In Ghana, BECE is a big deal and this is due to the fact that it is an examination that sees to it that a student gets the best second-cycle institution to attend.
The full meaning of BECE is Basic Education Certificate Examinations and it is written to mark the completion of a student’s Junior High School education.
Previously, it was written in April, however, due to the devastating effects of Coronavirus (COVID-19), the examination is now written in November.
Prior to the examinations, the students choose the second cycle schools of their choice that they wish to attend.
When Is The BECE School Placement Coming Out
As mentioned earlier, the examinations are conducted in November and the results are mostly released between January and February. To make parents prepare adequately in order to take their wards to school, the Basic Education Certification Examinations (BECE) school placement is released in March and to be precise, the second week in March.
How BECE school placements are done
Well, the placement is done in a way that the brightest and smartest students are placed in the top ranking schools – mostly known as the category A and category B schools. During the selection of school, the student is able to choose five schools and the criteria for choosing the schools are;
- First Choice – this should be a school in the category A list
- Second Choice – this should be a school in the category B list
- Third Choice – these are schools in the Category C list
- Fourth and Fifth choice – these are schools in the Category D list. These schools are normally referred to as less-endowed schools.
Placements of students in schools are highly dependent on the grade the student attained in the examinations.
The grades are categorized into four and these are;
- Grade 6 – Grade 10: A student who falls within this range is likely to get his or her first choice school
- Grade 11 – Grade 20: A student who gets a grade within this range is likely to be placed in his or her second choice school
- Grade 21 – Grade 29: Be sure to get your third or fourth choice school if your grade falls in this region
- Grades above 30 – Definitely this is not a good grade, and this will ensure you end up in your fifth choice school which you might not love.
How BECE grades are calculated
BECE grades are calculated using the scores that a student gets in the subjects he or she took during the examination. The grades of six subjects are used to calculate the overall grade of a student and these subjects are English Language, Mathematics, Integrated Science, Social Studies, and any other two subjects that the student performed well.