The Ghana Education Service (GES) has introduced new guidelines for the 2026 Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) school selection process, with reforms designed to improve placement opportunities and ease competition for highly demanded schools.
Under the revised system, all 2026 BECE candidates will be required to select eight Senior High Schools (SHSs) or Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions during the selection exercise.
A major change announced by GES is the compulsory selection of two Category A schools by every candidate. As part of the new requirements, students must choose:
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One Category A boarding school
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One Category A day school within their district
GES said the new arrangement is intended to create a balanced school selection process and increase candidates’ chances of gaining admission through the Computerised School Selection and Placement System (CSSPS).
School Selection Structure
The Ghana Education Service further explained how candidates must distribute their school choices across the different categories.
According to the guidelines, candidates will not be allowed to make changes after their school choices have been submitted.
GES stated that:
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Candidates cannot select more than two schools from Category A
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Candidates cannot choose more than two schools from Category B
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Candidates can select all six schools from Category C if they comply with the approved boarding and day school structure
The Service noted that the reforms are part of efforts to improve fairness and efficiency in the placement system.
Guidelines for TVET and STEM Students
Students who intend to pursue Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) programmes have been encouraged to choose only TVET institutions from Categories A, B, and C while following the approved selection format.
GES also advised candidates interested in careers such as:
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Engineering
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Medicine
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Physical Sciences
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Aviation
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Astronautics
to select STEM and science-related programmes across all six main school choices within Categories A, B, and C as either boarding or day options.
Compulsory Day School Requirement
The Ghana Education Service has further directed that at least one selected school must be a day school located within 16 kilometres of the candidate’s Junior High School.
According to GES, the policy is aimed at improving access to secondary education and reducing accommodation and transportation difficulties for both students and parents.
The revised BECE 2026 school selection guidelines form part of broader reforms by GES to streamline the CSSPS placement system, ensure equitable placement, and reduce congestion in top-performing Senior High Schools.
Parents, candidates, and school authorities have therefore been urged to carefully review the various school categories before submitting their selections to avoid errors that could affect final placement outcomes.