Accra: The Government has opened the self-placement system to Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) candidates who obtained a score of nine in either English Language or Mathematics, or in both subjects. This initiative aims to provide an alternative pathway for candidates whose examination results did not meet the criteria for automatic placement.
According to Ghana News Agency, Dr. Clement Abass Apaak, the Deputy Minister of Education, announced the move on Monday during a press briefing on the 2026 BECE placement into second cycle schools. He stated that 57,259 candidates did not receive automatic placement based on their examination results. Among these, 35,382 candidates scored nine in either English Language or Mathematics, while 18,505 candidates scored nine in both subjects. These candidates will now be allowed to use the self-placement portal to select schools and programs with available vacancies.
Dr. Apaak encouraged the affected candidates and their parents not to lose hope but to take advantage of the available opportunities. He added that a separate arrangement has been made for 3,372 candidates whose results are currently unavailable. These candidates will not be placed at this stage but will be given another opportunity to re-sit the examination to enable them to progress along the educational pathway.
The decision, Dr. Apaak noted, aims to ensure that young people are not unnecessarily left behind while maintaining the integrity of the examination and placement systems. 'The self-placement portal is already live, with candidates advised to consider the full range of available public and private schools, Senior High Technical Schools, and technical and vocational institutions,' he said.
This announcement coincides with the release of the 2026 CSSPS results by the Ministry, under which 527,932 out of 604,567 qualified candidates have so far been placed in secondary, technical, and vocational institutions.