Candidates who sat for this year’s Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) will be permitted to select a maximum of two Category A schools when applying for placement into Senior High Schools (SHSs) and Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions under the Computerised School Selection and Placement System (CSSPS).
The directive is contained in the 2026 SHS/TVET School Selection and CSSPS Placement Guide, jointly issued by the Ministry of Education, the Ghana Education Service (GES) and the Ghana TVET Service. The guide, released on August 3, 2026, outlines the procedures and requirements to ensure a smooth and transparent school placement process.
According to the guidelines, each candidate is required to select a total of eight schools in order of preference, indicating their preferred programme of study as well as whether they wish to be enrolled as a boarding or day student.
Under the new arrangement, candidates may choose no more than two Category A schools, up to three Category B schools, while the remaining three selections must come from Category C schools. The guide also makes it clear that candidates are not allowed to select the same school more than once.
The Ghana Education Service emphasized that placement into schools under the CSSPS is not determined solely by a candidate’s aggregate score. Instead, the automatic placement process considers several factors, including the candidate’s aggregate, programme of choice, boarding or day preference, and the availability of vacancies in the selected schools.
The GES has therefore advised candidates to carefully rank their schools, placing the institution they most desire as their first choice to improve the effectiveness of the placement process.
Regarding accommodation, candidates are allowed to select a maximum of five boarding schools and three day schools. They are also encouraged to choose day schools that are within reasonable travelling distance from their homes to ensure convenience and reduce transportation challenges.
Candidates who are successfully placed will receive a placement slip indicating their assigned school, programme of study, boarding or day status, and reporting date. They will be required to print the placement slip and present it during registration at their assigned schools.
Education authorities say the revised guidelines are intended to make the placement process more efficient, fair and transparent while giving every qualified BECE candidate an equal opportunity to secure admission into an SHS or TVET institution.
By Stephen Kwaku Owusu Mintah | Ahotoronline | Accra.
