Introduction
The Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) is an exam taken by students in Ghana after completing three years of junior high school. The exam is administered by the West African Examination Council (WAEC) under the direction of the Ghana Education Service (GES) and the Ministry of Education. The exam is a critical step in the education system in Ghana, as the results determine whether students can advance to senior high, vocational or technical schools to continue their education.
The Grading System of the BECE
The WAEC BECE Grading System is a way to apply consistent measurements of various levels of accomplishment in a course. Candidates in Ghana are rated on a nine-point system, with Grade 1 denoting the highest achievement and Grade 9 denoting the lowest. The grades can be given as letters, a range, a percentage, or a number as a percentage of the total possible. A grade point average is calculated by averaging grades in several nations.
The Calculation of BECE Results
The BECE consists of multiple-choice, written, and continual internal assessment by the participating schools. Candidates in Ghana are rated on a nine-point system, with Grade 1 denoting the highest achievement and Grade 9 denoting the lowest. The final results are determined by how well candidates performed on the written and objective of the external examinations as well as by the schools’ Continuous (Internal) Assessment marks.
After marking and collating all of the results, WAEC releases the results of every candidate who took the exam. Typically, two to three months following the exam, the results are made public. Candidates’ actual grades are determined by averaging their exam results and continuous assessment scores that their schools submitted to WAEC for each subject. The total raw score is then determined by the examination body using the combined grades from the four core courses (English, Integrated Science, Mathematics and Social Studies) as well as the top two grades from the remaining courses. The total grade one gets from these six will determine one’s school of placement.
Grade Points and Ranges
The grades in your BECE results have a corresponding range as follows:
- Grade 1: corresponds to the range of 90 – 100, which is excellent.
- Grade 2: corresponds to the range of 80 – 89.
- Grade 3: corresponds to the range of 70 -79.
- Grade 4: corresponds to the range of 60 – 69.
- Grade 5: corresponds to the range of 55 – 60.
- Grade 6: corresponds to the range of 50 – 54.
- Grade 7: corresponds to the range of 40 – 49.
- Grade 8: corresponds to the range of 35 – 39.
- Grade 9: corresponds to the range of 0 – 34, which is fail.
It is essential to note that a better grade in the BECE increases one’s chances of being admitted to the school of choice. The GES employs the Computerized School Selection and Placement System (CSSPS) to enroll students in schools across the country.
Conclusion
The BECE results determine whether students in Ghana can advance to senior high, vocational or technical schools, making the exam a critical step in the education system in Ghana. This article has provided a brief summary of how the BECE results are graded. It is pertinent for students to put in as much effort as possible to get good grades in the final exam to increase their chances of being admitted to the school of their choice.