Key takeaways
- The BECE grading system uses a nine-point scale, with Grade 1 being the highest and Grade 9 being the lowest.
- Your overall BECE score is made up of 30% continuous assessment from your school and 70% BECE examination score.
- The new grading system requires a 90-100% score for Grade 1, compared to the old system’s 80-100%.
The Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) is a milestone for students in Junior High Schools in Ghana. It marks the end of your basic education and determines your admission into Senior High School or technical institute.
What is the BECE grading system?
The BECE grading system uses numbers as grades to assess your performance in the various subjects after your basic education. It’s a nine-point scale, with grades 1 being the highest and 9 being the lowest.
BECE grading system for 2024
The West African Examination Council (WAEC) assigns grades from 1 to 9 based on your performance:
- Grades 1–3 show a perfect understanding of the subject.
- Grades 4–6 mean you have a reasonable and fair understanding of the subject.
- Grades 7–9 show a developing understanding of the subject; it’s not necessarily a failure.
Here’s the detailed breakdown:
Score (percentage) | Grade | Grade interpretation |
90–100 | 1 | Highest |
80–89 | 2 | Higher |
70–79 | 3 | High |
60–69 | 4 | High Average |
55–59 | 5 | Average |
50–54 | 6 | Low Average |
40–49 | 7 | Low |
35–39 | 8 | Lower |
0–34 | 9 | Lowest |
Further research suggests that WAEC uses the Standard Nine (Stanine) grading system where applicable. This grading system is also a nine-point scale. It compares your performance with your colleagues.
The top 4% of candidates get Grade 1, the next 7% get Grade 2, and so on. This means you can score 90% in a subject and still get Grade 2 if your score is not in the top 4%. Here is an illustration of how the stanine grading system works:
Stanine score | Proportion of students |
1 | Top 4% |
2 | Next 7% |
3 | Next 12% |
4 | Next 17% |
5 | Next 20% |
6 | Next 17% |
7 | Next 12% |
8 | Next 7% |
9 | Lowest 4% |
How does the BECE grading system work?
Your BECE results determine two things:
- Admission to Senior High School (SHS).
- The category of the school you will be placed in.
To pass your BECE, you must get at least an aggregate of thirty-six (36). Your total score or aggregate comes from six subjects you did best in out of all the subjects you took in the exams. The subjects are divided into:
- Mandatory subjects: English Language, Mathematics, General Science, Social Studies, Religious and Moral Education, Career Technology, and Creative Arts and Design.
- Elective subjects: The Ghanaian Languages (based on what you studied in your school).
- Optional subjects: French, Arabic, and Computing.
To calculate your aggregate, sum your best three core subjects (English, Science, Social Studies, or Mathematics) and any other three subjects under the elective, mandatory, or optional category in which you performed best.
Note: Continuous assessment during junior high school also contributes to your final grades, including class tests, assignments, and end-of-term exams. It accounts for 30% of the final BECE scores.
Old vs. new BECE grading system
The BECE grading system in Ghana has changed over time. The old system used different percentage ranges and grade interpretations. To get Grade 1 in the old system, you needed a score of 80-100%. However, in the new system, you need a score of 90-100%.
Also, in the old system, Grade 9 was labelled as ‘fail,’ which has now been replaced with ‘lowest’ in the new system. If you get Grade 9, it just shows you have to do better and does not mean you are a failure.
Common misconceptions
There are several misconceptions about the BECE grading system that have led to confusion among students and parents. Here are some common misconceptions and the truth:
- You must score an aggregate of 30 and below to get admission. However, this is no longer true. Under the Computerised School Selection Placement System (CSSPS) initiated by the government, you can still get admission even if your grade is 42.
- Some say the aggregate score is the sum of each subject’s raw scores (grades). But that’s not true. The aggregate score is the sum of your best six subjects (three core and three elective/optional subjects).
- Large grade numbers mean better performance. This is also not true. In the BECE grading system, lower numbers/grades mean better performance. Grade 1 is the highest, and grade 9 is the lowest.
FAQs
What is the minimum grade required to pass BECE?
The minimum grade required to pass a subject in the BECE in Ghana is grade 6. This means you must score at least 50% to pass a subject.
Can aggregate 30 get admission to any SHS?
Yes, scoring grade 30 can still get you admission into SHS, though it may not be at your preferred school.
Conclusion
The BECE grading system plays a significant role in Ghana’s educational system. It evaluates how well you understand what you’ve learned.
So, doing your best in each subject is important to get into your preferred SHS and study your desired course. Have any questions or thoughts? Leave your comments or share your experiences below!
17 Comments. Leave new
Please can someone get grade 7 in science and do general science in SHS
Also can you based on a name and give a person School maybe he or she is a Muslim and he or she selected Islamic SHS which is more than Two
Yes, there’s a small chance you can do General Science in SHS even with grade 7 in Science. This depends on how well you do in the other core/elective subjects and the availability/admission requirements of the SHS you choose.
For school placements, the CSSPS will place you in a school based on your BECE scores and the spaces available in your chosen schools. We don’t know if it takes your name into account.
Please, can the grading system go down??
The BECE grading system is approved by WAEC and is not expected to change or go down. If any changes do happen, we’ll update this post.
Pls when will the results of 2024 bece be released
We wrote about everything we know in this article: When will the BECE results be out?
Please can you explain more about the standard nine (stanine) grading system?
I didn’t get it clear
The stanine grading system uses fractions (percentages) to determine your grades.
For example, if 100 people wrote the BECE exam, the top 4 scores would get Grade 1, the next 7 people would get Grade 2, and so on.
The grades are given based on how well you do compared to everyone else and not a specific range like 90-100=Grade 1.
I want to know exact grading system used in 2024
Do you mean between the two grading systems? WAEC decides which to use.
Yes
Has the 2024 BECE scripts been marked?? When is the 2024 BECE results coming.
Here’s everything we know so far.
Has the 2024 BECE scripts been marked
The latest news suggest that the 2024 BECE exams are still being marked.
When would BECE 2024 results release
Here’s everything we know.