in English Language and Mathematics.
According to the Coordinator of the Computerised School Selection and Placement System (CSSPS), Sherif Sulemana, about 620,000 candidates wrote the 2026 BECE, with approximately 565,000 candidates successfully placed.
The placement results are expected to be announced on Friday, September 4, 2026.
Mr. Sulemana disclosed this during a radio interview on Joy FM on Wednesday morning, monitored by Graphic Online.
English and Mathematics remain compulsory
Mr. Sulemana explained that candidates must pass both English Language and Mathematics to qualify for placement, irrespective of their overall aggregate.
He noted that a candidate could obtain a good aggregate but still fail to secure placement if the candidate fails either English Language or Mathematics.
Changes to the placement process
The CSSPS Coordinator also announced some changes to the placement process, including the decentralisation of complaints centres and the introduction of digital admission downloads for candidates who secure placement.
Press Secretary and Spokesperson for the Minister of Education, Hashmin Mohammed, explained that the decision to decentralise the complaints centres was based on available resources.
He said extending the centres to the district level would have been ideal, but the Ministry would consider doing so if the regional arrangements proved insufficient.
He added that call centre lines would be provided to candidates in districts located far from their regional resolution centres.
No need to travel for admission letters
Mr. Mohammed further announced that candidates who are successfully placed would no longer have to travel to collect separate admission letters.
According to him, the admission letter will be included as part of the placement, making the process more convenient for candidates and their families.
Category A schools face massive oversubscription.
Meanwhile, Mr Sulemana highlighted the intense competition for places in Category A schools.
He cited Aburi Girls’ Senior High School and Achimota School as examples, explaining that the two schools had about 2,100 available vacancies combined but received more than 36,000 applications this year.
This means that approximately 34,000 candidates who selected the two schools as their preferred choices will have to compete for the limited available spaces when the CSSPS placement results are released on Friday.
The development is expected to intensify discussions about school selection, competition for Category A institutions and the need for parents and candidates to carefully consider their choices during the placement process.
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